Thread: What is the "canonic" way to use a two-piece shaving mug?

I'm with posts #7 and 9 on this. Looking at the size of the brush holder, the inner mug would be big enough for any brush intended to be held in the prongs. Also at nearly 4" wide the bowl would still hold plenty of lather so I'd stick with your number one method but try a smaller brush.

Originally Posted by UKRob

I'm with posts #7 and 9 on this. Looking at the size of the brush holder, the inner mug would be big enough for any brush intended to be held in the prongs. Also at nearly 4" wide the bowl would still hold plenty of lather so I'd stick with your number one method but try a smaller brush.

So much for post #8. I'm not sure my self-concept can take much more dissing.

Ace--in a philosophical sense, your post is actually spot on. A canon is an extreme form of counterpoint by imitation--we do that every time we shave. Right cheek starts, then left cheek follows, then neck--then reverse (canon rectus et reversus in contrario motu).

I actually found a fifth way, which I used today to obtain a particularly BBS shave:

Fill the mug with piping hot water; soak the brush in there; make lather in a separate bowl; once lathered up, rest the lather-laden brush in the top compartment of the mug. This gave me a nice and warm second lathering, and my Filarmonica did the rest.

(BTW, Rob, I am actually in Virginia USA, not in the UK--although I did live in Berkshire for a couple years! Greetings from across the pond!)

Anyone reading this would probably not understand the last post so I'll explain that I thought from previous posts by Corgi that he was in the UK purely and simply from the way he wrote in English.

It's usually possible to tell from which part of the English speaking world that people are from simply from the way they compose their posts. In this case I was wide of the mark.

Yes, you are right, Rob--and sorry I didn't reply to you directly. For some bizarre reason, my browser is no longer letting me get into my private messages--so I wanted you to know I got your kind note.

It looks to me like a shaving scuttle. I think the "brush holder" is a handle used to remove the inner from the outer bowl. Normal use for this type of scuttle would be to fill the inner and outer bowl with hot water and let them warm up a bit. Dump water, make lather in the inner bowl, refill outer bowl with hot water and insert the inner bowl. This will keep the lather warm for a more comfortable shave.

What you find in 1900 century scuttles is a system that was derived from the plumbing or lack of plumbing that existed in the homes of that time. If you have one of the typical shallow topped strainer type scuttles it was used to keep the brush and soap warm to start the lathering process . The lather was just Started in this Schuttle. The wet brush rubbed over the warmed soap gathered the soap that was then Lathered in the Shaving Mug. Two Step process using Two different pieces of Equipment.
That's why your having problems making lather in the shallow top bowl of the old scuttles. They weren't designed to do that.

I don't know how it's used, but it's hella cool!

Yep--it is a "hella cool." And the excellent suggestions from posts 18 and 19 sound like something that is totally worth trying.

Today, I used it again to keep my lathered brush warm after soaking it. I had a dream shave:



Art of shaving cream + oil; Caswell & Massey fine badger brush; Filarmonica Doble Temple 14, 7/8 razor; liquid glycerine to enhance the lather; awesome vintage mug; Pinaud Clubman aftershave & talcum powder; Django Reinhardt + Hot Club de France music to get the scything rhythm going.... ==> Awesome BBS experience (I wish I could shave 5 times a day).