Thread: Correct way to use a bowl and shave soap

I bought some bay rum scented classicshaving.com soap and I loved the smell. I had no idea that you were not supposed to leave the glycerine soap in the boiling hot mug with the soap. So after my first shave with it the size of the soap was reduced to half. The second day I used it the soap was then reduced to half. So I got wise and used the soap to get it on the brush and took it out...voila couldn't even tell it was used. Problem solved.

But...How do you guys use the soap that is in the wooden bowls. It seems like moving a wet brush over the top will just make a mess and your wooden bowl that started out looking nice now has soap scum all over it. Do you just have to clean the bowl everytime or is there some vetran trick to using the soap and keeping the bowl in good shape? Also when you guys use the soap in a mug do you just get your foam going, take the soap out, rinse it put it on the sink, and after the shave return it to the mug?

Sorry if I sound confused, I just think that using the Taylors Cream that I have or any cream seems to be a little easier and cleaner.

I have two soaps right now Taylor oOBS in a wooden bowl and classic shavings Bay rum in a scuttle. I rinse the wooden with my face cloth. With the scuttle its easy the water drains back into the bottom and the soap dries by itself.

When using soap in the bowl, I fully saturate the brush with hot water (the soap is dry), bring the brush to the soap, and do a 5-10 round circles on the soap. This won't create lather in the bowl, but will saturate the brush with the soap. The lathering is done on the face. Just work it for a minute or two, and voila, wonderfull whipped cream-like lather! You can also pour the excess water that remained in the bowl on the brush while working the lather. I don't rinse the (ceramic) bowl, it's a waiste of soap, and I think this will work on wooden bowl also. The soap dryes quickly...

have phun,
Nenad

My mugs are either pottery or pewter and I also wet the brush and bring it to the dry soap and do circle motions until the brush is saturated and then work up the lather on my face. Afterwards I just pour out any excess liquid from the mug and rinse the mug off on the outside. I guess you have to be more careful with a wooden mug since the water or soap residue can ruin the finish after awhile.

I alternate between Trumpers soap, Haslinger soap and Vulfix cream.