Thread: Mug or Scuttle?

Just wondering about the advantages and disadvantages of the mug as opposed to the scuttle. Thanks in advance.

Since I've never quite mastered the art of face lathering I always use a seperate bowl to make lather. I like the scuttle because the heat helps build lather and it always feels better to lather with warm lather. I also find I don't waste as much of that expensive soap as I used to and I get a more consistant quality lather.

In very general terms the scuttle is used to keep the brush warm while the mug is used to create the lather. This is certainly not a hard and fast rule but just the general use. I have attached a couple of pictures of my mug and some scuttles I have.






I use the silver mug to heat my brush and the create my lather. The blue/brown scuttle is a Moss scuttle. You fill the reservoir with water and then place the brush in the top. The hot water heats the scuttle and keeps the brush and lather in it warm. This is the small size Moss scuttle and it is not really large enough to make your lather in it.

The bright blue, two-piece scuttle is the Dirty Bird Brush Scuttle. You fill the larger part with hot water and then place the smaller part inside. It works in the same basic way as the Moss Scuttle. It is deeper but not wide and not really made for making your lather inside it.

The white scuttle is by Crabtree and Evelyn. A soap puck in stored in top and then you fill the bottom part and heat your brush there. It is not made for keeping the brush warm, however. The opening for the scuttle is not very large and so you need a small brush to fit inside it.

You need to decide on what you want use you want from your particular mug/scuttle and then select the option that is best for you.

I will note that Dirty Bird has some larger scuttles that I believe can be used for making lather.

I like to lather in a bowl and rest my brush in a Moss Scuttle to keep the lather warm for my second pass. I haven't tried a mug but to make lather it seems to me it would be too small. I am very pleased with my current setup and method.

I had no idea... Here's two I'm watching on eBay.

RARE VINTAGE LEGO JAPAN POTTERY SHAVING MUG - eBay (item 200313327783 end time Mar-01-09 17:15:18 PST)

Hoffritz Shaving Mug - eBay (item 330311284591 end time Mar-07-09 12:54:20 PST)

The first one you linked looks nice. With its low opening and short wall rise around the opening, I'm not sure it would be great functionally speaking. It would be fine to just keep a puck of soap in the top for use, but may be problematic if trying to fill the lower reservoir for heating your brush.

The second looks like a solid, traditional scuttle. The longer, grooved handle is made for the brush to be placed in.

Like a well done lather, I can be a little thick at times! But, the traditional scuttle, with the ship, is that intended to keep the brush warm or to actually make lather in? If it is for lather ppl must have made way less lather than I like to - cuz it is gonna go up over the edges on the counter, the floor!!

Did ppl regularly use the traditional scuttle with a hard soap and for lather making??

Originally Posted by RocketMan

Like a well done lather, I can be a little thick at times! But, the traditional scuttle, with the ship, is that intended to keep the brush warm or to actually make lather in? If it is for lather ppl must have made way less lather than I like to - cuz it is gonna go up over the edges on the counter, the floor!!

Did ppl regularly use the traditional scuttle with a hard soap and for lather making??

I imagine they started the process on the scuttle, and when enough soap was loaded on the brush they built the lather in their palm or on the face.

Mixing bowls and scuttles for keeping the lathered-up brush warm are probably modern extravagances, though I expect some people were inventive and years ahead of the game.

Originally Posted by alabamalawyer

The first one you linked looks nice. With its low opening and short wall rise around the opening, I'm not sure it would be great functionally speaking. It would be fine to just keep a puck of soap in the top for use, but may be problematic if trying to fill the lower reservoir for heating your brush.

The second looks like a solid, traditional scuttle. The longer, grooved handle is made for the brush to be placed in.

Looking online, I saw at once the advantage of the longer handle for holding the brush. I used the "Buy It Now" feature to snag it. For $10, I can't go wrong. I appreciate your help.

Looks like a nice grab for $10. Enjoy it!