Thread: What's th point of having a scuttle?

I really like my Victorian era scuttle. I relather frequently during my shave. It is very nice to have the warm lather on each relather.

Okay, so what? I like it. I've shaved out of a canteen cup while I was in a desert, while I was in a frozen rice patty, and even at 12,000 ft. To get water, I have had to crack ice out of a frozen stream and shaved with it. I've done this using my Gerber (look here if you are curious what I'm talking about. Click here.) Oh my, that isn't even a razor. I have made lather without a brush. Oh wait, I guess you could call a brush a luxury too? Shucks, I've had to dry shave too. I've paid my "dues", I like the cush now.

What's the point? I like, try it you might like it.

I must ask:
Currently I fill a mug with water, microwave for 3 minutes, fill the sink with hot water from the tap, then drain the water from the mug, make lather and set it in the hot water in the sink. Would a scuttle really give me warmer lather than this technique?

Originally Posted by foundlingofdollar

I must ask:
Currently I fill a mug with water, microwave for 3 minutes, fill the sink with hot water from the tap, then drain the water from the mug, make lather and set it in the hot water in the sink. Would a scuttle really give me warmer lather than this technique?

You are doing the same thing a scuttle does. I don't think you could improve much as the greater amount of water will actually keep the temperature higher longer.

From the shaveblog on the subject of shaving mugs and scuttles:

"They served a purpose and served it admirably back when lather meant whipping a wet brush over a cake of hard soap, but it's 2006, and most men, even hardcore shavegeeks, use soft shaving cream. And if you shave with cream, you don't need a mug. What you do need is hot lather. Oh man do you need hot lather! Hot lather is why men fight wars, son. Not for democracy. Not for oil. We fight wars to decide who gets to shave with hot lather and who doesn't. If you've never shaved with hot lather you won't understand, and if you have, you do."

Here is the full blog entry


That really sums up how I feel. Hot lather, gentlemen, is absolutely one of life's supreme pleasures.

Thanks Rob, I enjoyed reading that

I hold my brush under running hot water, swirl it on the shaving cream and then build the lather on my face.
It's warm, easy, and means I have 1 less girly item in the bathroom.

What I like is warm/hot lather, and preferably pre swirled before working it on my face. I do this by soaking a smaller bowl into a larger bowl filled with hot water (i.e. au-bain-marie style).
A Moss-type scuttle could be a little bit easyer but will more or less achieve the same thing.

It really depends on your personal preference and lather building method if you will benefit of using a scuttle.