Thread: Moss scuttle review

K,

That's all right. I've actually noticed that lather tends to thin out as the shave progresses, whether I'm using a mug or scuttle.

Anybody else noticed this and come up with a solution?

Josh

I notice this too. SOmetimes I add more soap / water - as needed and do some swirls in the scuttle or another bowl.

My scuttle is the large one and it is too big for my brushes. As Lynn says - I would have done better with a smaller one (I also lather on the face - the way the scuttle was intended to be used).

I still use it and park my brush there, but it's not that warm. I don't like to use too hot water as this might affect the tips of the brush (in my opinion) I also don't like to force my brushes. Thus, so far the scuttle works best with the 2006 B&B Finest brush - as it is fairly soft, big bloom, and splays easily (filling the scuttle better and limiting heat dissipation.

While I got my in a trade - yep, not cheap. The quality of the potterry itself - I go to arts & crafts shows fairly often and for this kind of $ I'd venture to say that it does not impress me too much.

The idea to clean hard water - haven't even thought about it - but I like it very much! Maybe it's time to update the design - make it 2 separate pieces and customize the inner bowl diameter to knot size.

CHeers
Ivo

Used the Moss again this morning - same impression, the thing holds heat like a bear - but - I used C&E Almond oil cream this morning in a separate bowl, and then parked the brush in the scuttle - kept it nice and warm...

The thinning of the lather isn't so much thinning, at least not with the CE, it was that the *bubbles* in the lather got larger - went from foam with barely visible bubbles to larger bubbles, from lather to something akin to the foam on the top of a dishpan full of soapy dishes, if any of that makes sense at all - so the lather was not really thinner as it was a much different consistency - used a much bigger brush (Omega boar's ass brush - just love that description from another thread) - and there was really no room to suds up in the scuttle. Also started using distilled water (just to try to keep the crusty hard water build up in side the scuttle down to a dull roar) -

Design changes I would suggest - lip on inner bowl needs to be smaller, with larger (wider) bowl area interior space. Also, what I would do is make the inner bowl (the one that holds the hot water) accessible, but in order to cut down on the water usage, use the Roman hypocaust idea (http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/roman/hypocaust.htm) and have several rows of standing ceramic "columns" if you will under the interior bowl (the one holding the brush), running in rows - kind of like radiant heating tubes under a floor, to absorb the heat from the water and transfer it up to the base of the upper bowl...by placing these columns, you would use far less water, but the heat transfer should be more efficient? Also the sides of the interior (brush) bowl would more efficiently maintain the heat, thereby a large inner bowl would be able to heat a smaller knot (leaning on the sides of the bowl) or larger knot (fitting snugger in the bowl) in the same manner, wouldn't it?

Just thinking out loud here - easy to armchair quarterback on these things -

Now if I could just get my damned razor sharper!

K

K,

Your description of what happens to your lather is what I was referring to as "thinning." For me the lather with bigger bubbles doesn't cover my face as well--it leaves a thinner layer.

Today I tried adding a splash of water when that happened and doing some pumping and swirling, which helped a lot. I'm using a smaller brush, though--that Proraso brush looks like a beast.

Josh

I agree completely with your description - the lather is "thinner" , and my reaction was exactly the same - the bigger bubbles makes the lather much less substantial, more watery, etc etc.

K

I made a make shift one of these, with my latte mug and a cereal bowl. Hot water in the bowl and lather in the mug. Brilliant. I used the coconut oil cream from trumpers (bloody lovely). My view of what happened was that, the lather was too hot (i used boiling water for the heat source). It went like the foam you get on top the dish water as mentioned earlier. But when i whipped it up again, it had dried right out, totally unuseable.

I think i evapourated off most of the water in the cream with the water being so hot, which destroyed the consistency of the lather. All this said though, the first lathering was like being in Gods' barber shop! A simple idea, i just need cooler water!

Pea, the same thing happened to me - what I do is keep adding water ocassionally, and mashing away at the lather every now and then, and it keeps a relatively good consistency -

One thing I discovered in my crazy rotations lately is that for some reason, Proraso green tube cream seems to hold up really pretty well in the scuttle - the heat seemed to effect the lather less then the numerous soaps (TGQ, C&E) and a few other creams (C&E, some generics) that I have been using. YMMV, and I would liek someone to verify this if you could, I could just be nuts -

I mean, sharp blades near my face, early morning, boiling water, no coffee - of course I am nuts.

K

OK, I have further observatiosn about the scuttle - there is an "optimal" water level that you should be shootin for...

I use boiling hot water (from a tea heaterting thingy) that I put in my scuttle to keep the lather warm, and I have been experimenting with water levels and heat and lather deterioration, and I have found (not surprisingly that the lather will not break down as fast if you do not fill the scuttle up to the brim.

The hot water fille up just to the bottom of the inner cup, keeps the bottom warm, but does not cook the lather higher in the cup, keeping the brush warm and the lather still viable for a longer perod of time. When I tried to fill the scuttle up with hot water I foudn taht the lather dessicated almost immediately! I used soap and creams, and I ahve to say that once again the Proraso cream came out a head, in that the lather broke down far slower than just about every soap and most other creams...interesting.

Experiment and let me know your results, and if you are using cream or soap and what kind, lets get a database of good stuff here!

K

I bought a large, and can lather right in the bowl of the scuttle, both soap and cream. If you place boiling hot water in the scuttle let it sit before using it. I take a shower first. or he lather will be really hot. Just add a little warm water to the lather and it perks it right back up.

I love this thing.

When I put boiling hot water in my scuttle it was so hot I would not put in a nice brush in it like this. I am pretty sure such heat cannot be good for the badger, especially if it's frequent.

Also, water doesn't need to be super hot for best lather