What's new

Problems with Dirty Bird Brush Scuttle

I've been meaning to post this awhile for maybe something I just haven't found by searching the forums yet. I've already tried some suggestions.

For some reason it seems like no matter what I do I just can't find a good balance for using my DB brush scuttle. I have no where near the amount of problems with my 2x DB scuttle. Just that the lather likes to stay into the ridges I asked to be put in it. :lol:

No matter what the lather starts to disappear by the time I go for my second pass. I put water that isn't so hot in, but then it can't keep the brush warm. I thought maybe it was because I haven't done a good job with making a good lather, but still very sucessful. Anyone else having problems with their brush scuttle, or had problems, and managed to fix it? Would hate to sell it, but not much point in having something I can't use right.
 
I have a DB Brush Scuttle, this one:

proxy.php


I guess this is the one you have too.

I am pleased with it, works well. But it did took me some time to figure out how best to use it. This is how I use it:

I generally shave after my shower so before jumping in the shower, I fill the sink with hot tap water and put the scuttle, lather bowl and brush in the sink. This allows the pottery and brush to become warm while I shower. I also fill and start a small electric kettle I keep in the bathroom. It will go to a boil while I shower.

Once out of the shower, I get my bowl and brush out of the sink and lather my cream or soap in the bowl (sometimes I might skip the bowl and do straight face lathering). Once the brush is loaded correctly, I lather my face.

I then get the scuttle out of the sink and refill with about 75% hot tap water and 25% of the water boiled in the electric kettle. This enables the brush scuttle to stay quite warm for at least 4 passes and touchups, but not too hot as to degrade the lather in the brush. I've found out that filling the scuttle with 100% boiled water is too much and it kills the lather (it is also on the verge of being uncomfortable when applying such a hot brush on the skin).

With a 75%/25% mix, I can see still some lather drying on the external hairs of the brush, but the lather inside the brush can be "re-awakened" easily by using some water before lathering on the face for a second or third pass. And the brush is just enough warm to insure a luxurious lather.

During my experiments I have noticed that if I fill the scuttle only with tap water, there is no lather drying or decaying but I feel the brush isn't enough warm. I like it hotter than that.

So I would suggest you to:

1) Try mixing up some water boiled in an electric kettle or otherwise if you can. Play with the proportions of tap water and boiled water until you get a compromise you find good enough.

2) Keep in mind that you need to dip your brush in hot water before every pass. This helps replacing the water lost by evaporation to the heat and will allow you to wake up the lather still inside the brush.

3) You might also want to load up your brush with a bit more cream or soap than usual.
 
I have the same one as Slaglerock and have no problems. I fill the scuttle, lather bowl and brush holder with hot tap water and let it sit while I shower. Right, before use, I change the water with hot tap water and go to it. I find my lather doesn't decay and I'm good for 4 passes with a lukewarm brush at the last pass.
 
My method is almost identical to Tzar's, but with a twist.

I fill my scuttle's "base" with boiling water, leaving it uncovered. I then fill the top "brush pot" with hot tap water and soak my brush while I shower. The boiling water in the base cools a bit while I shower then bowl or face lather. After I've lathered my face for pass #1, I return the loaded brush to the (emptied) brush pot and place it in the base. The temperature is good for at least two passes.

Tzar is exactly right - too much heat kills the lather fast. With a little experimenting, you'll dial it in. Good luck! :001_smile
 
I fill my scuttle's "base" with boiling water, leaving it uncovered. I then fill the top "brush pot" with hot tap water and soak my brush while I shower. The boiling water in the base cools a bit while I shower then bowl or face lather. After I've lathered my face for pass #1, I return the loaded brush to the (emptied) brush pot and place it in the base. The temperature is good for at least two passes.

Nice twist. This in fact solves the problem of too much heat if you are using freshly boiled water which is just too hot... Because the boiled water cools down just enough while you shower, you don't need to refill your scuttle with some kind of mix. I think I'm going to try this too ! :001_smile
 
My method is almost identical to Tzar's, but with a twist.

I fill my scuttle's "base" with boiling water, leaving it uncovered. I then fill the top "brush pot" with hot tap water and soak my brush while I shower. The boiling water in the base cools a bit while I shower then bowl or face lather. After I've lathered my face for pass #1, I return the loaded brush to the (emptied) brush pot and place it in the base. The temperature is good for at least two passes.

Tzar is exactly right - too much heat kills the lather fast. With a little experimenting, you'll dial it in. Good luck! :001_smile

This.:thumbup1:

I get hot lather for four passes doing precisely what Texbilly does. I probably use a bit more cream or soap than usually recommended here, but it also depends on which creams or soaps you use.
I can't imagine not having my DB Brush Scuttle. There is a slight learning curve, but it is well worth the effort to find your sweet spot.
 
Looks like the same one as linked to, just that lather bowl looks much bigger. I noticed that when I first got it from this picture. I got it a bit earlier this year, probably about June.

Thank you for the suggestions all! I'll keep working with it and trying. I just will have to go about it a bit differently. I'll keep them in mind as I keep trying to get things to click. I'm sure it will work. There are plenty of people that have no problems whatsoever, so it would have to be something on the user's end making it not work. :001_rolle
 
I probably use a bit more cream or soap than usually recommended here, but it also depends on which creams or soaps you use.
I can't imagine not having my DB Brush Scuttle. There is a slight learning curve, but it is well worth the effort to find your sweet spot.

Same here...depends on my selection. :001_smile
 
Just tried this morning for my daily shave texbilly's technique of filling up the scuttle with boiled water and then head off to the shower while the water cools down a bit.

Works really well, and no messing with trying to fill the scuttle with a mix of tap water and boiling water to get the right temperature.

Thanks texbilly for that tip :thumbup1:
 
Can't wait to adjust my scuttle process to incorporate the ideas above, i.e. water temperature less than boiling to reduce the drying out of soap.

To prevent potential problems that may be caused by putting boiling water into cold ceramic, I warm my GTP scuttle slowly, adding water from my hot pot as it starts to heat, dumping, adding again as it gets hotter, dumping, then a final fill of boiling water just before my shower. Refill the hot pot and let it return to boiling during the shower.

After showering, I would dump the water and fill up again with boiling water. Then lather soap or cream in the bowl, which at this point is very hot to the touch.

So I'll skip the last refill and look for the difference. One thing about the GTP scuttle, it really holds the heat for a long time.
 
To prevent potential problems that may be caused by putting boiling water into cold ceramic, I warm my GTP scuttle slowly, adding water from my hot pot as it starts to heat, dumping, adding again as it gets hotter, dumping, then a final fill of boiling water just before my shower. Refill the hot pot and let it return to boiling during the shower.

I don't think adding boiling water straight to your pottery scuttle represents any cracking or damaging risk for the scuttle. Georgetown Pottery (like Dirty Bird pottery) also make coffee and tea mugs made of the same pottery used for the scuttle... These mugs see their fair share of boiling water being poured into them without any problems, so my guess is that no specific precautions should be taken for the scuttle :001_smile
 
Just tried this morning for my daily shave texbilly's technique of filling up the scuttle with boiled water and then head off to the shower while the water cools down a bit.

Works really well, and no messing with trying to fill the scuttle with a mix of tap water and boiling water to get the right temperature.

Thanks texbilly for that tip :thumbup1:

Great! It only took me oh, 20 trials before I settled into a decent method, LOL. Glad it works for you as well!!! :001_smile
 
My technique is similar, but doesn't involve boiling water at all.

I soak fill the inner part with scalding hot water from the tap and set the brush holding part in filled with scalding hot water to soak my brush in. I also fill my lather bowl to help build a warm lather. After I shower, I empty out all the water and refresh with more scalding water. While I build my lather, the scalding water starts to cool enough. Then I transfer the lather/brush to the scuttle for nice warm lather for the rest of the shave. It doesn't break down, but at times part of it looks like it may have. However, once I start to swirl the brush on my face, it works really quite well. I've come to really like this scuttle (I have the same one as you and ProphetNoir)
 
I've been afraid to try boiling water for fear of cracking my scuttle. However, the hot water from the tap would easily cause burns so it has been good enough. I typically do a three pass shave (occasional 4) and have warm lather to the end.
 
My technique is similar, but doesn't involve boiling water at all.

I soak fill the inner part with scalding hot water from the tap and set the brush holding part in filled with scalding hot water to soak my brush in. I also fill my lather bowl to help build a warm lather. After I shower, I empty out all the water and refresh with more scalding water. While I build my lather, the scalding water starts to cool enough. Then I transfer the lather/brush to the scuttle for nice warm lather for the rest of the shave. It doesn't break down, but at times part of it looks like it may have. However, once I start to swirl the brush on my face, it works really quite well. I've come to really like this scuttle (I have the same one as you and ProphetNoir)

I'm so glad that works for you. I tried the same in the beginning but my tap water just wasn't hot enough to last. :frown:
 
I'm so glad that works for you. I tried the same in the beginning but my tap water just wasn't hot enough to last. :frown:

Can you adjust the heat on the hot water heater? I'm not sure what my temp is set on, but it handles the task easily. I've got young kids and I'm very watchful of how they handle the water because it could be bad.
 
Last time around went a bit better. Boiled some water for the main bowl and put it in, placed the brush bowl in, and then showered. After that I started my shave, and had more lather hang around this time at least, and warmer than I usually have. My Savile Row 3824 does seem to work better overall for me in the scuttle.

Still trying to decide on a set routine. I would like to shave after I shower, but my face doesn't like it for some odd reason. Usually do better if I shave before. Someday I'll settle on a set way. Someday. :lol:
 
Can you adjust the heat on the hot water heater? I'm not sure what my temp is set on, but it handles the task easily. I've got young kids and I'm very watchful of how they handle the water because it could be bad.

My tap water is hot enough to do the dishes or take a shower without problems but with the scuttle, I felt it wasn't hot enough.

Now, this is easy enough to adjust: you go to the water heater (mine is in the basement under the staircase) and crank up the temperature setting point and then I would have scalding water.

But I didn't do it, after giving it some thought I figured this would increase my energy bill just to fill a brush scuttle...

So I bought a small electric kettle for 10$ that I keep in the bathroom. It brings enough water for my scuttle to a boil in about 3 minutes while I ponder what cream/soap, aftershave and cologne I am going to use this morning :biggrin:

The energy spent by that tiny electric kettle is far lower than what my water heater would have permanently spent 24 hrs a day to keep the water tank at a higher temperature setting just to fill my brush scuttle :001_smile
 
To those with tap water not hot enough...

Are you filling just the reservoir or are you filling the inside of the scuttle + the bowl part of the scuttle + the whole dern sink?

I have been making do with a $3.99 Target cereal bowl by putting my brush in it and filling it and the sink with hot tap water so it's taking a bath. It was working even a month ago but now the temp is dropping into the 30's overnight and the cold sink is sucking the heat out of the water too fast.

It seems like a scuttle with the same approach would work about right though.
 
Top Bottom