Thread: Considering Making my own scuttle any suggestions?

I want to make my own scuttle any features that you guys would suggest to make it be the best scuttle it can be?

Get to a ceramics workshop. Hand build a bowl 6 inches across, 2 1/2 inches high with the rim slanting inward. Build vertical ridges around the side and a rough spiral on the bottom. After the normal drying period any heat fired glazes of you choosing. OR go to Goodwill or similar and hunt out a bowl or big cup about 4 inches deep, find a big custard ramekin or similar that will fit in the top of the cup/bowl with out touching the bottom. Hot water in the bottom, lathering in the top. I found a little coffee warming hot plate that I put my scuttles on to maintain the hot water/warm lather. OR AGAIN Go to the Portugal Online Shop, www.the portugalonlineshop.com and check out their two part scuttle for shape and size and their very, very reasonable price (half that of the renown Georgetown G20 or the famous Dirty Bird scuttle.

I have a bowl with inward facing rim from Goodwill, a small but tall ceramic cup that has a plastic cup from a favorite pastry in it for lathering (water in the bottom of the cup). a small coffee warming plate from Goodwill, a shaving mug scuttle made by a granddaughter and a Georgetown G20. It is one of the addictions associated with straight razor shaving, be careful. And I am always on the lookout for anything I can make good lather in just for the hell of it. Also any little, interesting dishes/bowls, ramekins that I can put a puck in or mix a couple of creams together in. Getting too many soaps/creams lately.

Good luck.

I've been a cold water shaver for a few years now so my scuttle is relegated to soaking my brush pre-shave while water is softening the puck. Mine is a Moss scuttle designed by Dr. Chris Moss and made by Sara Bonnyman. The outstanding feature of the Moss design is that the walls of the top chamber are close to the brush. It is designed to keep the brush/lather warm, not to double as a lather bowl.

I find that to be an excellent scuttle for a hot water shaver. The larger chambers by other scuttle makers are useful to double as a lather bowl, but IMO it is sort of like having a motorcycle designed for on and off road. It isn't as good on either street or dirt as a dedicated bike for one or the other. YMMV.

Probably the most important quality is it holds enough water. Minimum is probably around 16oz to around 24oz. I have the large Moss which holds 16 and it keeps the lather hot. My oskar scuttle holds over 20oz and is larger but also keeps the lather warm a very long time and that's with hot tap water.

Yeah. Take a tin canteen. Punch a dish into one side with your man hands. Done.

Seriously though, my other design would be one were the spout is 3 O'clock from the handle. I use the handle as a thumb hook, and set the base of the bowl in the palm of my hand. sort of like a pallet , If you're giving a thumbs up and the bowl is tilted, the water won't pour out. I'd also add separate lid piece to hold in heat while in the shower. Though as bigspendur put it-- more water has a greater thermal mass too. The ridges in the bottom also mentioned are nice.

If you make it so that the spout has a 24/40 inner taper: make two and send me the best one please.

Way before I bought my Robert Becker I made one out of a dip chiller which you can pick up at 2nd. hand stores or antique shops. I put hot water in the bottom part. I used a VDH lathering bowl to make lather then put it on top of the bottom part of the dip chiller. Not a bad scuttle for under $20.

Later I pick up a gravy/sauce warmer from World Market. Its made just like a scuttle but on a smaller scale, not bad for travel, it too was under $20 shipped.

also give it a lip to catch lather, some form of surface textures like lumps or divots (but smooth) to help aerate the lather, my muhle shave bowl has a lump in the bottom about Ø5/8" x 1/4" high that make a huge difference to a plain bowl for lather building