Thread: Shaving mug differences and keeping lather warm

What are any differences in shaving mugs? I'm thinking about keeping the lather warm more than anything. I'm more interested in improving the shave than I am in having a beautiful mug. In fact, if a coffe cup does as good as anything else I'd be happy with that. I'll leave any unique mugs and other accessories for BD or Christmas gifts. If I want something enough I get it (when I can if it's expensive). I won't wait for a "gift" day. Right now I'm looking for info on different mugs. Would a coffee cup that keeps coffee warm longer be a better mug than a plastic bowl? Thanks for any help.


Jack

Jack,
If you want to keep your lather warm, then get a scuttle. There are generally two types of scuttles. Some, the small ones, are just to keep your brush and lather warm, whereas the larger models are also for making lather as well as keeping your brush and lather warm. For brush warming, try the SRD or the Moss scuttles. For lather scuttles, try Dirty Bird or Schwarzweisskeramik. All good stuff. There are others, too, but I prefer these.

Just my opinions here. Old shaving mugs had a very heavy base and sides. They held the heat in the mug once warmed. Old heavy truck stop coffee mugs do also.

Obie is correct that a hot water filled scuttle is great for keeping lather warm. The newer ones by artisans are way better than the vintage ones. Old ones had a small cup and held little water and were designed to get from the Woodstove boiler to the shave stand with some heat left.

That said, I personally use the old fashioned mug and coffee mugs and hard soaps.
But... I run a sink of hottest water so I can and place my shave bowl upside down and on it place the ceramic mug to heat with a bit of hot water on the puck. I grab the mug rinse my brush in the water grab the shave bowl and go to work. I have a deep sink with a lot of room ahead of the tap. That allows me to rinse my blade or safety razor easily.
The hot water in the bowl also gives me hot water on a towel to soak my beard over the lather for the first prep.

Everyone is different. Whether you use creams or hard soap can make a difference also. Creams can be stored relatively away from the sink and stuck into the scuttle at any time. Again, how much counter space you have can be a real choice decider! I have room for four mugs on my counter., or one modern scuttle.
A transfer of soap or cream from another container by smear, snurdle, or brush can make a scuttle a good choice for lathering.

Just my thoughts.
~Richard

I use a very simple, very inexpensive, yet very very effective 'Double Boiler' type two bowl system. You can spend more...'WAY MORE'... but I doubt you can get more functionality. Always plenty of Hot lather:



TOTAL COST: $19.00

Pot with lid: Heavy Ceramic $2.50 at second hand store

Porcelain Lather Bowl $1.50 at second hand store

Classic vintage 'Beehive Badger Brush': $15 on the Bay


WORKS GREAT!


WP34

I second the scuttle...keeps lather warm throughout shave.

I searched for "scuttle" on ebay. Got things with two openings at the top. One larger than the other. How do you use these things? I have my soap now in a container and I wet the brush, get soap all over it then continue to swirl it around in a coffee cup or small bowl. The lather gets cold in the bowl before I want to apply more soap during a shave. It's not really all that warm the first time I apply lather after swirling it for a minute or so. How does a scuttle work?



Jack

It looks like a scuttle has a upper and lower section. Is the lower section just for hot water? I can't picture exactly how to use one. Is there a place on SRP that gives directions of using mugs, scuttles or any other device for soap, lather, etc.? I'm improving with my shaving but there's still lots to learn.

Jack

Jack, Your exactly right.You fill the lower section with boiling water (pour it in the spout). This water surrounds the under side of the upper section. Then you use your brush to build lather in the upper section. The lower section is filled with hot water to keep the upper section warm.

You all know, in the summer you can fill the base of most scuttles with ice for a nice iced shave.

Originally Posted by Brenngun

Jack, Your exactly right.You fill the lower section with boiling water (pour it in the spout). This water surrounds the under side of the upper section. Then you use your brush to build lather in the upper section. The lower section is filled with hot water to keep the upper section warm.

living in the southern US, I just use very hot tap water .