Captain’s Choice Copper Lather Bowl

So you're getting little bits of lacquer in your lathers? That doesn't sound good.

I suppose so, at least until it’s all gone. You certainly don’t notice any bits in the lather.

So you're getting little bits of lacquer in your lathers? That doesn't sound good.

My first thought, too, was “that can’t be good…”

Beautiful bowls, though, and I’ve been tempted to get one.

Here is a couple of pics of my CC Copper bowl after 1 year of nearly daily lathers.

So you're getting little bits of lacquer in your lathers? That doesn't sound good.

My first thought, too, was “that can’t be good…”

Beautiful bowls, though, and I’ve been tempted to get one.

I think the lacquer is wearing off and not dissolving so its unlikely that any of it is being absorbed or otherwise ingested into my body.  Probably.  You're likely ingesting more nasty stuff in just breathing in the dusty air that is everywhere.  Time to don your N-95 masks! 

Thanks for the photos and words, Shavemd and Marko. Every day we are bombarded by questionable substances, that’s true. If there’s a way to avoid some of them, I’m always curious.

Did the manufacturer include any notes about the finish and of the care of these bowls, along with the purchase? Just wondering.

Thanks for the photos and words, Shavemd and Marko. Every day we are bombarded by questionable substances, that’s true. If there’s a way to avoid some of them, I’m always curious.

Did the manufacturer include any notes about the finish and of the care of these bowls, along with the purchase? Just wondering.

Not that I recall. I am very happy with my bowl, works and looks great.

Thanks for the photos and words, Shavemd and Marko. Every day we are bombarded by questionable substances, that’s true. If there’s a way to avoid some of them, I’m always curious.

Did the manufacturer include any notes about the finish and of the care of these bowls, along with the purchase? Just wondering.

Not that I recall. It’s probably worth an email though. I’ll post a picture when I get a chance. I’ve had my bowl for a shorter period of time but I have more extensive lacquer wear. It’s possible I use stiffer brushes and/or move the brush in a larger pattern. I estimate that there won’t be any lacquer on the interior of my bowl after much less than a year.

Here is my bowl. The finish is mostly gone on the sides too. 

Thanks again for the responses! Copper definitely has character, but it’d be interesting to see a stainless steel equivalent… (The only material I currently use, when it comes to bowls.)

I sent an email inquiry to Captain's Choice yesterday and I got this response from Scott with some information.  I hope it helps.  I was impressed with the prompt and detailed response.  

Hello Mark,

Thanks for checking with us, I’d be glad to help.

Some background might be helpful on our lather bowls in order to give them context.  Seven years ago I developed our ceramic lather bowl incorporating features I was not able to find anywhere else.  It took six months with eight prototypes and a dozen volunteers but at the end of it all we had a winner.  After about two years of being in the marketplace it reached the first page on a world wide search for “lather bowl” and has been there ever since.  Google it, that is how customers find us.  Most sales are domestic but every week we ship to customers in the EU and they pay almost as much in shipping as the bowl itself costs.

About every other month or so I would receive an email from a satisfied customer telling me how much they like their bowl.  But the cat knocked it off the counter or they dropped it on the floor so they need another one.  Sometimes a customer would tell me how they wished they could take it when they travel but they didn’t want anything to happen to their favorite bowl.  This sent me back to the drawing board to come up with an unbreakable lather bowl in the Captain’s Choice design that honors our brand visually and esthetically.  I dismissed wood and plastic right away which left metal.  Steel needs a mold which is quite expensive…  I needed a product that could be formed by hand that was unbreakable - copper!  They were released our design in copper about a year ago and are currently the top hit in a world wide search for, “copper lather bowl."

We went through several copper artisans before we found one who was a good fit.  Then the prototypes began and this took another six months of back and forth.  Thickness of copper was a consideration, getting our logo on the outside just right was one of the most important aspects, how to do the grooves in the bottom was a challenge.  Crafting the two different styles we have to give customers a choice took time.  It surprised me how long it took but a different medium makes for a lot of work even with an existing design.

One decision was whether it should be coated for the sake of presentation or left to develop a patina the moment it is completed?  The artisan encouraged us to have them coated and that is what we did.  We did so, knowing that with use it will wear down due to abrasion.  The coating on our copper lather bowls is a durable marine grade spar varnish and is as good as it gets.  But it was not designed for copper, it was designed to coat wood.  It was also not formulated to resist abrasion or to be regularly dunked in hot water.  So with use the coating will wear down and that is to be expected. 

We have received pictures of satisfied customers who wanted to show us what they did with their bowl.  Some have stripped the varnish off altogether and enjoy keeping it bright as a shiny new penny.  Others have stripped it and let it weather naturally for a more vintage look.  Most just leave it be and let it do what it will do in its own time and not give it a thought.  One thing is for sure, guys write us to say their Significant Other just loves how it looks sitting on the counter.  

Feel at liberty to share all of my note or portions of it on the forum if that helps answer some questions.

We do appreciate you being a customer of ours Mark, thanks.

Best,


~ Scott