I would like to seal the wood on a shaving bowl. What finish would be best to seal the wood to prevent moisture from getting into the wood?
-
May 2025 Turning Challenge: Long Neck Hollowform! (click here for details) -
Congratulations to Phil Hamel winner of the April 2025 Turning Challenge (click here for details) -
Congratulations to Paul Hedman and Donna Banfield for "Fire and Ice" being selected as Turning of the Week for 5 May, 2025 (click here for details) -
Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.
Shaving bowl finish
- Thread starter Webb Willmott
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2021
- Messages
- 1,596
- Likes
- 1,397
- Location
- Roulette, PA
- Website
- www.reallyruralwoodworks.com
Encase it in epoxy resin.
No matter the finish, wood is going to absorb moisture - only difference between finishes is the rate at which it does. Shaving bowls, probably can finish just fine with polyurethane, lacquer, etc.
As long as water is not going to stand in it (I.E. it'll dry out / evaporate relatively quickly) most any finish would do fine, because nothing really is going to prevent wood from absorbing moisture unless you encased it in something like Epoxy or other waterproof plastic finish.
But I'd probably go with multiple coats of your choice of lacquer or polyurethane or spar varnish, and then just advise to wipe it out with a towel or something after use and allow to air dry.
Look up Hassui Ceramic. 5OFF code gets 5% off—supposedly waterproof Japanese sealer. There’s a thread about it here. Expensive stuff. Can’t speak to its effectiveness.
I made 2 from very dry boxelder, one for me, one for a friend. They must be over 10 years old by now. I put on oil-based Minwax gloss wiping poly, at least 4 coats, maybe 5 or 6. They look as good today as when I made them.
Use it, rinse it, towel dry it, and repeat tomorrow.
Use it, rinse it, towel dry it, and repeat tomorrow.
Wood has its limitations. No matter what we think we want to do, wood may not be the solution. Personally, cleaning out the bowl every morning has little appeal to me, and would shorten the life of the soap bar, right? Could be a good time to learn how to do metal spinning. Turn a wood bowl, then do a copper or aluminum bowl that snugs right inside the wood bowl. Turn the rim over on the metal so the metal rim covers the wood so water doesn't leak between the joint.
It's wood use it until you can't use it any more then turn another or turn several and have them ready. 
I've never used a shaving soap bar or puck that I'd leave in the wood bowl, just for the reason Richard mentions. I prefer the soap in its own container, such as lidded plastic or squeeze tube. I dampen my brush lightly to get some soap onto the brush, get a splash or 2 of warm water into the bowl, and whip up a bowl of fluffy lather. Rinse the bowl when done, dry it with a towel.
Some of my preferred soaps-
Mama Bear Awakenings
Poraso, white or red squeeze tube. White feels good, but red tube smells better to me.
proraso-usa.com
Vostok (no longer made) would slap you wide awake with its freezing cold menthol/peppermint blend. Or, use it at the end of a long, hot summer day.
There are a million others out there, and my friend has a linen closet full of them to prove it. But, there's nothing wrong with a good shave from a can of Barbasol, orange can "Sensitive" for me.
barbasol.com
Now about those blades... I say Feather makes the best, sharpest double edge safety razor blades. $32 for 100 blades, take that, Gillette!
Some of my preferred soaps-
Mama Bear Awakenings
Mentholated Soaps
The ultimate 'cool' in summer shaving, our mentholated Polar Ice Shaving Soaps are not for the faint of heart.. Perfect for hot days.Lime, Lemongrass & Awakenings are all eo (essential oil) based and 100% Natural, Orange & Lilac.
mamabearssoaps.com
Poraso, white or red squeeze tube. White feels good, but red tube smells better to me.
Shaving Cream Tube: Sensitive Skin
Proraso Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin provides a rich, creamy lather to prepare skin prone to irritation for a close shave without razor burn. Oatmeal and Green Tea soothe and protect inflamed, sensitive skin. Features a hint of the light, refreshing scent of lime and apple. Made with a...
proraso-usa.com
Vostok (no longer made) would slap you wide awake with its freezing cold menthol/peppermint blend. Or, use it at the end of a long, hot summer day.
There are a million others out there, and my friend has a linen closet full of them to prove it. But, there's nothing wrong with a good shave from a can of Barbasol, orange can "Sensitive" for me.
Shaving Cream | Barbasol Shaving Razors, Creams and Shave Club for Men
Maker of men's shaving systems, disposables and creams for a close shave - join the shave club, buy online or in store.
barbasol.com
Now about those blades... I say Feather makes the best, sharpest double edge safety razor blades. $32 for 100 blades, take that, Gillette!
Last edited:
It's wood use it until you can't use it any more then turn another or turn several and have them ready.
I think you probably have the right idea. Pop’s favorite was Yardly which came in a turned wooden (maple) bowl.
Attachments
Shaving? I tried that. Took me a while to get the hang of it.
JKJ
JKJ
Looks like you got it half-right.
You could use epoxy on just the inside of the bowl, which I have done on a few goblets with decent results. The shaving soap bowls or mugs I've made were all out of "oily" tropical woods with no finish and they're still working as new, AFAIK.
Another vote for Proraso soap--i use the green, but may have to try a tube of red...this is not the first comment i've read on the scent of the red. I need to get better on the spirit expressed by @Bill Blasic, i've glued my ceramic mug together a few times in the past 50 years!! might be time to replace it. and i have a few nice chunks of Texas Ebony and Brazilian Rosewood that would be good candidates.I've never used a shaving soap bar or puck that I'd leave in the wood bowl, just for the reason Richard mentions. I prefer the soap in its own container, such as lidded plastic or squeeze tube. I dampen my brush lightly to get some soap onto the brush, get a splash or 2 of warm water into the bowl, and whip up a bowl of fluffy lather. Rinse the bowl when done, dry it with a towel.
Some of my preferred soaps-
Mama Bear Awakenings
Mentholated Soaps
The ultimate 'cool' in summer shaving, our mentholated Polar Ice Shaving Soaps are not for the faint of heart.. Perfect for hot days.Lime, Lemongrass & Awakenings are all eo (essential oil) based and 100% Natural, Orange & Lilac.mamabearssoaps.com
Poraso, white or red squeeze tube. White feels good, but red tube smells better to me.
Shaving Cream Tube: Sensitive Skin
Proraso Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin provides a rich, creamy lather to prepare skin prone to irritation for a close shave without razor burn. Oatmeal and Green Tea soothe and protect inflamed, sensitive skin. Features a hint of the light, refreshing scent of lime and apple. Made with a...
Vostok (no longer made) would slap you wide awake with its freezing cold menthol/peppermint blend. Or, use it at the end of a long, hot summer day.
There are a million others out there, and my friend has a linen closet full of them to prove it. But, there's nothing wrong with a good shave from a can of Barbasol, orange can "Sensitive" for me.
Shaving Cream | Barbasol Shaving Razors, Creams and Shave Club for Men
Maker of men's shaving systems, disposables and creams for a close shave - join the shave club, buy online or in store.
Now about those blades... I say Feather makes the best, sharpest double edge safety razor blades. $32 for 100 blades, take that, Gillette!
I like the Proraso soap but Cella Crema Sapone is still my favorite. I buy it in a 1kg brick and cut off a chunk and press it in my bowl and put the rest in the freezer for long term keeping. Love the smell of sandlewood in Taylor’s but it’s not as slick a soap as the Cella which smells like almonds. I prefer tallow based soaps instead of glycerine based. I don’t rinse the bowl since it just wastes soap.
I agree with an earlier post about Feather blade sharpness but they dull after a few shaves and I have found Astra blades are outstanding and run $10/100 and hold up for about 2 shaves more than the Feathers.
Rockwell Razors are fabulous and my weapon of choice. No razor burn, ingrown hairs on the neck, and I can’t remember when I last cut myself.
To get back on track, I will just turn a couple of bowls, use some friction polish and beeswax and throw away when they start to look cruddy.
I agree with an earlier post about Feather blade sharpness but they dull after a few shaves and I have found Astra blades are outstanding and run $10/100 and hold up for about 2 shaves more than the Feathers.
Rockwell Razors are fabulous and my weapon of choice. No razor burn, ingrown hairs on the neck, and I can’t remember when I last cut myself.
To get back on track, I will just turn a couple of bowls, use some friction polish and beeswax and throw away when they start to look cruddy.
Friction polish and beeswax would be the softest possible finish. Maybe your brush won't cause much abrasion.
I've been using the same shaving mug (similar to a coffee mug, but shallower) for about 50 years with no wear on the finish. The soap is an excellent lubricant.
It's from the book, "How to Cut Your Shaving Time in Half."