Thread: scuttle/mug shape for good lather

Does anyone know what a good bowl shape is for making lather? The reason I ask this is because I was using a large coffee mug and had to work quite hard to get a lather. I recently changed to a small perfectly rounded small bowl that fits it my hand and it lathers so easily and seems to be much better. This bowl is too small and I want to make a larger one. I am wondering though if my observations are correct and if someone had other ideas

I tend to agree. I have never had much luck using a coffee mug of any size to make lather. I prefer a shallower type bowl, like a small cereal bowl.

If you plan to make your own scuttle/shaving bowl, my only suggestion would be for you to consider putting some ridges around and from top to bottom on the inside the bowl. That will help make the job of creating the lather a bit easier.

As long as its big enough for you to manipulate the brush that's the main thing. Many bowls and scuttles have patterns on the bottom to assist and I've seen some with rough areas on the inside walls.

I used a cereal bowl, it worked well, I also got a noodle bowl that it sat in nicely, I could put warm water in the noodle bowl and my lather would stay warm, though now I use cold water and have put 2 sticks of grated Palmolive into a tiny casserole dish (100mm across X 50mm deep) and I just whip something up in there, usually with a bit of water glycerin and shaving cream splashed on top of the soap.

I have a Georgetown Pottery G5 Scuttle...for me, it's the ultimate even if I just use it as a lather bowl. It has the right size to be able to swirl my brush around and the ridges in the bowl assist in "bouncing" the brush just enough to help create lather