Are there benefits to using a scuttle other than warm lather?

[mikelz777]

Are there any benefits or advantages to using a scuttle other than the warm lather?

I've been curious about trying out a scuttle but I'm balking at the high prices they demand. (Even the cheap ones are around $45 before shipping) Still curious about the scuttle experience, I experimented by putting one together from a couple of items I scrounged from the kitchen. I filled one of the vessels with water, microwaved it for about 2 minutes, plopped a small Pyrex bowl on top of that and commenced to make a lather. The feel of the warm lather is very nice though short-lived, it only lasts a few seconds but the brush stays warm the entire time I lathered my face. I lathered my face several times over the course of 20 minutes and my makeshift scuttle kept the brush and lather warm the entire time. I know I could stick with my Macgyver scuttle if I wanted to continue with the process but the 2-piece setup is kind of unwieldy and a bit of a hassle so I can definitely see the advantage of a 1 piece scuttle.

Does using warm lather contribute to a better shave / other advantages or does it all come down to just feeling nice using a warm brush and lather?

 

[Nerveya]

While there may be miniscule benefits to it depending on who you ask, a scuttle is largely a luxury item. Use it if you enjoy warm lather. There's really nothing else to it. If anything, it can degrade lather quality by evaporating water out of the mixture and forcing you to remake it before each pass. There are, I suppose, benefits to this as well as detriments, however.

Do know that there are a few types of scuttles. Besides the bowl scuttle, there is a traditional scuttle and a brush scuttle as well. I'm privy to the brush scuttle myself as I face lather. I enjoyed a scuttle for awhile as I was a bowl latherer when I started. It's a fun trinket.

 

[Renaldo]

Aside from warm lather, you can also participate in all of the scuttle based threads here. Other than that, no other benefit that I can think of.

 

[Cumberland Sausage]

A scuttle looks good in the shave den, and perhaps the ridges on the inside help whip up a good lather, but the latter is rather a marginal factor.

 

[Vespasian]

I have a handsome ridged hand-held ceramic bowl that I warm (along with my brush and razor) while I shower. Then the lather is a little warm when I apply it. I don't really see what more a scuttle would do for me, except take up room. Plus, and I am alone in this, I'm not a big fan of earthy hand-thrown pottery: too brown, too crafts-fair.

 

[BubblesTGB]

During the hot months, you can put ice water in the scuttle and make a nice, chilly lather if you are so inclined.

 

[GreGGo]

Does warm lather really matter if you are using a mentholated soap? I've been thinking about purchasing a scuttle, but I don't know how much I would actually use it. Maybe around the winter months with a warm scent?

 

[dgreene120]

The warm lather just feels so nice, but it has been taking me a lot of trial and error to adjust my lather making process. They are beautiful and I use mine every day (even when I don't warm it up). Georgetown Pottery sells discounted seconds that don't appear to the untrained eye (like mine) to have any flaws. The G12 seconds are very reasonably priced. You should check them out.

 

[Rem700]

Never used a scuttle.
I just use a Mr Coffee electric cup warmer plate and place my shave mug/bowl on the warmer plate to keep things warm.

 

[Naes12]

I bought a scuttle years ago, stopped using it after 2 weeks because I broke the handle. However, I started using again in the past month, and find that I warm lather with no hassle, and actually end up using less water. I fill the heater compartment and outer bowl with hot water before shower, letting brush soak in the outer bowl. Then face lather with soap, dipping my brush into outer bowl water while mixing. Empty out most of the water from outer bowl, leaving a small amount of water in to conduct heat/maintain lather moisture, and leave the heat compartment alone. At the end of the shave I use the inner bowl water to rinse my rinse my face before cold water tap rinse. Really efficient. I'd say I get more pleasure from the efficiency, the warm lather is a side bonus.

That said, your makeshift scuttle is probably fine. Get a real scuttle when you are maxed out everywhere else and are trying to eek out the last 5% of the shaving experience.

 

[feltspanky]

Homemade Scuttle: It's very easy to use a smaller ceramic bowl to make your lather. Place it inside a larger ceramic bowl with pre-heated warm water before your shave. (I see you have been doing something similar with Pyrex bowls from your kitchen). I did the (MacGyver scuttle) also before finally purchasing two scuttles from Robert Becker. Send Robert an email and tell him your price point. He is a fine gentleman an will try to help you.

Robert Becker <[email protected]>

 

[Scaramouche]

Wouldn't shave without one now, and I even have a DB travel scuttle that I take with me on trips. YMMV, but I find the warm, scented lather provides the most comfortable, relaxing shave I've ever experienced. And it gives me a place to mix it and to put my brush without holding something in my hand; no extra time really, and, for me, contributes to a better shave.

 

[musicman1951]

For me the warm lather is a huge bonus. I'm only using Castle Forbes and Ultimate Comfort this year and neither one has any problem holding up through three passes in the scuttle. I have used cream that doesn't hold up as well and it only takes a few drops of water and a couple of spins with the brush to bring them back into shape.

Minor advantages:

Excellent place to soak your boar before shaving.
Nubs and such build lather a little quicker.
Excellent place to clean your brush after shaving.
Beautiful piece of pottery in the room.

 

[ColdMeatJelly]

I've always used a bowl, it does (did) get chilly in winter months. I now own a scuttle but cannot say if it takes the chill out of winter lather yet. Vanity Awesomeness Factor went up 100% now that it sits upon it.

 

[tromboneliness]

I don't have a lot of luxuries in my life; a warm-lather shave in the middle of the long Maine winters is one of them.

Perhaps someday I will justify the expense of one of those beautiful ceramic scuttles, but my solution for now is in-between those and the MacGyver: a dip chiller. No "Vanity Awesomeness" factor, so it lives in the cupboard.

 

[Brasso]

Before I shower I fill my ceramic mug with scalding hot water and let it sit. After I've whipped up my lather, which I always do in my hand, I dump the water and transfer the lather to the mug. The mug will keep the lather warm for 3 passes.

 

[BobbyB]

Gentlemen, I do not have room for a scuttle for each of my three shave soap pucks as our MBR bathroom is quite small. And, as klutzy as I can be at times, I would not want to drop and break a $45 item. Each of my pucks is in a large mouth coffee mug. Like others expressed above, I have found that using a mug of nuked water gives me a sufficiently warm enough lather for a great shave. However, I am not opposed to trying a scuttle either, in the future.

 

[Scaramouche]

Gentlemen, I do not have room for a scuttle for each of my three shave soap pucks as our MBR bathroom is quite small. And, as klutzy as I can be at times, I would not want to drop and break a $45 item. Each of my pucks is in a large mouth coffee mug. Like others expressed above, I have found that using a mug of nuked water gives me a sufficiently warm enough lather for a great shave. However, I am not opposed to trying a scuttle either, in the future.

Actually I just take my brush, semi-damp, load it with soap from whatever container a puck happens to be in (usually the wooden bowl or crock it came in), and mix it with water in the scuttle. Makes a great bowl full of lather, warm and just the right consistency, and I keep my brush in the scuttle so it stays warm as well. Rinse the scuttle and dry, and you're ready for the next round.

 

[mikelz777]

..... Georgetown Pottery sells discounted seconds that don't appear to the untrained eye (like mine) to have any flaws. The G12 seconds are very reasonably priced. You should check them out.

Enabler!!! But seriously, thanks for that tip. I wish shipping wasn't a 3rd of what a second would cost but I still may be able to see my way to picking one up at that price because they are so good looking, look very well made and get good reviews. I knew their primary purpose was to keep lather warm but I didn't even think of using it the opposite way, to keep lather cold as another poster suggested. That might be nice for hot and humid days. In the event I didn't want hot or cold, I could just use it as a lathering bowl. It's still a nice little chunk of change for what a scuttle is but I'm feeling my reluctance weakening.......

 

[BSAGuy]

+1 for McGyver method. Search here. Many guys use an African violet plant pot from Walmart for +/- $8. I have not tried, but apparently, these are two nested pots and you make the lather in the smaller, inner pot while keeping hot water in the larger pot.

Homemade Scuttle: It's very easy to use a smaller ceramic bowl to make your lather. Place it inside a larger ceramic bowl with pre-heated warm water before your shave. (I see you have been doing something similar with Pyrex bowls from your kitchen). I did the (MacGyver scuttle) also before finally purchasing two scuttles from Robert Becker. Send Robert an email and tell him your price point. He is a fine gentleman an will try to help you.

Robert Becker <[email protected]>