Thread: Keeping Lather Warm???

Personally, this is how I do it:

First I fill the mug with hot water from the hot water tap and let the brush soak in the mug. This will heat up the mug and load the brush with hot water. Then I empty the mug and fill the sink with about an inch of hot water, as hot as I can get it from the hot water tap, and let my mug sit in the hot water while I work up a lather in it. I let the mug sit in the water while I shave too, to keep it warm. I need to empty the sink and pour in some more hot water about half-way through the shave to keep the lather warm, but it works for me.

/Nicholas

Check out my posting from 12/27/06. Works great for me!

Personally I don't worry about hot lather at all - by the time I whisk it up in my mug it's cold and I just put it on that way. It's never been an issue for my shaves (I have had warm lather using my scuttle). But then again, I shave in a warm-ish climate, so maybe it doesn't matter so much...?

James.

The other day I was warming up some chicken noodle soup in the microwave. I have been a little under the weather for the past month. Anyway, I pull the soup out and I am being very careful because the bowl is so hot. Then inspiration struck. I think that straight razor shaving tends to have an affect on how we view things, as this would never had occurred to me otherwise. Stick the whole darn set up in the microwave. So I tried it last night.

Now here is what I did, I filled up my shaving mug, the one you see as my avatar, with water and stuck it into the microwave for about 3 minutes or so. There is no soap in the mug, as I like to charge my brush with soap, and then build in the mug. The key is that your mug need to be able to get hot in the microwave. Pottery mugs seem to work well with this, though I am sure a variety of stone type wares would work. The bowl I was using for soup is just a plane old cheap bowl I got at target. Just make sure it is microwave safe, but that it will get hot with the water in there, and I am talking really hot.

A word of caution, if you are using distilled water. Microwaving distilled water can be dangerous, as it will not necessarily boil, do to the lack of impurities. It seems to just store the energy from the microwave. When you go to move it the motion can and will disrupt this balance, causing a flash boil which will burn you. Now, in my microwave, three minutes is not enough to get it to this point. It generally takes about five or six. But different models are... well... different. So test yours first if you are using distilled water. Just take a fork or something at tap the surface of the water before pulling it out of the microwave. This way you know it isn't going to flash boil on you. Still, be careful. The flash boil can really be violent and it will splash a lot.

Ok, back to the process. So, now that your mug is nice and hot, carefully pull it out of the microwave and take it to the bathroom. Put you brush into it and then place your mug into the sink with a little hot water. You will have to see what level work best. If I get any more than an inch of water in there, my mug tends to tip over which can be disastrous when you have a good lather going. start your prep. Strop, towel you face whatever you need to do. The act of doing your prep while the brush sit in the hot mug will get the brush all toasty too.

After you've stropped, you've toweled, you done all your prep. Take the brush out and let it drain a little if you need to. This all depends on your soap and brush and what ratio of water to soap you need for a good lather. Dump the water out of your mug and put it back into the sink to continually keep it warm. Charge you brush and go to town building your lather. If you've timed it right, and your mug retains heat well, then the heat will transfer to the lather. Get the lather going and apply to your face. Park your brush back into the mug with in the sink while you shave.

This worked pretty well for me last night. I made the mistake of doing the mug heating before the shower though. By the time I got out of the shower, my mug had cooled to much for my liking. If your mug will retain the heat that long, then go for it. This method kept my lather warm through three passes, and I am still a newb so thats a good 20 - 30 minutes. The problem with the method is the the timing, everything revolves around that mug staying hot. I ordered a moss scuttle, but it wont be in for a couple weeks, and sense I really like the hot lather, this is what I settled for. I was pleased with how it worked, though I may see if I can get a imitation scuttle going with some of the other guy's techniques of a bowl within a mug type deal. Again the problem is the critical timing of everything. To me, the moss scuttle was worth it just because I will be able to relax and take my time. I want to enjoy the shave and the whole experience, and not worry if my mug is staying at the optimal temperature. But, it does work.

Matt

Actually, I think the definition of "microwave safe" is that it WON'T get hot in the microwave.

Some materials absorb microwaves, and thus get hot. Others don't absorb, and don't get hot, unless they get their heat from their contents.

The call, therefore, to find containers that will get hot by themselves in the microwave, but are also microwave safe, is a contradiction. I think it's a great idea, though, to find a NON microwave safe mug or bowl and let the microwave heat it up, as you said

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Personally I don't worry about hot lather at all - by the time I whisk it up in my mug it's cold and I just put it on that way. It's never been an issue for my shaves (I have had warm lather using my scuttle). But then again, I shave in a warm-ish climate, so maybe it doesn't matter so much...?

James.

90 degree F average warmish????!?!?!? I must live in an ice box!!

Originally Posted by Kentriv

<snip>... I filled up my shaving mug... with water and stuck it into the microwave for about 3 minutes or so.... By the time I got out of the shower, my mug had cooled to much for my liking.

Matt,

If you put the mug in the micro and start a nuke cycle at less than full power (you'll have to experiment on what time/power works for your microwave/mug combo... 10-min works for me) it'll be done heating just about the same time you're out of the shower, toweled off and ready to start the shaving routine. Be careful though... I've found the lather you make this way can be so hot it burns your face. Also, not all soaps take to being this hot as they seem to dry out real fast... others work just fine, though. Cheers!

Originally Posted by azjoe

lather you make this way can be so hot it burns your face.

I've seen that when I would boil water and put it in my scuttle and soak my brush in it. The lather was really a little too hot.

Originally Posted by Matthew Groves

Actually, I think the definition of "microwave safe" is that it WON'T get hot in the microwave.

Some materials absorb microwaves, and thus get hot. Others don't absorb, and don't get hot, unless they get their heat from their contents.

The call, therefore, to find containers that will get hot by themselves in the microwave, but are also microwave safe, is a contradiction. I think it's a great idea, though, to find a NON microwave safe mug or bowl and let the microwave heat it up, as you said

Yeah..., I was wondering about that. After I posted I started to think about the definition of microwave safe. I always figured it had to do with actually damaging the container, but this definitely makes sense as well as you could easily burn your self.

Anyway, I shall try lower power for sure to see if I can time it right. Unfortunately, my shower time varies. Sometimes I like a long shower and sometimes not. I never know until I actually get under the water.

Today I didn't bother to throw it in the microwave. I had picked up some proraso and was eager to try it. I just got my brush nice and wet with really hot water. Put some cream in the mug and got the lather going, it was so much nice and quicker then the william's. I let the lathered up mug sit in the sink with hot water while I stropped up. This seemed like just enough time to heat everything up. When I put the brush to my face it was very nice. I wouldn't say hot hot, but very warm lather.
The mug transfers the heat well. I have to say there wasn't a whole lot of difference between this and my microwave method. Sure the microwave was a little hotter, but the difference was so minor that the saved time and convenience was worth it. That proraso seemed to take the heat well too. It didn't dry out and stayed nice and full while I stropped and through the shave.

Matt

i'm sure someone has already thought of this, but does anyone use somthing like this? Just thought it might be a great way to keep things warm...of course you need a non USB one...unless you have a usb in your bathroom

how does it work for you??

http://www.techchee.com/wp-content/u...er33251206.jpg