Shaving Soap & Cream Bowl for Men, Natural Granite Stone, Keep Warm Better, Easier to Lather

The Bottomline: two thumbs up. 8.9 to 9.6 across all metrics (lather, design, heat retention, etc.). My only negatives are that it is hefty and care must be taken to grip it or hold flat on the palm, the bottom is bare stone without padding. But once I got used to the weight and resolved the bottom with a cheap fix these were small trade-offs for a superior product (Note: I rated the bottom a 7 until I found a small fix to raise the bottom rating to a 9. I used self-stick "dots" of Velcro on the bottom, works great and waterproof). 8 - Size and Shape: Fits into the Goldilocks Zone for my regular-sized shaving brushes and deep enough so the lather does not splash over the sides. 9 - Surfaces: In a word - friction. Ridges produce friction for making rich thick lather and a non-slip surface. I was a bit leery of this design feature because I thought it would wear down my brushes. It turned out not to be an issue, you don’t have to bang the sides of the bowl to whip up a rich lather. No pad on the bottom so it will scratch a surface eventually. Easy to rinse and clean. 9 - Lather: with either soap or cream the granite bowl’s fine texture of small ridges and grooves on the inside surface provides some friction that whips up a nice rich lather much faster and thicker than my stainless steel bowl with it’s slick surface (I can whip up a soap lather but no where near the quality of the stone’s. My experience with the steel bowl and creams is that it slides around, but with a wetter brush with at least double the amount of cream depending on the brand, I can whisk up a workable lather). 8 - Heat Retention: the granite retains heat keeping the shaving soap/cream and lather nice and warm; my steel bowl cools down rather quickly (some people may not care, but I like it warm). 7 - Holding the bowl: My steel bowl tips the scale at 3.5 oz. The granite bowl weighs in at 32 oz. - that’s a full two lbs! You can’t just scoop up the Charmman and hold it at an angle and flip it around like the lighter steel bowl. So watch that you keep it level so you don’t drop it or somethings’s going to break, your counter, the bowl and/or your toes. On the plus side even with slick wet soapy hands the texture is a firm non-slip grip. The shiny steel bowl is slippery (with soaps I rinse my hand off in water and with creams that are heavy lubricants I wipe my hand on a towel). - What outside reviews say: I’ve researched and frequently you’ll find the Charmman rates the editor’s go-to stone bowl. I did look at marble with texturing inside but because textured marble is not aesthetically appealing the outsides are kept smooth. For me too close to the “oops I dropped it” factor. EDIT: I have used for 3-4 weeks now and my remarks on Item #7 need amending. I now hold the bowl in my hand with the bottom at the 4 - 5 o"clock position, my wrist is a gimbal if you are like me and move the bowl around. This angle is perfect. Also I might some reviews said that the "rough" bowl did or might wear off the ends of the shaving brush. The brush need not touch the side of the bowl - or very lightly like a feather - to make a rich and foamy lather.

Purchased this shaving bowl for my husband for his birthday. It's incredibly heavy! But it is solid, stylish and a nice size to sit on the bathroom counter or to be hand-held, although again, it is heavy! So don't suggest so much for a hand held shower bowl, 'cus if you dropped it, you'd definitely break your toe! The fact that is rough stone is a major plus, as the bowl holds the heat when pre-heated in a sink of warm water, and forms a nice rich lather with a brush with little effort. My husband prefers to use glycerin soap with this, but also works well for softer soaps and cream lathers. A highly recommended quality piece for the price! Could double as a jewelry dish, or even a mortar and pestle bowl if you wanted? I really like this bowl.

After 25 years of brush shaving, I have found the right bowl. The size is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and large enough for soaking the brush. It is not so large that the brush drowns or the handle soaks. The radial cuts inside the bowl provide a rough surface to promote lather build. I also like the look of natural stone. While the brush soaks in warm water the stone warms and builds warm lather, eliminating the need for a scuttle. As a bonus, the price is much lower than many other choices.

As I newcomer to wet shaving, I am constantly on the prowl for the product that might help me get a better and fuller lather. This bowl might just be the thing for me. It has a nice weight to it, and feels good in the hand. It also lathers better than my old, smooth bowl. A tip: If you want a nice, faux scuttle feel, fill it almost full with hot water from the faucet. The cold stone will immediately start to cool the water, but you have a secret weapon. Throw the entire thing in the microwave for 45 seconds to a minute. Empty almost all the hot water and lather as normal. BAM! Stone bowl heats lather. Scuttle experience without a scuttle.

This shaving bowl works great with the brush and soap I got. It is the ideal size to fit in your hand, and has a nice rough texture and weight that allows you work up a good lather. I heartily recommend a genuine boar's bristle brush for the full effect.

This is a great shaving bowl. Looks great, feels great, dows the job - Nice size, coarse texture, symmetric shape, aesthetic coloring, heavy weight. I think it's well worth the price.

This is a really good bowl. It is heavier than any other shaving bowl I have seen but easy to hold whether on sink or in hand. I like it because it has a simple elegance because it is natural stone. I usually place it in the sink and fill with the hot water I use for rinsing after shaving. It mixes a great lather easily and the grooves in the stone make this easier. It is spacious enough to hold plenty of lather for 2-3 passes and, best of all, I am fairly sure it will outlast me because it is hard to imagine it breaking. I rinse it out after use and it is really easy to keep looking good. A small cloth was provided to help clean the stone. I would not bring it travelling as it is heavy and there are plenty of smaller or light weight bowls for that.

I purchased this bowl after reading the reviews. I am new to wet shaving so have been experimenting with different products. The thing I like about this bowl is that it is heavy enough feel good in your hand. It is easy to hold on too while mixing and making lather. The interior is slightly textured which helps in building thick volumes of lather. All in all, very happy with it. One commenter mentioned that after a few weeks of use that the bowl showed signs of water stain. This is because granite is a pourus rock. What I did before I used mine was gave it a couple treatments of a natural stone sealer. It did not change the look or function of the bowl and it should not absorb any water to stain it later. Hope you found this review helpful. I would recommend the bowl.

So, I know it was expensive for what it was when I bought it, when I could have gotten a basic textured bowl at Dollarama or a plastic/rubber textured bowl. BUT I love this thing. Pros: 1. The granite keeps warm longer (fill with you water, wait a bit, pour out, add cream or similar, use brush to lather), which many don't care about, and I totally get it. 2. The grooves inside of the bowl make lathering faster and easier, no matter what you use. Even if you take off a bit if shaving soap to put in you can lather it easier. Creame lathers extremely fast, and the gels basically come out of the can lathering up on contact with the air. The grooves are many and very thin, so you don't even see them unless you really get in to look. 3. I think it really looks nice and more gentlemanly. 4. I like the weight of it. Cons: 1. Pricetag. It's a luxury. There are cheaper things that do the exact same, not at all worse. But it's a nice addition to the shaving ritual. Still, I get not loving the price. 2. It's a heavy sucker. I like that, but I also hold my bowls to lather, and keep them at an angle for the brush. I took the advice of another commentator and got little stick on feet for it at Dollarama, but I went with clear rubber like ones. I did this so it doesn't scratch anything, because it's heavy granite and there's no protection underneath. Just use something water proof (ish). 3. The inner texture of the grooves are fantastic for lathering. But they're not so healthy for your brush. I use a cheap textured one, so I don't care too much, and it's not like it rips it apart, but you should know it will cause individual hairs to be damaged to pulled out of the knot. I wouldn't use a high end brush in it, but for a cheap synthetic it's not a big deal. I really like it. My stainless steel shaving bowl is now just for shaving foam if I use it (I've been experimenting but probably won't buy shaving foam again). I've switched to this. I recommend it if you like the style, don't mind the weight (it's small but heavier than it looks), and don't use premium brushes.

I love this bowl. Rough texture gets a great lather. Holds heat very well. I like to soak it and my brush in hot water in the sink for a few mins before my shave. Usually soak them while I shower. Gives a nice warm lather that stays warm for each pass. I had a stainless steel bowl before this one. I definitely prefer this one.

This is an awesome shaving bowl, it’s my new go-to…….a wet shaver and like a second pass; I run the bowl under hot water letting the heat soak into the stone, lather up my soap it keeps the lather nice and warm even beyond the second pass. I did put 4 small round circular rubber feet on the bottom, as advised by another reviewer, no marks on my live edge counter top. It’s awesome!!!!

nice size , good weight seems well made . lack of bubble wrap in box , in Amazon white blue skinny envelope ...poor packaging and likely rough handling in transit by all who touched the package , probably dropped or tossed . Immediately contacted Amazon , received a small additional compensation plus full refund and reordered a new Granite Shaving bowl . Lets see if the next has a 20% easily visible crack seam , right through mid round crack . or ill shop something else . fingers crossed . As always , excellent Amazon response . Thanks Jedd

Run some hot water through the bowl to heat up the Granite and this bowl whips up some nice hot foam for a smooth, comfortable shave. Highly recommended for anyone who wet shaves. You WILL notice the difference!