Thread: newb with scuttle question

So I was always looking at these funny looking scuttles wondering, what exactly does that thing do? Then I started reading some posts about them and guess it keeps the lather warm? What're the major differences between a scuttle from the mug and how exactly does it work? I've only been shaving with a str8 for about a week now .. but am getting the hang of it for sure now. Thanks!

The scuttle is for keeping lather warm. The major difference between a scuttle and a mug is that the scuttle has two compartments. It's as if you put a mug into a bowl. The top part holds your lather basically like a mug does. The bottom part holds hot water. When you fill the bottom, that hot water will surround the top portion, pretty much like putting a mug in a sink full of hot water. The heat transfers through the walls of the scuttle into the top compartment and into your lather.

You can even build your lather in the top portion of the scuttle just like your mug. However, some people find they need a little more room for swirling and whatnot. The moss scuttle that is pretty popular here has a relatively small area for lather. The super scuttle that a lot of people also enjoy has substantially more, although it will also take up substantially more counter space!

Thanks, saw some pretty nice looking ones on here, was pretty well able to figure it out from the pictures. The ones that were throwing me off was the older looking ones, that looks like a little kettle kind of with a bowl on the top part and some drain holes to the bottom section, must be something similar.. looks like another thing to invest in! A scuttle for the lathering .... thought this was supposed to be less expensive .. seems I'm spending far more now on razors and all the accessories and then looking at all these nice looking razors is so tempting, seems far more expensive but also much better than the old shave with a cartridge razor

I love using my vintage scuttles. I either get my soaps from ebay store chelsea's soap garden or buy Col. Conk soaps for my scuttle. I always get warm lather.
Ernest

I think the confusion comes from the fact that the last pictures are of an original shaving scuttle; these were from the days when one would take a kettle of hot water from the stove into the bedroom, pour a little hot water in the bottom, and simply dip one's brush into the hot water, hit the soap for a few swipes, and lather on one's face.
The new "scuttle" is actually a device originally contrived by Dr. Moss, a member here and one of the admins over at SMF, which consists of two bowls, one sealed inside the other, with a spout to allow one to pour hot water into the space between. The real Moss scuttle isn't made to generate lather-that's what your face is for. Rather, after swiping hot lather all over your face before a good shave, you flop your brush, bristles down, into the scuttle and it will be hot for the next pass, and the next and the next....
These new variants (imitation, flattery, etc etc) are a different twist, for those who prefer to lather their creams in a bowl.
So the word scuttle now means a lot more different types of mug than original, which were the ones for use with soap. The drain holes allowed water to drain off your (dwindling) puck of soap and down into the chamber-instead of down onto your dresser/shaving stand.
I use C&E almond oil soap pucks in mine, and the originals, at least, were designed for a scuttle-they are a very snug fit and fill it to the rim.
If you prefer creams, I have and recommend the Moss scuttle hands down. The others may be nice also, but I haven't tried them and cannot comment therefore...
Sorry for the novel.
Found something I knew about...
John P.

Sweet, thats a great answer to what I was wondering about with the old-style scuttles. I have some soaps that were free with some mugs from classic shaving but prefer the creams, have some truefit and hill ones, to the soaps. . so I'll probably end up with one of the newer style scuttles eventually.