Thread: Has anyone considered this?

Now I understand that this is not the first time someone has thought of this, but has anyone tried a mortar bowl... (As in mortar and pestle) as a shaving bowl. I know that many can be found in ceramic and marble. I figure that they would hold heat for quite a while and usually have a large bowl for lather, some even have handle holders for the pestle. Does anyone have experience with these or any ideas as to ceramic vs marble etc.?

The thought had crossed my mind, basically, anything I see that can hold water and soap, I've thought..Hmmmm....Maybe...?
I've actually used a mini crock pot with a scuttle that looks like a flower pot, basically a double boiler. Works great..if you can find a little potpouri crock pot. Here's a pic. I thought it was a good idea at first, turns out, timing is everything with this setup. You can make it work well; however, if you take too long, the heat can cook the lather...

I have a Mortar and Pestle, purely decorative at this point. I've been using the DB Double scuttle. My Mortar and pestle is amazingly thick and heavy, and too small, but I don't see why a larger wouldn't work.

I can tell you from personal experience that the ceramic ones work quite well. It's what I used prior to purchasing a scuttle, and holds the heat well for a nice warm lather. Marble, on the other hand, is considered a "cold" stone, and is used in pastry making to keep dough chilled as it is rolled out. I'm not so sure that it would work as well if you like a hot lather shave. Certainly worth giving it a try if that's what you have on hand, but if you are thinking of purchasing one, I'd go with ceramic.

Hi Zib, I really like the idea of the potpourri pot. I have one that uses a tea light candle to heat. I'll have to try that (probably later in the year when the weather cools off a bit).

Thanks for the info....The thing with the Potpourri crock is knowing when to unplug it....IIRC, it's after first pass, ymmv, I had two, and each heated differently, of course...

One small potential problem with a Mortar is the usually rough surface at the bottom of the bowl... This can cause excessive wear on the brush bristles...

Ridges etc: are fine but if you notice in real scuttles they are still glazed, the ridges as I understand them just help add air.. but a Mortar is usually designed specifically to grind compounds, and they have a rather rough surface to help facilitate that... I would be very careful with the choice myself

I've shopped around, and for 6$ I found a ceramic mortar, that I'm willing to give a try, if nothing else it's only 6$. I'll post some pics when I get a second.

Haha! I love this! Not sure if I will try it, though...

I was using a very small mortar, with textured surface, but have now swapped to a Vintage French Coffee bowl after buying a larger brush. I think I need to visiit some antique shops to find new bowl ideas.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

One small potential problem with a Mortar is the usually rough surface at the bottom of the bowl... This can cause excessive wear on the brush bristles...

Ridges etc: are fine but if you notice in real scuttles they are still glazed, the ridges as I understand them just help add air.. but a Mortar is usually designed specifically to grind compounds, and they have a rather rough surface to help facilitate that... I would be very careful with the choice myself

Gentlemen:

I agree with my friend Glen. Swirling the brush on a rough surface such as mortar in all likelihood will eventually damage the brush.

Regards,

Obie