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I am only a month into this addictive world of straight razor shaving. In the quest for nice hot lather I just ordered a Dirty Bird 1.5 Scuttle. Any suggestions on how to get the most out of it. It seems pretty straight forward but I am learning that there are always little tricks and suggestions when it comes to shaving gear. This stuff is worse than crack cocaine!!!
I don't know, I'm not an expert. I got mine with the webbing inside. It seems all I have to do now is just swirl the brush and control water content and I'm golden.
All I do now is use my bigelow shaving cream and add a couple drops of glycerin and an appropriate amount of water and everything lathers up fine.
That scuttle is spoiling the hell out of me.
Warm lather will spoil you. I haven't been satified with anything else since I tried it.
Yeah, but it's not only that. The webbing in the scuttle adds a little resistance to the brush; it's perpendicular to the brush's travel so it provides enough agitation that I don't have to do anything but swirl and manage the moisture. It's an option Julie provides and I'm glad I took it. I accidentally made my order without it so I emailed her and sent the extra $5 via PayPal. It's one of the best five bucks I've ever spent.Quote:
Originally Posted by DoughBoy68
What does the glycerin do for the lather? I hadn't heard about using anything other than the cream or soap. Thanks for the information!
Just emailed Julie and asked to add the webbing. Did I mention the whole "crack cocaine" aspect to this stuff? I'm going to need a bigger bathroom at this rate!
For me it makes the lather foam more. In my personal experience, I can have a wetter lather while allowing the lather to stick to my face, and I can get a little more lather than I otherwise would. Some soaps and creams already have glycerin, so adding more might not do much for you. As with everything else, YMMV.Quote:
Originally Posted by jskiles
You should check out the preshave section here on SRP. Lots of the more experienced shavers mix soaps and creams together with glycerin and liquid lanolin. I've not become so sophisticated myself yet. You should pay attention to posts by Obie, especially where these things are concerned. GsSixGun also has an uberlather thread I'm sure someone else will link to shortly. Edit: See below.
You won't regret it.Quote:
Originally Posted by jskiles
http://straightrazorpalace.com/soaps...er-recipe.html
Great scuttle. Its funny how personal opinion differs, I got the webbing and I now wish I hadn't, just a personal thing though. I think if I hadn't gotten it I would have regretted it.
With mine I first added three small PSA feet on the bottom to lift the uneven bottom from my counter for rigidity and to keep the lather warm longer (its all in my head).
When I use it I first fill both bowls with the hottest water I can get to pre-warm the scuttle, then allow my brush to soak in it while I shower. I will then dump out the water and refill the outer bowl before making lather to refresh the warm water. This is my tried and true method (it works for me).
deighaingeal,
That's interesting. I have a tea kettle and a shaving cup. I normally start boiling my water as I get ready for my shower (it takes a while for the hot water to make it's way to that bathroom). Then I take about two cups of luke-warm water (sometimes a little less) and pour it into my scuttle (outer bowl) and then fill the rest with boiling water from my teakettle.
When I'm ready to shave I then fill my shaving cup with about half and half boiling and cold or luke-warm water, which I use to water my brush. I put in a dab of cream and a few drops of glycerin and then swirl it about. I tend to use a lot more water than when I had initially started to make lather.
I then use the shaving cup to warm my razor back up after I rinse my blade off, it just takes a little dip.
As long as I keep my lather wet, it's a cinch to rinse out once I'm done.
It's too bad the webbing didn't work out for you. Like you said, opinions vary. I've seen a few posts where people have put stuff in their shaving cups to help with the agitation and that's why I got the webbing and it's been great for me. I got better at making my lather with a cup, but that webbing makes me feel like a magician. Hopefully this works out well for jskiles, too. He'll have to let us know.
-Mark
I put my DB Scuttle into the sink until the water runs hot, then completely cover the scuttle. This slowly raises the temperature of the scuttle so it does not crack from a quick change in temperature. Then I go and shower and strop my razor. When ready to make lather, pour out the scuttle and run hot water to fill and make the lather. My DB keeps my lather warm for the entire shave.
I love my Dirty Bird 1.5 with the cross hatches. I fill both the scuttle and inside the bowl with hot water and cover with a town to retain heat. After the shower, I empty it and fill the inner scuttle with hot water again. Then I build my nice warm lather with my Mitchell's Wool Fat. Nothing beats a warm lather on a cold Wisconsin morning.
The scuttle takes up no room at all. It is right at home setting next to "my" sink.
That's probably a good idea. The instructions for the scuttle from Julie specifically say boiling water won't hurt the scuttle but it will be too hot for the lather. That's why I pour in so much cold water and then boiling water, for the consistency in resulting water temperatures.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mvcrash
With the shaving cup, I doubt the boiling water will crack it because I pour the hot water into colder water, so the colder water simply heats up but is never near scalding temperatures.
When I wash out the scuttle, I use warm water and leave the hot water in the outer bowl as I rinse. I only pour it all out once I'm finished cleaning. I think this helps to stabilize the temperature of the scuttle as well as minimizing the amount of lather that might make its way into the outer bowl.
So I have a method to my madness. Is it scientific? Nope. I may even crack my equipment. If I do, I'll offer my failure up on the altar of experience and share that feast with SRP.
I just ordered the orginal DB scuttle (not the 1.5). The 1.5 seemed a little big for my liking. I also ordered the standard ridges and opted not to get the webbing. I'm sure the standard ridges will greatly help my lathering compared to a simple coffe mug. I placed my order last week and it won't be ready until mid-late January. Small price to pay for a really nice hand made scuttle.
Wife got me the DB 1.5 with the swirl ridges for my birthday and I am so spoiled now. I'm on vacation here in WA state and using my travel bowl, plastic from Walmart, and miss that warm lather so much. Oh well.
It did take me a little bit to figure out the difference in lathering. I primarily use Mama Bear's Autumn Lodge and it definitely lathered differently with the hot bowl. I don't use boiling water, only tap hot but that seems to be more than enough for 3 passes plus touch up.
I fill both bowels with hot tap water and soak the brush while in the shower. When getting ready to shave I pour the water from the scuttle into a stopped sink and refill the inner chamber with hot tap water and start to build my lather. Have a great shave then rinse out both the inner and lathering bowls, dry the outside and drain the insice very well and call it good.
I did add some little stick on rubber feet to the bottom as my scuttle didn't sit exactly level.
Love it.
Charlie
I already have plans for some shelves and the bottom of my sink is clean from developing chemicals ( left from my son school project 2003) and it's been filled with soaps and creams! Yes, worst than crack! Double OQuote:
Originally Posted by jskiles
P.S. My dirty bird is also on the way. It's going to be easier with the scuttle than the way I do it now!
Just commandeer another bathroom like I did.Quote:
Originally Posted by jskiles
I am waiting on a BD Scuttle. I ordered the webbing since it seemed to be a good idea for making lather.Quote:
Originally Posted by BigTerp
I have three suggestions for using your Dirty Bird:
1) Put a thermal pad of some sort under your scuttle. Anything to keep the scuttle off the cold counter will help it stay warmer longer. I cut a circle out of a padded thermal shipping bag (bubble wrap on one side, silver material on the other)
2) Pre-warm your scuttle. I keep a hot water kettle in the bathroom to pre-heat the scuttle. Boiling water will make the scuttle WAY too hot to make good lather, but it will pre heat the scuttle beautifully while you shower. When you get out of the shower, dump the water and add hottest water from your tap...then you're ready to go.
3) Get DB's "Brush Scuttle". Even if you don't face lather, the brush scuttle is an excellent tool to soak your brush. Sure, you could just soak your brush in the sink, but the brush scuttle allows you to do so while keeping the sink clear. This makes it easier to splash hot water on your face just before lathering...and the brush scuttle ensures your brush will be saturated and warm. Very nice little extra, IMO.
Lastly, I actually went without the webbing in the shaving scuttle. I had no problem whipping up nice lather in my old smooth-faced lather bowl, so my "swirl" pattern is plenty, IMO. Less brush wear too.
However you do it, good call on the Dirty Bird...
Attachment 85928
*Edit-Actually, I don't put boiling water in the scuttle, I give it a few minuets to cool after a boil...too hot for lather, good for a pre heat.
