Hot Lather

How do you keep the lather hot (or at least warm) for multiple passes?

My technique so far has been to heat some water to boiling in the microwave and while showering let my brush soak in some, put some in my soap mug, and set the soap mug in the rest...so everything gets nice and warm.

The problem is while the first lather application is nice and hot by the time I get around to the second pass I'm shaving with cold lather...and due to the combination of my having an extremely tough beard and being REAL careful now that I've discovered how to make my razors scary sharp I normally apply lather several times during the shave.

The soap I'm using (Trumpers) takes a lot of swirling to get the lather to the right consistency and by the time it's like whipped cream there's probably enough for 5 or 6 passes.

I hate to waste all that lather by rinsing it all out of the brush and starting over so I'm wondering if there's some super secret Zen Shaving Guru method of keeping it warm for more than 10 or 15 minutes.

The answer is - moss scuttle :) (or perhaps few other ones that are based on the same principle). It's a double wall mug and you fill the space between the two walls with hot water. Works like charm.
I had the small one and I think this is the better one for almost any brush as you want the gap between the brush and the walls to be small.
Some people build their lather in a bowl and have tried larger scuttles so that they can build the lather in. I don't think it works as well - the purpose of the scuttle is to be a parking space for the brush between lathering.
In any case perhaps others will report on the other versions of this solution - the neck always seemed too wide for me, but I don't have first hand experience with them.

Oh, and you can try out the principle very easy - just get a mug that fits inside another vessel and fill in the space between the two with hot water - see if you like it.

"The answer is - moss scuttle :) (or perhaps few other ones that are based on the same principle). It's a double wall mug and you fill the space between the two walls with hot water. Works like charm."

I've seen scuttles but didn't know how they work. Do you mix up the lather in a mug and then transfer the brush to the scuttle or mix in the scuttle? Any directions you could give would help.

Whoopie...another thing to add to my collection!!!

You can make the lather any way you like. I am a face latherer, and that's why I ended up selling my scuttle. It worked great, but the extra 30s to rinse it at the end proved to be too much for my laziness and I rarely reached for it. Fortunately lathering on face seems to be an advantage from beard-prep point of view - more time for the lather to be acting on the whiskers, plus the exfolliation from the brush - in this case my laziness does me good :)

Gugi, thanks for the explanation of the scuttle!! It's kind of been driving me a little batty trying to figure the purpose of a scuttle. I have seen them advertised, but never explained.. :D

I build my lather in a bowl and let the bowl sit in a sink of hot water while I'm making the first pass. Works pretty well.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/brush...k-scuttle.html

scuttle is the answer, but you don't have to spend a lot of money unless you just want to.

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Originally Posted by jockeys

http://straightrazorpalace.com/brush...k-scuttle.html

scuttle is the answer, but you don't have to spend a lot of money unless you just want to.

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Great idea Jockeys!
I use a 21 oz corning ware mug (about 6$ at Wally World) and a 4in Ramekin (.89$ at Wally World). Nice warm lather thru 3 or 4 passes



Bob

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Originally Posted by jockeys

http://straightrazorpalace.com/brush...k-scuttle.html

scuttle is the answer, but you don't have to spend a lot of money unless you just want to.

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Thanks!


I have a Dirtybird scuttle, and it is worth ever penny of the $49 price tag. But I also want something for my weekend visits to my in-laws house. Looks like I'll try Lowe's garden department!

There's no need to have a scuttle (unless you need another AD), but hot lather is essential. Hot lather is, after all, what makes life worth living. I do it two ways:
1, fill a mug with water, microwave, fill sink with hot water until it is halfway up the mug, lather in the mug and leave it in the sink while you shave
2, fill a mug with water, microwave, set bowl/another mug on top of the mug full of hot water, lather in the top bowl/mug.

I should add that I lather IN the scuttle, and not anywhere else. I load up the brush by drying it nearly all the way and then loading it with soap.

I then gradually add water to the scuttle as I work the brush, that way I always get the right amount. If I'm using cream, I just drop a snurdle of it into the scuttle and use the same procedure.

Personally, I got one of those little cup warmer hotplate things, and let the mug sit on it between passes.

The quest for hot lather is like a dog chasing his tail. I have a georgetown scuttle but to tell you the truth I don't use it. Even if I fill it with boiling water half way through the shave the lather is cold by then and I'm too lazy to keep going back to a microwave anyway. I just face lather and every now and then hit the brush under the hot tap and thats plenty hot lather for me.

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Originally Posted by JerseyLawyer

Personally, I got one of those little cup warmer hotplate things, and let the mug sit on it between passes.

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how does that work for you I saw that today and was thinking about grabbing one from target for under 10 bucks. It was a Mr. Coffee

Also a tea warmer or even tea pot warmer that uses a tea light candles.... and add some ambiance to you shave ;) double bonus

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The quest for hot lather is like a dog chasing his tail. I have a georgetown scuttle but to tell you the truth I don't use it. Even if I fill it with boiling water half way through the shave the lather is cold by then and I'm too lazy to keep going back to a microwave anyway. I just face lather and every now and then hit the brush under the hot tap and thats plenty hot lather for me.

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A good scuttle will solve that.... The Georgetown is known for being one of the least effective scuttles... :)

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The quest for hot lather is like a dog chasing his tail. I have a georgetown scuttle but to tell you the truth I don't use it. Even if I fill it with boiling water half way through the shave the lather is cold by then and I'm too lazy to keep going back to a microwave anyway. I just face lather and every now and then hit the brush under the hot tap and thats plenty hot lather for me.

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I have a clay scuttle that holds its heat very well. It also has holds plenty of water. I have poured boiling hot water into it and 30 minutes later the scuttle was still way too hot to lather with.

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Originally Posted by lawman2

I build my lather in a bowl and let the bowl sit in a sink of hot water while I'm making the first pass. Works pretty well.

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Yes, I do this as well.

I tried a scuttle once, ended up selling it to a fellow in Brazil. The type scuttle I had was an antique that held water in the bottom and the top part had holes where you laid your brush, it just plain didn't do what it was supposed to. Sooooo, I made my own...................(see pics)

The bottom part is the bottom of a dip chiller I picked up in a thrift store for around $3.00 and the top part is the lathering bowl from the VDH bowl/brush/soap set available at Wally World for around $8.00, total $11.00. I use the soap on occasion, I used the brush to apply lather when I clean strops and the top part of the chiller I use to keep water in when I hone using the Dilucot method with my coti....nothing of the $11.00 investment goes to waste, everything gets used.

I fill the bottom part with hot water, the bowl with hot water, put the brush in bowl to soak and heat up while I shower. After I shower I dump the bowl, mix the lather in the bowl, dump & refill the bottom part with hot water, sit the bowl in the bottom part and have at it.....hot lather for 3 passes.

BTW, I don't shave with the razor in the pic. That is one I made for my grandson out of some old celluloid scales a a piece of clear acrylic.

DoughBoy68, that's just smart thinking all the way around. I really like your trainer-razor, too. Your DIY scuttle is very nice.

What do you guys have against Georgetown scuttles? I have one and it works a treat, I fill it with near boiling water from an electric teakettle and build my lather in that, nice HOT lather for all 3 of my passes...

Back when I thought hot lather was a must I got my tap water as hot as I could and closed the drain. Then I placed a folded washcloth in the bottom of my sink and my lather bowl on top of it. I ran hot water in to the bowl till it overflowed. Stuck the brush in and showered.
After that I dumped the water out, built lather, and filled the sink with an inch or two hot water and stuck the bowl back in on top of the washcloth.
These days I usually toss an ice cube in my bowl with some water and my brush.
When I'm ready I rub the cube through my beard, make my lather, and feel daggone refreshed.

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Originally Posted by mcgyver74

What do you guys have against Georgetown scuttles? I have one and it works a treat, I fill it with near boiling water from an electric teakettle and build my lather in that, nice HOT lather for all 3 of my passes...

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The Georgetowns scuttles are really pretty, but they are among the least effective, no way around that.
All I need for my Schwarzeweisskeramik is hot tap water.