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You are here: Home / Reviews / Best Shaving Bowl – Here Are The Top 10

Best Shaving Bowl – Here Are The Top 10

January 11, 2018 by Admin 22 Comments


To get a shaving bowl or not to get a shaving bowl? That is the question. In this review, we will take a look at the best shaving bowl on the Market!

If you have recently switched to wet shaving you may be wondering what accessories are really necessary.

You were probably told that shaving with a safety razor would be cheaper in the long run than your old multi-blade cartridge razors.

Well don’t worry it still will be. But if you really want to dive into the wet shaving experience you may want to add a shaving mug or scuttle to your line up with a quality shaving brush.

Recommendations

  • Schöne Stainless Steel Shaving Bowl
  • Crown King Victorian
  • Shaving Factory Shaving Mug
  • Marvy Rubber Shaving Mug
  • AKStore Men’s Durable Shave Soap Cup
  • Parker Safety Razor Deluxe Black Stoneware Apothecary
  • Kingsley Shave Soap Bowl
  • Shaving Bowl By Apollo
  • Edwin Jagger Porcelain Shaving Soap Bowl
  • Latherwhip Shaving Bowl – Mug

What Is A Shaving Soap Bowl, Mug or Scuttle?

A shaving bowl is pretty basic by design. Some simply look like a bowl and others mugs.

They may have a handle or they may not. They can be made of several different materials including:

  • Stainless steel – easy to clean
  • Ceramic – holds heat well, easy to break
  • Wood – doesn’t hold heat well, looks nice
  • Rubber – hard to break

As you can see, they each have their own advantages and disadvantages.

They really only have one main function, to help you whip up a lather with your favorite shaving cream or soap.

Since the brush and some hard soaps need to soak in hot water before use, the shaving bowls will also allow you to do that.

Shaving Mug Vs. Scuttle

shaving bowl (2)
Source

The shaving scuttle is slightly different than a bowl or mug.  The scuttle dates back to the late 19th century.

As you can see it has two compartments. The larger one underneath is to be filled with your hot water and you can set your brush inside to soak.

The smaller compartments are where you would put a puck of soap and usually has drain holes.

These are hard to find today, most scuttles you will find have a spout that allows you to fill the bowl with hot water so that as you create your lather it stays warm.

They also do not have drain holes so you can use soft soaps or shaving creams.

How To Use A Shaving Bowl Or Scuttle

how to use a shaving bowl 5
Source

Using a shaving bowl is really a simple task. For soft soaps or creams simply soak your brush in warm water for a couple minutes to allow it to soften and heat up.

Then pour out the water, add your cream or soap and briskly whip it with light pressure into a lather adding water as needed to create your desired consistency.

For certain, hard soaps you can use the same process but the soap should be in the soaking water. Then you can pour off the excess water to begin your lather.

For an even easier lather you should melt the soap down so it forms to the inside of the mug or bowl. If you have a microwave safe material like ceramic, simply pop it in for 20 seconds and this should be enough to melt the soap down.

If you have a metal bowl you can simply use a double boiler method to melt the soap down.

Or you can simply dampen the bottom of the soap cake before you place it in your mug which will help it stick to the bottom.

Reviews

When deciding on a shaving bowl for you one thing you will need to consider is what kind of brush you are going to use it with it.

For example, if you have a short brush, you probably don’t want to get a tall mug that doesn’t have a big opening. This will create extra work on your end just to get the brush in to do its job.

So be sure to try to match the style of brush with the type of bowl or mug you want to get.

Best Shaving Bowl With A Lid -Schöne Stainless Steel Shaving Bowl

schone shaving bowl 4This Schöne bowl comes with a lid and is a top candidate. Maybe your wife doesn’t like seeing the used soap puck inside, you can easily make it more appealing with this stylish lid.

This is designed to hold standard three inch pucks of shaving soap. It is slightly wider at the bottom than the top and only 2.25 inches deep so this should work well with even the shortest of brushes.

This is stainless steel and not chrome plated so it should keep its shiny look for many years to come if you can keep it dry between uses.

This bowl has over 500 reviews and is rated at 4.5-stars.

As you can see most customers love this product but there are a couple complaints.

Some say the lid is either too tight or too loose, maybe there was a bad production run.

Others say that it is too thin, the only issue this may cause is it probably won’t hold heat as well as some others.

However, it should fit well in your hands because of the shape and size which will allow you to quickly whip up a lather.

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Best Shaving Scuttle – Crown King Victorian

Crown king shaving bowl 6

The Crown King Victorian Scuttle has a pretty awesome design.

It kind of looks like a tea pot with its large handle and water spout.

The water spout allows you to fill the “walls” of this bowl so to speak with hot water so that it warms up and keeps the contents warm as well, whether it be water or lather.

The inner bowl is about 4 inches wide and also 2.25 inches deep but has a cone shape so your brush shouldn’t fall into the lather.

The inner walls also have texture grooves which will help you create a rich, thick lather in no time!

One downfall of this design is that hard pucks of soap may not work well in this bowl. The textured grooves may make it difficult for the puck to really stick to the bowl and may slide while whipping a lather.

However, if you use soft soaps or creams you may be pleasantly surprised by the quality of this scuttle.

It comes highly rated at 4.7-stars.

Not many are negative but the bowl itself could be a little wider/deeper at the bottom. The tapering design may not be great if you have a larger brush.

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Best Shaving Mug – Shaving Factory Shaving Mug

shaving factory shaving bowl 8The Shaving Factory Mug is made with a quality ceramic stoneware which should warm up as you let the brush/soap soak in hot water and help keep your lather warm throughout the shave.

It has a clean, simple design with more of a knob than a handle, however, many suggest it is comfortable and easy to grip.

This will probably not work well if you have a shorter brush as it is over 3 inches tall so it would be difficult to get a short brush in there, especially if you have larger hands.

This mug will also not work with larger pucks of soap, you should try and keep them under 2.5 inches in diameter.

Overall this is a great mug with many positive reviews. It could have been just a little wider to allow different soaps and some more room to work your shaving brush around for the lather.

This seems to be the biggest complaint about this mug.

However, it will get the job done and could make a great first mug or gift for someone who is just starting out wet shaving.

Check Current Price

Others To Consider

Marvy Rubber Shaving Mug

marvy shaving bowl 9Marvy’s Rubber shaving mug is definitely not the norm if you like being different or if you are just worried about breaking a ceramic mug.

This mug is wide enough to fit most puck soaps, one guy even got a 4-oz. puck in there! It also has a textured bottom to help keep the soap from sliding around.

It is also microwave safe so you can form the soap to the rubber mug.

The mug is almost 4 inches in height so you will probably need a longer brush for this one, however, this should be much lighter than other mugs made of different materials.

Another added benefit of the rubber is that it won’t make a bunch of noise while you are whipping up your lather compared to a metal or ceramic shaving bowl.

One might wonder why you don’t see more of these rubber mugs with all of the benefits of a traditional shaving mug and almost none of the weaknesses.

The biggest complaints are that it feels cheap and it is too tall for some guy’s brushes. Well it only costs a little more than $10 and is rubber, what do you expect it to feel like?!

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AKStore Men’s Durable Shave Soap Cup

akstore shaving bowl 11

If you are looking for a cheap but durable shaving bowl to get the job done the AKStore Men’s Durable Shave cup is the way to go.

There is nothing fancy about this thing, just solid double layered stainless steel to help retain heat while you are whipping your lather.

It does have an anti-skid ridge on the bottom but it is on the outside so this is to prevent the bowl from sliding around on a counter top and not to prevent the soap from sliding.

It is not very large, only about 2 inches tall and slightly less than 3 inches wide so some of the larger soaps may not be a good fit in here.

They do offer a 100% money back guarantee so this is a risk-free product.

A lot of guys mention in the reviews that this cup really will retain a good amount of heat once you heat it up with hot tap water.

However, since the bowl is on the smaller size, it may be better for shaving creams or at least, not trying to whip a lather with a soap puck stored inside. This will give you more room from your lather.

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Parker Safety Razor Deluxe Black Stoneware Apothecary

parker shaving bowl 12This quality stoneware shaving mug by Parker is beautifully designed.

It has thick walls of ceramic which will help it retain heat but also add some weight to it but has a comfortable handle on it as well.  One guy even had it fall off a toilet with no damage, however you probably shouldn’t expect this from every fall!

It is wide enough to handle soap pucks up to 3 inches in diameter but short enough that you should be able to use a shorter brush like their faux horn silvertip brush.

Just remember that the larger the soap you use the less room you will have to work up a lather and it may come out onto your hands.

There are not many negative reviews for this mug, the main one being that it is too expensive. You get what you pay for.

Overall though this should be a great mug if you prefer using soap pucks because it is large enough to leave room for a lather but wide enough to be useful.

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Kingsley Shave Soap Bowl with Lid Dark Wood

kingsley shaving bowl 12

The Kingsley Shave soap bowl might be good to purchase together with the AKStore cup. Both of them are less than $10.

The Kingsley would be good for storing your soap and the AKStore would be good for whipping a lather.

The reason we say this is the wooden shaving bowl from Kingsley is very short, only about 1.5 inches tall which won’t leave much room, if any to work up a lather once you put your puck inside.

However, it is one of the nicest looking shave bowls with a lid if you get complaints from your significant other about your shaving area looking messy. This will give it a classier look.

Since it is so attractive on the outside this could make a great gift for someone.

While it does come highly rated with 4.3-stars on Amazon and over 500 reviews there are a few common issues.  But remember this less than a $10 bowl.

Some guys have had the bowl crack on them. Others say the lid doesn’t fit quite right like it shows in the picture.

Other than that, the shallowness comes into play. If you are a shaving cream guy this might be a great bowl to use since you can simply apply a little cream on your brush and use the bowl to whip your lather.

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Shaving Bowl By Apollo Stainless Steel

apollo shaving bowl 13

This is another very nice looking stainless steel shaving bowl by Apollo. It comes with a nice lid, a lifetime guarantee and won’t break the bank.

It has a 3.5 inch opening so it will accommodate most regular sized shaving pucks. The lid will help prevent your soap from drying out or cracking between uses.

They even throw in a nice micro-fiber towel that you can use to wipe it down after each use to remove any water marks and keep it looking fresh on your counter top.

The good think about the stainless steel is that you don’t have to worry about it breaking or cracking like other materials.

Apparently, the lid fits too well. There are a few negative reviews that mention they couldn’t remove the lid after the first couple uses.

This may happen if you put the lid on while it is still wet. If you be sure to wipe the inside of the lid as well as the outside of the bowl completely dry it should help prevent sticking like that.

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Edwin Jagger Porcelain Shaving Soap Bowl

edwin jagger shaving bowl 14As you can see this shaving soap bowl from Edwin Jagger just screams quality with its sleek design and thick porcelain walls.

It has a nice wide opening, about 4 inches and tapers down to 3 inches which holds most standard soap pucks. However, it is only slightly taller than 3 inches so you don’t need a long brush like some other mugs.

In fact, it really doesn’t leave much room for the soap to slide around so you probably won’t have to worry about melting down the soap. Besides after the first use it should be stuck to the bottom anyway.

This is a bit more expensive than most of these but you usually have to pay for quality.  As you can see from the reviews many guys love this mug.

The main complaint is that it is too small compared to a bowl. While it is called a bowl in the name it takes on more of the shape of a mug.

If you like using short, stubby brushes you may want to go for a bowl but if you don’t mind the height this should last a long time making it easy to quickly whip up a nice lather.

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Latherwhip Shaving Bowl – Mug

latherwhip shaving bowl 14The Latherwhip shaving bowl is very similar to the Edwin Jagger. Same design, same material, same ridges on the bottom to help hold the soap and it is just a few dollars less.

This would probably work well with their badger hair shaving brush.  It is long enough that you don’t have to work too hard to whip up the lather.

Besides that, there is nothing too fancy about this mug, just an overall solid design that will get the job done.

This is a fairly high rated mug with 4.6-stars on Amazon. The only downfalls you could say is that it is heavy but hopefully that also means that it can withstand some use.

Or if you like to use larger soap pucks they may be difficult to get down to the bottom. Of course, you could always cut it and melt it down, a small price to pay for such a nice shaving bowl.

Check Current Price

Conclusion

As you can see there are several awesome choices if you decide you want to get yourself a shaving bowl.

Of course, if you are a shaving cream guy you can always lather straight onto your face. Or maybe you have an old bowl or coffee mug lying around the house that can easily be converted.

However, maybe it’s your birthday or Father’s Day and you want to treat yourself to a nice addition to your wet shaving lineup.

One of these shaving bowls would certainly do the trick!

Do you own a shaving bowl? Let us know how you like it in the comments below!

Filed Under: Reviews, Shaving Bowls, Top 10 Comparison Chart

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ramon says

    April 12, 2017 at 6:22 pm

    Nice site! I have always wanted to a straight razor. I could not remember the name though. Thanks for including the nickname because that is what I was familiar with. I think I will buy one soon, and if I do I will go through your site.

    One question for you: What do you mean shaving razors have been around since 18,000 B.C.?

    Reply
    • Jeremy says

      April 13, 2017 at 1:06 pm

      Thanks Ramon! There were razor like objects in Egypt and norther Europe that dated back to the bronze age.

      Reply
  2. Jeff says

    April 13, 2017 at 3:27 am

    Jeremy,
    I just happened to stumble on your site and now I have an interest in safety razors after reading your reviews that have detail and personal opinion which I like. I am a Gillette user at the moment but I’m feeling like the moment might be over. I’ll look into the Merkur.

    Thanks for the info,
    Jeff

    Reply
    • Jeremy says

      April 13, 2017 at 1:08 pm

      You’re welcome Jeff, I’m sure you will enjoy shaving much more after you make the switch. The Merkur 23C might be a great starter razor for you.

      Reply
  3. Maxx says

    April 15, 2017 at 11:49 am

    Nice article for shaving. I use a very normal bowl for shaving. As I never thought there is such specific bowl for shaving. Perhaps I should change to the one you recommended.

    From the list you mentioned above, the most preferred by me is Edwin Jagger Porcelain Shaving Soap Bowl. It looks high end and made by porcelain. Very different.

    Thanks for letting me know.

    Reply
    • Jeremy says

      April 17, 2017 at 8:09 pm

      Anytime Maxx, you must have good taste as the Edwin Jagger bowl certainly has a high end look to it. Please let me know how you like it if you decide to get one.

      Reply
  4. MattyB says

    April 19, 2017 at 7:54 pm

    For only about $23 bucks I have to get this shaving bowl. I usually wet shave to get the closest cleanest shave. I have a thick beard and the electric shavers just don’t cut close enough. Although I will use it sometimes if I am in a hurry and it does a good enough job to remove my 5 oclock shadow. However, wet shaving requires a good bowl to go along with it and this Posts explains in details the best ones and how they are made. I checked it out on Amazon and plan to purchase it. Its in my cart! I will share this Post as well. thanks for the tip! – matt

    Reply
    • Jeremy says

      April 21, 2017 at 4:07 pm

      Hey Matt, Glad you found a bowl you enjoyed. After you get it and have used it a few times let me know how you like it!

      Reply
  5. Everton says

    May 13, 2017 at 11:49 am

    I use a gillette sensor to dry shave but after reading your post I am tempted to start wet shaving. It seems like there are several benefits. The sensor sometimes gives me irritation and the refills are starting to add up.

    What would you say are the most compelling reasons to switch to wet shaving?

    Reply
    • Jeremy says

      May 14, 2017 at 11:15 am

      Hey there, Everton, many guys have switched over to wet shaving recently for reason like you mention, cost and reduced skin irritation. These are probably the main two as well as a feeling of manliness you get when you use just one blade to remove your facial hair!

      Reply
  6. Rubi says

    May 21, 2017 at 9:41 pm

    Hello! thank you for a very insightful and informative post.
    It reminds me of my grandfather and how he used to shave every morning using a scuttle. It makes me want to buy one for my partner who always wanted to try wet shaving but didn’t know where to start from!

    Reply
    • Jeremy says

      May 22, 2017 at 1:54 pm

      Hi Rubi, many people are starting to shave like their grandfather’s again as the newer technology is not necessarily better.

      There are several razors or kits that could be great for your partner.

      Reply
  7. Henry says

    May 24, 2017 at 9:31 am

    Would love to have one of those!
    My beard game is getting stronger with every day.

    Haha, & I like the way you say..

    ..”that shaving with a safety razor would be cheaper in the long run than your old multi-blade cartridge razors. Well don’t worry it still will be”

    The Kingsley Shave soap bowl is really catching my eye.
    It’s simple yet elegant.. & it’s sealable which means its very practical. Perhaps even usable for travelling?
    Looks like a great one to store the soap.

    I’m wondering though, how durable a wooden one like this will be?

    Reply
    • Jeremy says

      May 24, 2017 at 2:33 pm

      Thanks for stopping by Henry!

      I don’t think you will want to travel with this one, even though ti has a lid it could come loose.

      There were also reports of the bowl cracking with drops so if you are worried about durability one of the metal ones would probably be the way to go.

      Reply
  8. Bobby says

    June 19, 2017 at 2:30 pm

    This is very Interesting,I go through all kinds of different styles and brands of razors and products. I never seem to find the right things to use. Some have worked pretty good and hate when you get the ones that don’t…lol

    You explained a lot of info I wasn’t aware of and i am looking forward to trying a few things out! Thanks for all the detailed information,that most men do not have a clue on. Very Helpful!

    Reply
    • Jeremy says

      June 19, 2017 at 8:02 pm

      Anytime, thanks for stopping by Bobby!

      Reply
  9. Shawn F. says

    June 26, 2017 at 2:54 am

    Awesome article on finding the best shaving bowl! I am the type of guy who uses a disposable razor and the cheapest shaving cream I can find. I would definitely like to get off of that habit and start shaving as a “hobby”. I do have one question for you. What would you recommend as a great beginner blade? Keep up the good work and I hope to be a continuing reader!

    -Shawn

    Reply
    • Jeremy says

      June 27, 2017 at 1:40 pm

      Thanks Shawn, if you haven’t already check out the Vikings Blade Chieftain, it is a great razor for beginners.

      Reply
  10. Bradley Boschma says

    July 4, 2017 at 4:31 am

    Warren Buffet, one of the richest men in the world early in his career invested in shaving products. His rationale was that men will always need to shave. He was right and he made millions off that purchase, which turned into billions. Just a fun fact I thought you would like to know.

    Brad

    Reply
    • Jeremy says

      July 4, 2017 at 12:31 pm

      Cool info Brad! Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  11. Geoffrey G Klein says

    January 25, 2018 at 2:26 pm

    Highly recommend a Shave Scuttle. Got mne for Christmas and its great for warming the lather. I fill a sink with hot water and keep it submerged for several minutes before shaving, then refill it with Hot water and make my later. That warm later is great. I have the Green Rubber mug listed here as well for when I’m in a hurry. Don’t have to worry about it breaking

    Reply
    • Jeremy says

      January 26, 2018 at 2:17 pm

      Awesome, thanks for the comments Geoffrey!

      Reply

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