Thread: Scuttle size: differences in using one

I see travel scuttles which are small for packing convenience. Then I see basically two other sizes I'll call normal and large. I just recently learned about scuttles thanks to this forum. If a travel scuttle will keep the soap warm through one shave that's all I care about. To guarantee this I want the scuttle to keep the soap warm through two shaves. I don't want to spend a lot of money. I'm looking at the $50 range. I like the ones on dirty burd's pottery but just want to get opinions on how the size differs during use. what I am using now is a glass type bowl inside a larger bowl with water in it. I have been putting water in the bowl and the smaller bowl in that. Then I microwave for 2 minutes. This keeps the soap very warm for as long as I have needed it. I've seen people post that they may take 30 minutes to an hour to save. Not me. 15 - 20 minutes I think but i haven't timed myself. Actually the two bowl system is working perfectly. The diameter of the soap bowl is 4.25" and it is about 2" deep. I will keep using the microwave because the tap water isn't REAL hot. In fact, if I were a shaving enthusiast (nut) I'd buy as small a microwave I could find and wall mount it at the sink. The amount of money I spend is an issue. I'd rather spend $40 than $60. But if I won't be happy with the smaller $40 scuttle I'd rather spend the $60. Any help is appreciated. Oh yeah, how important are the ridges in the bottom of a bowl?

Jack

Scuttles need to be large to contain sufficient hot water to hold heat long enough to complete the shave. If they are not large enough to keep the brush/lather warm, one may as well have a bowl or mug and save on $ and weight/bulkiness. In the hot summer months, I often use my large Woodhead scuttle without water so that the lather is at room temperature. However, I need this rather large scuttle to make it through a warm lather shave in the cold months as I SR shave 1st followed by a DE cleanup.

This gets me the best shaves that I have ever gotten. I get great shave closeness, comfort, and longevity from the SR and then get at any remaining hard to reach places with the DE. Using the DE for cleanup is a pleasure since there is hardly anything left to cut and almost no cutting noise heard or resistance felt. The large scuttle is too heavy and fragile for short trips. If you want warm lather on a short trip, I would think about lathering in a robust but easily portable container with a stable base and keeping it warm by using the sink with hot water as a reservoir.

Originally Posted by sheajohnw

Scuttles need to be large to contain sufficient hot water to hold heat long enough to complete the shave. If they are not large enough to keep the brush/lather warm, one may as well have a bowl or mug and save on $ and weight/bulkiness. In the hot summer months, I often use my large Woodhead scuttle without water so that the lather is at room temperature. However, I need this rather large scuttle to make it through a warm lather shave in the cold months as I SR shave 1st followed by a DE cleanup.

This gets me the best shaves that I have ever gotten. I get great shave closeness, comfort, and longevity from the SR and then get at any remaining hard to reach places with the DE. Using the DE for cleanup is a pleasure since there is hardly anything left to cut and almost no cutting noise heard or resistance felt. The large scuttle is too heavy and fragile for short trips. If you want warm lather on a short trip, I would think about lathering in a robust but easily portable container with a stable base and keeping it warm by using the sink with hot water as a reservoir.

So the biggest issue is the scuttle being big enough to hold more water? Not how large the area is for creating the lather?

Jack

Originally Posted by jackknifeh

So the biggest issue is the scuttle being big enough to hold more water? Not how large the area is for creating the lather?

Jack

I beleive the water volume is goig to be the largest factor in keeping your lather warm longer. The area needed/used to create lather would be a whole other aspect. I face lather, so all I would need would be an area large enough to put my lathered up brush in.

Originally Posted by MattCB

I beleive the water volume is goig to be the largest factor in keeping your lather warm longer. The area needed/used to create lather would be a whole other aspect. I face lather, so all I would need would be an area large enough to put my lathered up brush in.

When I start swirling the soap in the soap dish it's too runny. I work up a lather in the bowl. If I did that on my face I would make a big mess. I'd like to try it though. If I could do that I wouldn't need a scuttle at all. How do you do it?

Jack

Personally, I soak the brush during my shower (about 10 minutes or so?). Squeeze the water out of the brush and load it up with your soap of choice. I find creams to be a little easier for face lathering, but there is such a variety of soaps/creams I really can't make a definitive statement either way. Splash water on your face and get your whiskers dripping wet (literally). Get a little water on the loaded brush and start building lather on your face. I usually work 1/4 of my face and get a little more water on brush and hit the next 1/4. Repeat. Once I have gone over my entire face I dip the brush once more and do one more round of lather building. I then "paint" my face with the lathered up brush for the actual shave.

Be warned, this is a bit messier (for me at least) than building lather in a bowl/mug. However, I really like how it works the lather in to my beard and exfoliates. The usual statement of YMMV is true with this as well. Everyone has different luck with different types of soap. brush and whatnot. As an example I really like the Almond scented Cella but can't get it to lather worth a damn outside of a bowl. I have Lavender TOBS cream which well and the Almond scented TOBS which is phenominal.

Alright, I've taked enough. Give it a try and let us know how it goes.

Originally Posted by MattCB

Personally, I soak the brush during my shower (about 10 minutes or so?). Squeeze the water out of the brush and load it up with your soap of choice. I find creams to be a little easier for face lathering, but there is such a variety of soaps/creams I really can't make a definitive statement either way. Splash water on your face and get your whiskers dripping wet (literally). Get a little water on the loaded brush and start building lather on your face. I usually work 1/4 of my face and get a little more water on brush and hit the next 1/4. Repeat. Once I have gone over my entire face I dip the brush once more and do one more round of lather building. I then "paint" my face with the lathered up brush for the actual shave.

Be warned, this is a bit messier (for me at least) than building lather in a bowl/mug. However, I really like how it works the lather in to my beard and exfoliates. The usual statement of YMMV is true with this as well. Everyone has different luck with different types of soap. brush and whatnot. As an example I really like the Almond scented Cella but can't get it to lather worth a damn outside of a bowl. I have Lavender TOBS cream which well and the Almond scented TOBS which is phenominal.

Alright, I've taked enough. Give it a try and let us know how it goes.

I can see myself making a BIG mess. When I decided to start shaving with a SR I had no idea how much "other" stuff I was going to need to get into. It's a lot different than I shaved all my life. Disposable razors or an elec. razor. When I joined the Air Force my Dad recommended I use disposable razors during basic training so I could throw one away after I used it. This would keep the TI from having one more thing to scream at me about. I will say I'm enjoying shaving more this way. It used to just be a necessary evil. Now it's a choice of how to shave with mini-choices of which soap, brush, etc. to use. Anyway, I'll give this face lathering a try. Maybe I can save the scuttle money. I want to get a nice razor. I have two good razors now. To me that means 100% functional. but I want a "nice" one. Now I've talked enough. I tend to ramble.

Jack

Been through the bowl lather, the scuttle process, the face build up. Started out wanting warm/hot lather. Found my close to ideal with a Goodwill, rim curving in wooden bowl adjusted with epoxy bumps and ridges and build my daily uber lather in it and do it all with COLD water. Start the shave with an olive oil soap from Turkey working suds up with cold water. That's my pre-shave. Uber lather built in modified bowl that had brush soaking in cold water. Get a damn better, closer, less it irritated shave now than with the warm/hot process.