Keeping Lather Warm While Face Lathering
- Thread starter jdboucher
- Start date
Most guys use a scuttle, or they float a bowl in a sink of hot tap water. Just park the brush and it stays nice and warm.
-- John Gehman
-- John Gehman
Dirty Bird pottery sells a scuttle specifically designed to keep your brush warm between passes.
Personally, I use a Moss scuttle (which I also lather in).
Personally, I use a Moss scuttle (which I also lather in).
CzechCzar
Use the Fat, Luke!
Bowl for soap. Bowl to sit in the sink. Done deal.
In the past, I have run hot water over my shaving mug in order to warm it, put warm water in it to soak the brush and soften the soap, and gotten a nice warm first lather that way -- obviously doesn't last, though.
Tomorrow I should be receiving my new Dirty Bird scuttle, and will be using it, filled with nice hot water, to keep my brush and lather hedonistically warm.
I say should be because it has, on its way to me in Topeka, Kansas, gone from Virginia to New Jersey (away, to the NE), then to Arizona (past, and then away to the SW), then to Kansas City (past, and then due East) and theoretically should now come to Topeka. Unless they send it to Denver, or Guam, or something. The ways of the Post Office are mysterious indeed. I believe the colloquial term is "Dude, ***?"
Tomorrow I should be receiving my new Dirty Bird scuttle, and will be using it, filled with nice hot water, to keep my brush and lather hedonistically warm.
I say should be because it has, on its way to me in Topeka, Kansas, gone from Virginia to New Jersey (away, to the NE), then to Arizona (past, and then away to the SW), then to Kansas City (past, and then due East) and theoretically should now come to Topeka. Unless they send it to Denver, or Guam, or something. The ways of the Post Office are mysterious indeed. I believe the colloquial term is "Dude, ***?"
dirtybird scuttle
Two dollar dip chiller I got at a second hand shop.
The warm lather is great, and I have to squeeze a nickel until the buffalo bellows.
The warm lather is great, and I have to squeeze a nickel until the buffalo bellows.
Dirty Bird scuttle came today! It's sitting on my desk taunting me. 
Tomorrow morning it will be providing me waaaarrrrrrmmmmm lather.
Also, really amazing looking piece of pottery. Hefty, too.
Tomorrow morning it will be providing me waaaarrrrrrmmmmm lather.
Also, really amazing looking piece of pottery. Hefty, too.
I place my lather bowl on a coffee cup warmer, which you can buy at Wal-Mart for less than $10.00.
Mike
Mike
I was reminded today of how I did it many years ago when I was a kid on the farm. Soak the brush in hot water, lather but on the dry side, and when you want to heat it up again, just quickly run the tip of the brush through the hot water. It ain't pretty but it works!
I think we missed something: he said he is face lathering. Unless the scuttles you guys are talking about are for face latherers to keep their brushes warm. If thats the case, just ignore me.
They are nuts. I ordered some stuff from Portland, OR, and it went to Texas, then Kansas, then Ohio, then took a detour to Rochester, NY (WHY????) then came to Flint, which is just south of me, then it came into town.
They are nuts. I ordered some stuff from Portland, OR, and it went to Texas, then Kansas, then Ohio, then took a detour to Rochester, NY (WHY????) then came to Flint, which is just south of me, then it came into town.
I have both a Moss Scuttle and a Dirty Bird Scuttle. I love them. I get nice warm lather. Now I need to learn how to build a great lather in the scuttles. That is my weak point, I seem to be generating thin lathers. Maybe it is my lather-building inexperience? I'm only just learning that there are excellent shaving creams in the world. Maybe I need to add hotter water to the scuttles, to encourage a thicker lather? Maybe it is my Washington, D.C. metro area water chemistry? That is to say, it originates directly from the Washington Suburban Sewer Commission and a few million miles of buried water pipes. Most of which are ready to break.
Although I have no personal experience with them, I have read here that sometimes using a scuttle or shaving with very hot water will actually have an adverse effect on getting a good lather up. Something about the lather getting too hot and collapsing... As always, YMMV, but there it is.
I think that may be what I've been doing wrong, then. I've been heating the water to about hot cup of coffee level (that is, hotter than I'd be willing to pour out over my hand). My lather has tended to feel rather airy, and have large bubbles that pop as I agitate the brush. I'll try cutting the heat down next time and report back.
I love my small Moss scuttle.
This is the biggest problem with face lathering IMO, especially in winter. My technique is:
- Briefly soak brush in hot water.
- Shake out nearly all the water.
- Load the brush with soap or cream.
- Now the brush is cold or at least at room temperature because of the soap loading. If I am feeling timid I will dip the brush tips into my sink/bowl of hot water before starting to face lather. If I am feeling strong I will skip this step and start lathering directly on my face, but the product is cold so I usually just transfer soap to my face at this stage and not try to build up any lather.
- Dip brush tips into sink/bowl of hot water and then continue building lather on my face. At this point the lather has gotten warm and overcome the cool feeling.
- Repeat step 5, of dipping the brush into hot water as needed to build proper lather.
I splash hot water on my face and it doesn't matter if the lather is cold because it warms up when my face is hot. This seems to work fine. Its probably not as good as using a scuttle but it sure is easier...
