I finally broke down the other week and shelled out the cash for a Moss scuttle. After using it for a week, I have to say I'm hooked.

The scuttle is hand-made, and while I'm not pottery expert, I think the work is excellent. Mine seems to have a few idosyncracies, like a rough spot in the glaze here and there, but I'd expect that for an item that's individually crafted.

I got the regular model with the smaller brush cup, not the bowl-like model that's being tested out right now.

Using just hot water from my tap, the scuttle seems to keep the lather hot to warm for about 20 minutes. Some days that's enough for a full shave, others not so much. Using hotter water, maybe from an electric kettle, would probably lengthen this time considerably.

Initially I was disappointed with how cool my brush seemed. But I discovered that was because I was just setting the brush in the cup like a paintbrush. If I mash the bristles down into the cup a little bit, the whole brush gets nice and toasty.

The small lather bowl doesn't bother me because I lather on my face. It wouldn't work well, though, if you did want to build lather in a bowl first.

I'm giving it . I think I am forever cured of the urge to buy new shaving mugs.

Josh