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As per the title, how important are the scuttle and/or brush to someone just starting to straight shave? There's a pottery place pretty local to home that sells a moss scuttle? How important is this? Could I just use a big mug? And the brush... Holay, do I go with one of the many varieties of badger? Or boar? Or a cheapy synthetic from the body shop?
Just trying to nail ail things down so that I can enjoy the experience.
thanks in advance all.
If you face lather you will not need a scuttle because you make your lather on your face. If you prefer not to do that you can use a suitable cup to build lather in before spreading it on your face. If you want warm lather then a scuttle designed to hold hot water between an inner and outer wall will keep your lather warm after you make it in the scuttle.
The Moss scuttle is a well know scuttle.
You can use any brush type you like as it is a personal preference thing. They all have different feel and act differently when making a lather. I will say to take a pass on the one from The Body shop. I love synthetics but just could not get on with that one.
The minute you ask for recommendations you will get flooded with all kinds of suggestions. I would do some research on the differences between brush types and select one that you think fits what you want in your price range.
The same would go for whether to use a scuttle, cup or nothing and face lather.
Bob
A scuttle is a luxury item and not needed as Bob said. As for a brush, Lots of choices. I would start small to make sure you stick with it. Lots of experienced shavers one here use a 9$ boar hair brush as often as a 200$ badger brush. I started with a dirty bird scuttle which is amazing but 1.5 years later I tend to face lather. Good luck on your voyage.
The important thing when you are starting is understanding what good lather is. Beginners tend to overlook that aspect by not putting enough time to whip up a good thick cushiony lather.
Having said that, with a quality soap or cream, you can achieve good results with an affordable boar brush and a large mug. If you want something more luxurious, then a best badger brush is good middle of the road option. As for the body shop synthetic brush, you can probably do better for your money with an omega boar brush instead.
+1 using a brush is a lot better option so get the best knot you can afford is all I will say.
but I must note my nephew has used a shavette & str8 for about 1.5 years now & never used a brush yet & still goes with the hands & instant type creams etc to lather also only a once a week shaver.
the scuttle is a luxury that can be done without for a while, if not forever.
JMHO
Edit: I only use a bowl or face lather
Most of the oldtimers around seem to face-lather, I think. Mugs and scuttles on the shelf. Could be wrong, don't think so.
As said above, a scuttle is not essential. You probably have the makings of a scuttle in your kitchen !!
I sometimes use a plastic microwave-use bowl, fill it with about 2" of freshly boiled water and then put a
smaller ceramic bowl inside. This should give you an idea of what the "scuttle experience" is like....
The brush in the pics is a cheapie Frank Shaving badger brush from the 'bay.
Sorry, didn't mean to hijack your thread :)
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Yes, I like to face lather believing in the KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid, principal. Believe me I am as stewpid as they come.Quote:
Originally Posted by sharptonn
Bob
As a beginner, you may or may not stick with a straight razor. The reality is that not everyone wants to go through the bother of a straight razor. A safety razor is an easy and cheap alternative.
Regardless of whether you continue with a straight, a DE, or even a disposable cartridge razor, the ability to make a quality lather is beneficial for all of them. For that reason, the investment in a quality brush and soap is your safest investment. The straight may not work out, but high quality lather will, so get yourself a good brush.
A scuttle is a luxury. I used a mug for over twenty years. I had never heard of, or used, a separate lathering bowl until finding SRP and even then I just used a ramekin inside of a larger bowl. I finally got a Georgetown G20 scuttle a few months ago. It is awesome! It is not necessary.
My friend, thank you for your knowledge and experience! I've Always found your posts very informative, helpful and with sound counsel. :tuQuote:
Originally Posted by Utopian
Again Thankyou :bow:
It's like everything it has its drawbacks. Okay let's say you get a boar(personal favorite of mine. I would suggest the Semouge 680 as a good starter. Reasonable price not too expensive)the plus side is it has good backbone but is so soft. Let's say you get a badger(Franks is a good brand) A synthetic I've heard Tweezeman is good. Each brush material has different properties they preform differently. For instance a boar has to be soaked to limber up. It retains more water. A badger is softer on the face.
Along these lines a scuttle is a tool. It assists in making lather and keeping the brush of your choice warm along with your lather. A good cheap scuttle is a microwave salsa bowl. Now if you wanna go fancy and can I know of two choices. The first is SRD (straight razor designs)they can fix you up. Also George Town Pottery they have a toll free number. If you call ask to speak with Jessica. Ask her for what is called a "Seconds" their just as good as a regular scuttle but they have a coloration defect but they work like they should. At about half the price
A long post I know and off point somewhat but hope this helped
They are both somewhat important, but both can be substituted or even eliminated depending on the resourcefulness of the beginner. If you are using shaving cream like C.O. Bigelow, you could apply it by hand, directly to your face without using a brush at all. There may be some types of soap that can adequately be applied without a brush as well. However the brush plays a fairly big part in building a lather that will surround the hairs on your face and soften them. It also aids in mixing the cream or soap with sufficient water to maintain a lather that will not dry out too fast. You could get away without a brush, but your experience will be greatly improved with a decent one. The scuttle on the other had is fairly unnecessary. It simply serves as a place to generate a lather using the brush. Some are designed to be heated from below the bowl with hot water which keeps the lather warm. That warmth plays a part, along with the brush, in softening the hairs on your face and making them easier to remove with your razor. Additionally a warm lather feels awesome on the face and enhances the whole shaving experience. However, you could build a later directly on your face with the a brush, or even in your hand. Between the brush and scuttle, the brush is definitely more valuable to the beginner. Practically any container can be used as a bowl to generate lather in, but you could eliminate the bowl all together and not be any worse off. If you can obtain both a decent brush and scuttle, go for it. But if you can only spring for one, get a brush.Quote:
Originally Posted by iKe
The posts above pretty well cover the subject.
Old style scuttles with the itty bitty bowl on top and the water well for the brush in the bottom were a way to get hot water from the range to the shave stand.
If you find one of these, they were really more for face lathering with a shave stick or rubbing the wet face with a soap. The brush was to work up a lather on the face and it would set onto the scuttle out of the way and could get more water if needed.
I find the old style scuttles fun. I can rub or smear a small amount of a softer soap into the bowl and lather there. Then put the loaded brush to my face for fuller penetration of the stubble. a bit more hot water in a minute makes the lather complete.
The new style scuttles are a winner and the same soft soap or cream smeared into the bottom makes a great lather and...stays warm.
YMMV of course as with any other shaving info.
~Richard
My 2 cents... I can see benefit of a scuttle for a beginner. When I first started, I would spend 45 minutes shaving to get a good BBS. Having hot lather for that entire time would have been nice.
I may be an anomaly, but I've always found that face lathering is best. Even from the very beginning. Maybe I was born old...
As for brush, I recommend starting NOT starting with a high-end boar or badger or horse or vegan or [insert type here], simply because you are learning and you need to develop the muscle memory. Purchase a Proraso or Omega starter brush (or similar) then, four months after (and if you can afford the $50+) try a silvertip or equivalent. Or just stick with an Omega. There are lots of great vendors supplying great brushes at great (GREAT!) prices...something about a dog...a whipped one maybe...
I've only been using straights a couple of months now, before that it was a Gillette Sensor with disposable heads. I have though, always used a brush with a good cream/soap. I've never owned a scuttle and never will. Until recently, I had a bog standard Wilkinson Sword shaving brush and it was fine. I have now 'upgraded' to a lovely Edwin Jagger. As long as you use a decent cream/soap, just dip it in, get a little on the bristles and work it into your whiskers and work up a lather that way. Works for me!
I'd say the the brush is way more important then the scuttle. You can lather w/out the scuttle, but not vice versa. When I first started I used a scut. Then I tried face lathering and never looked back. Maybe I'm imagining it, but I feel it creates a slicker lather. Or maybe because I spend the time building lather on my face, instead of in a bowl, it just lifts & conditions my skin better. Dunno, but really like it.
i started with a scuttle, but i eventually transferred over to face lathering. to each his own, but i still use my scuttle to pre-soak my brushes before i shave.
Scuttles are nice but hardly a necessity. Want warm lather?
Fill sink to about 3" with hot water; while doing do, whip up lather of your choice in $1.50 Wal Mart Salsa bowl,
Once you are satisfied with the quality & quantity of lather, transfer lather to haevy bottom shave mug (this is so it doesn't float around in the sink). You are now ready to go........
You can avoid the lather transfer step if you make it in a big heavy mug from the get go, but I like those little 3-legged bowls.
I started with a $5 stick of Schick soap a $5 Boar brush from Woolworths and a $5 Bowl from same. Have been cold shaving for a 1.5 years now. Once it became a regular thing, I invested in a good silver tip brush however still shave with a ceramic bowl that has deep sides and a nice wide base. There are tips about putting some resin glue on the bottom of the bowl to make ridges to lather but I have not yet. When lathering I look for the sticky feeling on the bottom of the bowl to just be apparent by adding water slowly to the mix and lathering up well in-between. When shaving and wiping the edges of the brush on the bowl, the lather slowly sinks down the bowl edge so that when I am ready to lather up the next pass I can mix the run off with the rest without spilling over. I soak the brush in a glass that lets the brush bloom nicely. It is good reading about everyone else’s methods, I tried face lathering but I enjoy the bowl method, it gives me time to relax a bit.
I think bowl lathering is less messy, i used a variant of bongos double bowl for a while, then I used refrigerated water and lathered up in a bowl that my soap lived in the bottom of, now I soak my brush in a large coffee mug filled with water of varying temperatures ( i turn the shower on and fill it while I wait for the shower to heat up) pour out the water after my shower and mix my lather in the mug. All the left over lather gets dumped back on top of my soap.
currently my favourite brush is an omega 10098, closely followed by a semogue 1305.
I LOVE scuttles. The only better than lather itself is WARM lather and that's pretty much what a scuttle will do for you. As soon as I save up enough pennies I'm going to grab one of the scuttles over at Dirty Bird pottery. She makes good stuff!
My love for the scuttle has recently been reignited, that second pass sure is nice.
If your looking for economy get a Boar brush, and a shave soap or cream is all you need. I think personally a Badger brush will be easier to learn with BUT you will learn either way with what you get.
Personal choice for myself it would either be a Boar or Finest badger brush, shave soap whether stick or puck and face lather...
I have a modern scuttle and it sits on the shelf now after a year of use
