Review Grooming Dept Kölsnich

Typically get around 50 shaves/tub

This is the most comprehensive soap review I have ever seen. Thank you! I purchased this soap after reading your review.
I have two questions:
1) What type of "spoon" is it, and where did you get it?
2) Who makes your lather bowl and where did you get it? (The ridges on the inside surface are perfect for lathering)

This is the most comprehensive soap review I have ever seen.  Thank you!  I purchased this soap after reading your review.
I have two questions:
1) What type of "spoon" is it, and where did you get it?
2) Who makes your lather bowl and where did you get it?  (The ridges on the inside surface are perfect for lathering)

Good questions Captain!  I think I can give a fair enough answer for a bowl which is at least very similar:  



There are a number of "Suribachi" bowls on Amazon, and no doubt elsewhere too.  I have been on the fence about ordering one for the very same purpose as Luis: The bottom strikes me as being smooth enough to (¿) probably (?) not damage hairs or bristles, but otherwise textured enough to be perfect for lathering, especially scooped soap.  After reading his review this morning, I pulled the trigger on one of the smaller (and cheaper) ones, which you see in the photo.  You can find it here.  I am still curious about the spoon, but I can use a small guitar pick or even a metal collar stay for now.

Hey Luis_Garcia:  I think you rang a lot of guys' bells with this thread (meaning in a good way).

Thanks for the bowl information. Those bowls look great for lathering. I will order one as well.

My better half thinks she solved the "spoon" mystery. It looks like a spoon for cosmetics. I googled "cosmetic spatula spoon" and clicked images. There must be hundreds of plastic spoons with rounded edges, which are perfect for "soap to bowl" transfer. You can get these for free at most cosmetic counters or just ask your spouse or girl friend for one!

The spoon is identical to ones that Shavedash sends with their samples. I have a slightly different but still similar cosmetic spoon that I use.

I know I've posted it somewhere before, but can't for the life of me recall where... I found these on Amazon not too long ago. They're coffee / espresso spoons, I believe. About 5 inches long and work well for scraping / scooping soap. Fairly strong construction, so I can break up a soap too.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CZMZRFY/ref...SCbBE63KA6

I know I've posted it somewhere before, but can't for the life of me recall where... I found these on Amazon not too long ago. They're coffee / espresso spoons, I believe. About 5 inches long and work well for scraping / scooping soap. Fairly strong construction, so I can break up a soap too.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CZMZRFY/ref...SCbBE63KA6

Nice!  Interestingly, I just unboxed these - another version of espresso spoons, and their softer, but cheaper plastic little brothers (which I will save for very soft items):



I also got to try out the Suribachi Bowl yesterday.  I am blown away by what a useful piece of kit this is.  It fits great in the hand, it is big enough, the ridges are small but not sharp, so they will make lather but not hurt your tips. and it is perfect for spreading product wide and thin.  It is also light enough (~272.6g) that I can put it on my Smart Weigh scale, and still weigh soap accurately to within 0.1g (not that I would always weigh the soap).

I also noticed something interesting about the bottom center of the bowl.  It takes about 5ml of water to cover it roughly 3mm deep, and I believe I could scrap and bloom soap in this bowl too.  I plan to try a test lather this way sometime this weekend, and I will let you know.


EDIT:  I almost forgot.  A hard guitar pick does a fine job too.

HighSpeed....thanks for the information. I will also pick-up the same suribachi bowl on Amazon. I checked our local Japanese stores and their average price for those bowls is 2 to 3 times more for the same size. They do have bigger bowls, but they start at $40! The product in your link is a steal compared to higher quality "made in Japan" versions. For our purpose, this bowl looks perfect.

I had the same reaction Captainjonny. To be honest, I am still Jonesing for one of the $40 bowls - and I could spring for it if I really wanted to - but they weigh three times as much, and long story short: I'm just not there yet. If I find something very beautiful and about the right size, I might go for it. But the really important thing is ... Enjoy your bowl Captain!

I’ve been looking to upgrade my lathering bowl and these suribachi bowls look to be really good. I’ve been using a large soup bowl which is smooth and takes forever to build a lather but it gets the job done. But I’m gonna look at some suribachi bowls on amazon. Thanks for the the info!