Thread: using shave mugs, etc

hey guys,
am currently using some cheap and cheerful wilkinson sword soap (e.g. http://www.blademail.co.uk/acatalog/wssoap.html). at the moment i make circles with my wet brush directly on the soap. i find this produces a reasonable result, but the lather does get a little messy.

a lot of guys seem to use mugs, bowls and scuttles. i have a few related questions:

1. trumpers sell soaps in a wooden bowl (eg. http://www.trumpers.com/product_deta...ctID=111547251) - if i buy the wooden bowl and use my current approach, i.e. create the lather within the bowl, will it deteriorate given that it's made of wood? or is it treated?
2. i am also considering buying the following shave mug (http://www.gentlemans-shop.com/acata..._Mug.html#a167) how do you use these? for example, is it just a case of rub the top of the soap a little and then move to the mug where you use big circles to build a lather? or is it the case that you place the soap inside the mug and do all your work within the mug itself?
3. how do you use a scuttle? (eg. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WADE-SHAVING-M...QQcmdZViewItem

thanks,
dave

Hi Dave,

No idea about the trumpers wooden box - I imagine it would be used in a self-contained way, but...

I use a mug with cream - put a tiny bit of hot water in the mug, get some cream on your brush, whip up the lather in the mug. I suppose you could also sit a cake of soap in the bottom of the mug (if it's big enough) and work a wet brush on it to get a lather in the mugh too. Or else keep the soap in the trumpers box and use it like I described for the cream.

For a scuttle, the cake of soap sits in the recess at the top. You put hot water in the spout. Then you just dip your brush in the spout, rub it over the soap in the top, and lather onto your face.

James.

James gave you a description of how to use the scuttle you linked to. There are other types consisting of a larger base and an insert. For example, I made one using a ramikan and a oversized coffee mug.

A scuttle can be used with cream too, which is how I use it. I place hot water in the main mug, place the insert into it so the hot water warms it up while I'm in the shower. When I get out, I place some cream into the insert and whip up lather as usual.

Many people particularly like the Moss Scuttle and it can be found by doing a search.

As to the 2nd point, James has you covered. I have no idea about the wooden bowl either.

I use my Harris and Truefitt & Hill soaps directly in the wooden bowl. One of my Harris bowls has been through several cakes now with no ill effect, so it's obviously treated somehow. It does help to use a smaller brush if you're gonna use the soap this way, just to avoid slopping soap over the edge of the bowl. I use a Rooney small style 1 brush from classicshaving and it works great like this.

If you're using a shaving mug you would typically leave your soap in it. Some soaps don't come with their own container and expect you to supply your own mug of some kind. I've got one shaving mug (an Old Spice mug) that has Williams soap in it. If you've got a big brush you may also want to use a mug in preference to the wooden bowls just to avoid any mess.

In both cases you would usually only use the bowl or mug to load up the brush with soap, and you would build the lather on your face. You can also use a separate lathering bowl if you prefer.

I have a wooden shave soap bowl that is at least 15 years old. If you take reasonable care the wood bowls last a long time. I remove the soap after using and air dry the bowl upside down. An application of furniture wax to the outside of the bowl and lid helps restore the finish.
Scott

I think the best mugs are either shallow and flat or very deep and very very wide. Anything else is a pain to me. I really don't like wood bowls. I don't need to worry about maint, on a wood bowl. I do have an old one made of teak which seems to be holding up well but amongst all my stone, pewter and other mugs my favorite is a covered shavemac I got a few years ago. Pottery, very large and deep with plenty of room to make lather and no mess to clean up afterwards.

I'm a bit of a cheapy here. I got a nice rice bowl at Wal-Mart that I use for lathering creams, and for most soaps I just lather on my face. If you want something a bit nicer and covered, use a "cotton" jar. I still don't have a mug (though there is nice local pottery place here that has some nice ones; I might treat myself to one someday soon.)

thanks - not convinced i would have worked the scuttle out on my own, but good to hear what other people are up to!

cheers,
dave.

Originally Posted by dM/

trumpers sell soaps in a wooden bowl (eg. http://www.trumpers.com/product_deta...ctID=111547251) - if i buy the wooden bowl and use my current approach, i.e. create the lather within the bowl, will it deteriorate given that it's made of wood? or is it treated?

I've got a Trumpers soap in a wooden bowl (Violet - lovely) as well as a Crabtree & Evelyn soap (Nomad) in its matching wooden bowl. I've only been using them for about 3 months, but my impression so far is that the Trumpers bowl is of higher quality. I'd be surprised if I don't get years of use out of each.

Originally Posted by dM/

i am also considering buying the following shave mug (http://www.gentlemans-shop.com/acata..._Mug.html#a167) how do you use these? for example, is it just a case of rub the top of the soap a little and then move to the mug where you use big circles to build a lather? or is it the case that you place the soap inside the mug and do all your work within the mug itself?

I've got exatly that mug, and it works really well for me. It's easy to hold on to, even with wet hands. I've got a Rooney medium and a small (travel) brush and both work great. If you've got an even bigger brush, the mug might be a bit small though.

I soak the brush in the mug in hot water. I also put some hot water onto the soap in its wooden bowl (for a minute or two).

When I'm ready, I pour the water off the soap, shake the excess water out of the brush, and start swirling it across the soap until I've picked up enough suds. I'm a bit gready and like to have way more lather than I actually need, so I do this until lather just begins to form.

At this point I move over to the warmed mug. Adding little amounts of water (take a look at mantic's videos - he uses cream but soap works the same way) I now work the brush, swirling and pumping, until I get lots and lots of lovely lather.

I rinse off any soap scum off the soap cake / wooden bowl combo, do my best to shake out any water that seeped under the soap, towel dry the outside of the bowl, and let it air dry for 24 hours before I put the lid back on.

I've also got the same Trumpers bowl, Wilbad but I don't think I'd use it as a shaving bowl. The wood is a little open grained and I'm not sure if it is well enough sealed. I have thought about adding a few layers of wax but as I don't let much water into it I haven't bothered. I just use a cheap ceramic bowl that was made for rice, dips etc., for working up a lather. It's a nice size and not too deep.