Cheapest thing to come out of Turkey

When something this good comes out of Turkey and costs $7.90 with free worldwide shipping
it is our duty to shout it from the rooftops. Seller on eBay is "splitseven", the same  shop that
acts as reseller for Barbados razors.

I've never been into shaving bowls but this thing ticked all my boxes. Virtually unbreakable
unlike the ceramic bowls. Very functional...love how the dimples of the beaten copper help
stir up good suds. Good thinking to include the handle...can't see a single negative here.

Only thing I need to get used to is face painting instead of massaging the brush into
the face, the latter a feeling I quite enjoy, actually. I decided to pick one up since I 
bought a couple tubs from the Panna Crema going-out-of-business sale (via Pasteurs).

My lather making skills are not there yet...this was just hurriedly thrown together...so
felt a bit thin and watery...I will need to study some of the experts out there to get the lather
to that yoghurt-like consistency. Perhaps less water, added in incremental stages?
Anyway, it worked very well for this morning's shave.

... Very functional...love how the dimples of the beaten copper help
stir up good suds. ...

Plus you can take a soap stick and "scribble" it all over the inside, then whip it up with a wet brush.

It is amazing how much quicker you can build a lather when the lather bowl has textured bottom and sides. The only thing I do not like about the copper bowl I have is that is loses heat rather quickly. I tend to prefer ceramic as it hold heat better.

When something this good comes out of Turkey and costs $7.90 with free worldwide shipping
it is our duty to shout it from the rooftops. Seller on eBay is "splitseven", the same  shop that
acts as reseller for Barbados razors.

I've never been into shaving bowls but this thing ticked all my boxes. Virtually unbreakable
unlike the ceramic bowls. Very functional...love how the dimples of the beaten copper help
stir up good suds. Good thinking to include the handle...can't see a single negative here.

Only thing I need to get used to is face painting instead of massaging the brush into
the face, the latter a feeling I quite enjoy, actually. I decided to pick one up since I 
bought a couple tubs from the Panna Crema going-out-of-business sale (via Pasteurs).

My lather making skills are not there yet...this was just hurriedly thrown together...so
felt a bit thin and watery...I will need to study some of the experts out there to get the lather
to that yoghurt-like consistency. Perhaps less water, added in incremental stages?
Anyway, it worked very well for this morning's shave.

I've had one of those for @4-5 years now for when doing samples or soft soaps

I was wondering about patina because I find it unsightly in razors.
But the seller said I could polish it with a home mixture of lemon juice and baking soda
to get it sparkling. One of my better purchases this year.

Used to always scoff at the bowls but Im getting better, irritation-free shaves.
GLM, I guess.

Used to always scoff at the bowls but Im getting better, irritation-free shaves.
GLM, I guess.

It is a lot easier getting a consistent lather when bowl lathering. I know many people start with soap in the bowl or on their brush and then slowly add water. I measure out my water, dump it into the tub of soap and allow it to "bloom" for 10 seconds. Then I dump the bloom water into my shave bowl. If using a boar or badger brush, I will soak it, squeeze and shake out excess water and then load my soap, generally for about 10 seconds. I then dip the brush into the water already in the shave bowl. I start agitating slowly at first to prevent sloshing the water out of the bowl. Then as the lather starts to thicken, I agitate vigorously. With my best soaps, I will have a smooth lather free of bubbles in about 30 seconds. I then paint the lather on my face. If the lather is too dry, I add more water. If it is too thin, I add more soap. However, with experience, I know how much water to use and how much soap to load to get it right the first time.

I measure out my water, dump it into the tub of soap and allow it to "bloom" for 10 seconds. Then I dump the bloom water into my shave bowl. If using a boar or badger brush, I will soak it, squeeze and shake out excess water and then load my soap, generally for about 10 seconds.

There are some soaps/croaps that dissolve into mush when the tub they come in is exposed to water directly.
Destroyed a couple of Acqua de Parma and Santa Maria novella tubs this way...I think a harder soap like saponificio
varesino might be more resilient.

Im currently using a tub of Alvarez Gomez which is also a very soft soap...so I just spoon out a little into the copper
bowl...I find it will last me longer this way.

I measure out my water, dump it into the tub of soap and allow it to "bloom" for 10 seconds. Then I dump the bloom water into my shave bowl. If using a boar or badger brush, I will soak it, squeeze and shake out excess water and then load my soap, generally for about 10 seconds.

There are some soaps/croaps that dissolve into mush when the tub they come in is exposed to water directly.
Destroyed a couple of Acqua de Parma and Santa Maria novella tubs this way...I think a harder soap like saponificio
varesino might be more resilient.

Im currently using a tub of Alvarez Gomez which is also a very soft soap...so I just spoon out a little into the copper
bowl...I find it will last me longer this way.

True. Creams and some very soft soaps cannot be bloomed, but I have found that most artisan soaps can be bloomed if you limit the bloom time to no more than 10 seconds. That shirt time loosens the top layer without turning everything to mush. Just do not leave it longer.