Buffalo Horn 3.5 Inch Palm Shave Bowl shave bowl by Hand Made Shave Bowls

I am really happy with this palm bowl. It is a great size and shape to produce a good lather with a brush. I've had a lot more success with this than with my previous (and now broken) porcelain apothecary shave mug.To address some of the comments made in other reviews:1) This bowl is not plastic. At a glance, it may resemble plastic, but it is definitely a natural product.2) There was a noticeable smell from it the first few times it was hit with warm water. To me, it was somewhat like the smell produced from a hairdryer. Not exactly pleasant, but not a reason to avoid it. Sooner or later, it mostly smells like shaving cream anyway.3) After about 2 months of use, it did begin to split at the edge. I dropped in a few drops of super glue early on, and so far that has stopped any further splitting.4) It is not too small. If you use a lot of shaving cream, it might go over the edge, but it's easy to keep it contained.5) If you intend to use shaving soap, you'll have to load your brush before use. It is a totally curved bowl, so it won't hold a puck of soap very well.

unfortunately, i have not had this for very long and it is starting to peel and crack. i swear i only put water and shave cream into it. i havent dropped it, but it does sit upside down to dry after i shave. this is my only real complaint about it.on small pet peeves, i may have expected too much. i also admit i may be dumb. i was disappointed this didnt have much density to it. it is very lightweight. i hunt and deer horns seem denser to me and that is what i anticipated. maybe buffalo really have less dense horns or maybe this is just the way it was made. again, this is my personal pet peeve, not a complaint. also, the bowl doesnt retain heat well. i presoak the bowl to get it warmer while i shower. i was hoping to have a warmer shave. however, this is not the case.overall, i just wasnt happy i made this purchase. i liked the color, but that is as far as it went. sorry to be so critical, but you guys asked me for my review. normally, i just do the stars and move on, but i wanted to explain my low rating of this product. please note i am not asking for my money back because that is not fair to the seller. i was sold the product i asked for and i used it. until i buy a new shave bowl, i will continue to use it. i dont believe it is fair to ask for my money back for something i just was not happy about in the long term. i will just not buy this again.

Read the top reviews, they will tell you a lot about the bowl and its proper use. My bowl has a brilliant polish and gloss, the grain is attractive with striation and marbling. It is appears small and fits my hands nicely, If you have big hands, maybe a bigger palm bowl is better for you. It is very thin, but uniform. That works well for me as it does not overpower the weight of my brush and lather, so that I get a good feel for my lather quality. I suspect a drop or travel will not do the bowl much good. If your proven shave cream doesn't seem to lather fast, try knocking off some of the interior polish with fine sand paper. I have found it gives slippery cream a little "tooth" and allows the brush to impart air faster. Pros: Light, attractive, good fit. Cons: price, fragile

I purchased five products as a group after being less than enamored with the offerings from local stores, that included a high-dollar N-brand electric razor with goop that stopped being supported a year after purchase, and a gazillion-bladed KoRazor that cost as much for replacement blades that drag on your face like a boat anchor. I initially dug out my grandfather’s 50 year old spice mug, brush and cheap disposable razors, but when the soap was gone, I knew I liked the ceremony and results of the way of my ancestors. So I looked to Amazon for the Heavyweight All Metal Chrome Trac II razor, Escali Pure Badger brush, a Buffalo Horn 3.5 in Palm Shave Bowl, and TOBS Sandalwood Hard Shaving Soap. The results are a simple elegance that I want to share with every man and the woman who are ready for a cheaper and easier way of grooming. The icing was finding 100-packs Personna TwinII for a third less than a 10-pack at my local grocery. I can’t say enough good about the entire experience. It’s a great feeling to start the morning ablution with this group of excellent products.

Functionally, this bowl works reasonably well, serving the purpose for which it was intended, but when I received it, I was surprised in comparison to the advertising photo. Instead of attractive differences of caramel tans and browns as shown online, the bowl I received was jet block with no color, variation what-so-ever (see photo). A friend of mine looked at it, and I asked him what he thought it was, and he said, "one of those cheap plastic bowls from China" I didn't want to tell him the price, but did tell him the material, and he responded... "really.. you're kidding??"Admittedly, I realized there could be subtle differences from one bowl to the next, since it is made from a natural product, but I wonder, the care Parker takes selecting buffalo horn material used to make these bowls, and whether there is decision as to quality of material used in the manufacture of these bowls? I am, therefore, not able to recommend this bowl to customers.

This bowl came to me exactly as promised. Yes it is authentically made from buffalo horn and not plastic like others have stated. It fits comfortably in the palm of my hand and allows me to build a nice later. I must warn you that when new and water is added to the bowl to heat it up there is a terrible smell but rest assured over time and use like maybe a month or less the smell completely dissipates. Not much else to say about it except each bowl will be uniquely different for obvious reasons some have a great color variation and others may be completel a dark brown color. Mine fell somewhere in between but either way it would not have bothered me one bit.