Thread: Do Shaving Scuttles Really Work?

Oh yeah,

I bought a scuttle just before christmas from ebay from a pottery company, and I cannot for the life of me remember the company, shame as the guy was a dream to deal with, but I planned on the scuttle being an occasional thing, errrmm now I use it every day lol

Geek

Hello, HarryA:

Yes, scuttles do work, and some better than others. No scuttle of which I know will keep your lather hot. Just as well, because excessive heat will break up your lather. The word is warm.

Some modern scuttles are made just to keep the brush warm, while others have big enough bowls, some with ridges, to make lather. I like making lather in my scuttle bowl.

After having tried many lathering scuttles — I have not tried the Moss yet — I must admit my favorite is the one produced by Julie at Dirty Bird Pottery. I have the 1.5, which is perfect for me. I also have the Oskar scuttle, and I like it, too. I did not care for the earlier version of Georgetown scuttle. The Becker did little for me.

In some respect, the type of scuttle is a personal choice, as is just about everything else in the world of traditional shaving. But, yes, a good scuttle will add to the pleasures of the daily shave by keeping your brush and lather warm.

Regards,

Obie

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

The best heat retention I've ever experienced is the SRD scuttle. It's only designed to hold a prelathered brush (lather on your face or in another mug or your hand or wherever), but it's that smaller surface area that keeps the heat in. If you get something bigger so that you can lather in it, you'll loose heat much more quickly.

I agree, my SRD scuttle holds my lathered brush while I shower. When I am ready to shave my brush is hot and ready to go. I am learning that different soaps act differently based on temperature. MY SRD soap seems to work good at all temperatures while my MWF seems to work better with warmer temperatures than it does with to much heat. With my microwave it seems that 2 -2 1/2 minutes is great for a warm brush while 3 minutes makes for a very hot scuttle and brush.

i have the standard size dirtybird and it heats my lather to a comfy 104 degrees.. i start by setting it in the sink filled with hot water out of the tap.. it soaks with my brush while i shower.. once out i empty the sink and refill the scuttle with more hot water out the tap..

on several occasions i've used a kitchen temperature gauge to check the lather temp.. 102 to 106 on average...

Originally Posted by BullGoose

I had my eye on a Georgetown scuttle when they had their end of year sale. I should have pulled the trigger.

I just called Georgetown because i heard they will sell flawed scuttles for less than retail. It is true. The G12 is $30 plus $11 shipping. I ordered the G20 for $35 plus $11 shipping. Hamada/blue. Can't wait to try it out. I asked what they mean by flawed and she said you can hardly see, maybe a little bubble or scratch.

yes, scuttles are quite useful. I have a dirty bird and I love it.
They aren't perfect but if your tap water can get hot enough, it will keep your lather nice and warm especially if you have a good lather going. They are only around $60, and they are hand crafted, she has a demonstration video of the building process on her website.

If you have shit plumbing like me (poorly managed and maintained apartment building), submerging the lower portion of the scuttle in your sink full of "hot" water definitely helps and makes a big difference.

I haven't tried the microwaving method though I'm sure i will try that for tomorrow night's shave.

Hope that helps!

A lot of guys say that too much heat kills MWF. I've had just the opposite effect. The lather is thin and airy in the scuttle, but as I lather it on my face, and it has a chance to cool, it transforms into a great thick lather.

I also purchased a "flawed" g20. I cant find anything at all wrong with it. I love it works great!!!!!

Yes they do. I have a Schwarzweisskeramik and love it. Warm lather all the way to the finish of my shaving routine.