Strutting Along With My Kettle

Gentlemen,

First thing in the mornings I strut to my shaving kingdom in the bathroom with a kettle of boiling water.

"Where are you going with that," my wife says, "to fill your hot water bottle?"

"My dear," I say, "the scuttle awaits."

"We have plenty of hot water from the faucet, you know?" she reminds me.

"Oh, I know," I declare, "but what's the fun in that? After all, Charles Dickens might have started his morning by strutting along with his kettle of boiling water for the gentleman's shave."

So yes, gentlemen, a good soap or cream, a warm brush, a fine straight razor and a fragrant aftershave — it's a lovely way to start the day.

Regards,

Obie

You know that is the main reason I have not arrived in the bathroom with a kettle of hot water, my wife already think I went off the deep end.

:)

Crom

Ah, good man.

I also boil the water for my shave in a kettle on the stove. It just seems like a more full experience.

Well, that, and I don't own a microwave....

If I filled a kettle with boiling water and walked in to the bathroom I'd probably fall over the clutter in the house and scald myself.

I just posted a response in the "cold lather" thread. I have a cordless electric kettle that will boil a cup of water in about 30 seconds (it can do a full pot in a few minutes). I've occationally used it in the bathroom when I was experimenting with water temperatures effect on lather. But, one could keep something like this on the bathroom counter sink and always have quick access to boiling hot water.


-Chief

Chief,

Yes, the electric kettle will work, too, as will many other methods of heating the water.

Still, nothing carries the romance of boiling water in the tea kettle in the kitchen and then strutting with it to the bathroom to fill the scuttle.

There is so much romance in shaving the traditional way, and with a straight razor, that I want to frame the picture in its full color.

Regards,

Obie

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Obie

Still, nothing carries the romance of boiling water in the tea kettle in the kitchen and then strutting with it to the bathroom to fill the scuttle.

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Except maybe when the water is boiled on a wood burning stove!:D

Jms,

Heating the kettle over a wood burning stove sounds even more romantic.

Regards,

Obie

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Obie

Jms,

Heating the kettle over a wood burning stove sounds even more romantic.

Regards,

Obie

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My point exactly!

The water out of my hot water faucet is hot enough, why would anyone go to the extra effort. Dickens probaby did not even shave himself, and if I had a valet, I wouldn't either.

More to the point he probably boiled his water in an open hearth.

I keep trying different routines. I got a scuttle, and did the kitchen, microwave to bathroom carrying first a pot then just the scuttle full of piping hot water for a few days or weeks, then settled on the hottest that comes out of the faucet, which is just fine because it cuts down on my running around carrying pots of almost scalding hot water. I think we usually keep looking for our sweet spot and when we find it, we kind of just know it, and do it like that for a while until something else comes along.