How to use a 19th century pattern shave mug

[Labarum]

Is the bowl in the above style of shaving mug generally big enough to work up a lather in? How are they intended to be used?

When I go to Cyprus the water is not so hot in the early morning - you have to wait for the sun to work on the solar panel, so it will be kettle water for shaving.

One of those trad mugs would be great, but I do like to work my lather in a bowl,

 

[tominabox1]

From what I understand, these cannot be used to lather in, rather the puck of soap sits on top and the water heats the puck from below. The lather may be initially warm, but you have to lather in another bowl or on your face, and this wont keep the lather warm.

 

[mdunn]

From what I understand, these cannot be used to lather in, rather the puck of soap sits on top and the water heats the puck from below. The lather may be initially warm, but you have to lather in another bowl or on your face, and this wont keep the lather warm.

yup!

Facelathering was the default back in the day, bowl lathering is really a quite recent thing.

Soap goes on top, water goes underneat, and you can put your brush in it to soak, and if you need extra water when youre lathering

 

[Labarum]

What a find! I was walking down Shirley Hight St in Southampton and looked in the window of a Salvation Army charity shop. Staring back t me was not one but two traditional pattern shaving mugs for £2 a piece. If I like them I have one for my Southampton flat and another for the Nicosia bungalow. If not I can make them available to any in UK that might like them.

My interest was stirred by the fact that I broke my Muhle Mug (the big one with the handle). I thought a Victorian pattern might be good when, first thing in the morning the solar heated water is not too hot and I will need to resort to kettle water.

Well I will have a go. But what a find!

 

[Go West Young Man]

No running hot water back in those days, they needed a way to keep the water warm during the shave. Heating the brush and soap was a nice side benefit.

 

[dpm802]

There's no law that says you can't lather directly in that bowl. Leave your soap on the side, wet the brush, load your soap, and have at it. The holes drilled in the bottom of that bowl will drain off excess water back into the main chamber.

That's the way I did it when I had one of those mugs (purchased from C&E around 1985 for about $30.) Back then, I didn't know as much as I do now about lather building, but I still got some pretty nice results.

 

[mmack66]

There's no law that says you can't lather directly in that bowl. Leave your soap on the side, wet the brush, load your soap, and have at it. The holes drilled in the bottom of that bowl will drain off excess water back into the main chamber.

That's the way I did it when I had one of those mugs (purchased from C&E around 1985 for about $30.) Back then, I didn't know as much as I do now about lather building, but I still got some pretty nice results.

I don't know the specifics of the scuttle in the OP, but most of these I have seen have a very small "bowl" area with no room to create lather. As seen by your experience, YMMV.

 

[dpm802]

I don't know the specifics of the scuttle in the OP, but most of these I have seen have a very small "bowl" area with no room to create lather. As seen by your experience, YMMV.

That very small bowl area is all you need. Just work your brush up and down in a pumping motion.