Thread: Scuttle searching

I have a Robert Becker scuttle # 4, I believe. I really like it. It keeps my lather nice and warm and it's a good size.

Scuttles are mainly for keeping the lather warm. If that is not a concern any bowl large enough to allow you to maneuver the brush to load it or work up a lather is all you need. Really an oversized coffee mug from wally world will do the trick. I use an Oscar Scuttle from Germany but to tell you the truth I only use it now and then. I mainly load the brush in the dish holding the soap and build the lather on my face. many do it that way.

Your first decision is to determine how you want to generate lather. In the beginning it is best to pick a method and stick with it until you can consistently generate a good lather. If you face lather your coffee cup will do. If you want to bowl lather then you can decide if you want the lather warm every time you shave. If you don't want warm lather every time you shave then just get a good lathering bowl. Any bowl can be used, but I have found that larger bowls with some texture are more desirable than say a small cereal bowl as they will generate lather faster and the lather stays in the bowl. Coffee mugs and such are often to small and you end up banging the brush against the walls without generating much lather. Check out DirtyBird pottery for an example of a well designed lathering bowl. If you want to go with a scuttle, get a big one if you are going to generate lather in it. If you are just going to keep the brush warm while face lathering then any size will probably do. Often finding what works for you is just trial and error. Be creative.

Well I went looking at my local antique shops with no luck. Lots of razors but no scuttles. I guess I will have to check a few of the more traditional barber shops in town.

I have a Dirty Bird 1.5 Scuttle with spiral lather ridges. It works great as a scuttle; keeps the lather warm for a 20+ minute shave and Julie was a pleasure to work with. I started out using one of my cappuccino cups but got the scuttle fever and bought this one this spring. I also have a custom pottery dish that's designed for lathering. Even though it's not a scuttle, I end up using that one most of the time, especially since the weather has gotten warmer. I do enjoy the scuttle when I wake up and shave before dawn in a cold bathroom though. The size of my scuttle is perfect for my lather using up to a 26mm brush (I'm sure it'll take more, I just don't own anything bigger). It has a little rim on the top to help keep the lather in, which works as advertised. The spiral ridges work well to aerate the lather as well. The only negative would be the size; it seems to take up much more real estate on the counter than anticipated. Attached is a picture next to a normal coffee cup for perspective. I hope this helps.