So long as you have a container to hold the cake of soap, you're in business.

If you want to lather on your face, you just load the brush up by swirling it on the soap and then spread the soap on your face and lather as you would your stick or cream.

I believe Colleen's soaps are glycerine based - in which case, they may actually be soft enough to be applied like a shave stick.

The key benefit to using a scuttle is that it keeps your lather warm, which is very nice. I actually use a metal bowl that I float in the hot water in my sink while I'm shaving - crude but effective. The other benefit of a metal vs. ceramic bowl is that I don't have to worry about dropping it!

I lather soaps and creams on my face and in a bowl depending on my mood and how much time I have.

As with much of this shaving business, much of this is personal preference.