Thread: Scuttle vs bowl for creating a lather and keeping it warm

Originally Posted by jackknifeh

The idea of a scuttle using hot water below the "bowl" makes sense when reading about it. How much better is it than a bowl? Do they keep the soap warmer and if so how much difference do you think it makes? Some scuttles also have a few small holes in the bowl area. Not sure what they are for.

What I'm using now is a big ceramic coffee mug. It has large diameter making it easy to create a lather. I usually sit it in a small container with about 1/2" of water in it (the container) and heat it in the microwave for a minute or two. This works ok. The scuttles that I like have a big bowl for the soap lather but they are usually double the price of just a bowl or cup. So I'm wondering if having a scuttle keeps the lather warmer enough to justify the extra cost. I can't think of many things I've come to like more than something else regarding shaving but having a warm lather is one thing I like. I like to reapply it during my shave. Feels good. I also understand keeping the whiskers and skin warm helps the razor cut the whiskers.

If the hot water in a scuttle will keep the bowl and lather warm through a shave that's good. But if they cool off after just 5 minutes or so I don't need anything like that. I appreciate any help I can get. Thanks in advance.

Jack

It took a lot of prodding by my SR shaver friend for me to finally buy the Robert becker scuttle. The short answer is yes it will keep it hot for the entire 30 minute shave for me. I microwave it almost to a boil and keep it covered with my barber towel. Would I buy it again, heck yeah. If it broke tomorrow I would order another. Be advised though that some soaps don't hold up to extreme heat.

Originally Posted by cubancigar2000

It took a lot of prodding by my SR shaver friend for me to finally buy the Robert becker scuttle. The short answer is yes it will keep it hot for the entire 30 minute shave for me. I microwave it almost to a boil and keep it covered with my barber towel. Would I buy it again, heck yeah. If it broke tomorrow I would order another. Be advised though that some soaps don't hold up to extreme heat.

My favorite soap so far is Mitchell's wool fat. I microwaved the scuttle with water in it for one minute and the lather stayed "lathery". Seems anything over that in the microwave and I can lather my face and within 5 minutes the lather has deteriorated, for lack of a better word. I can add a little water to the soap in the brush and get some more lather going. I'm bouncing back and forth between warm scuttle lather and warm and cold both face lathering. Both seem to work well. Each different method has it's own idiosyncrasies that I'm learning. I want to learn both ways. I went and stayed with my brother about a month ago and I can see where traveling light is preferred regarding shaving stuff. I used to pack a disposable safety razor and a can of shaving foam. Now I have a whole bag just for shaving supplies. So being proficient at a fast, cold, face lathering shave as well as a big preparation shave would come in handy. If I were to choose my druthers I prefer a slightly warm lather. I was heating the scuttle a lot more at first hoping it would keep the lather warm longer. It was hot enough at first it was uncomfortable on my face. Almost painful. What I’ve found though is after a minute in the microwave the inside of the scuttle gets the lather warm. But after 5-10 minutes the lather is even warmer. Like the inside of the bowl hasn’t gotten as warm initially as the water will get it. I read where someone filled both the reservoir and inside the later bowl both with water before microwaving.

I have decided (for the moment) that if I want warm lather I use a scuttle. If I want a cold shave I face lather. I love a cold shave when the bathroom is hot or steamy from showering. If the bathroom is cooler (no shower) I like the lather warm. Seems the lather condition and how you get it to become lather on your face is as much about shaving as the razor you use. At first I only thought the difference for me was going to be using a straight razor instead of a safety razor or electric.