Scuttle vs. Bowl
- Thread starter dawgfan13
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I'll add it depends on the size of the scuttle. Some are too small to build your lather, and only serve the purpose of keeping your lather warm, as you mentioned in your post.
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- #3
Here is the one I am thinking of, is this large enough to get a good lather going? http://www.straightrazordesigns.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=19&products_id=1166
If not do you have any other reccomendations? Since I am new to straight razor shaves I just want to make sure that I am able to keep a nice hot lather for the extended period of time I know the shave will take for the first couple of months.
Thanks,
Chris
If not do you have any other reccomendations? Since I am new to straight razor shaves I just want to make sure that I am able to keep a nice hot lather for the extended period of time I know the shave will take for the first couple of months.
Thanks,
Chris
I'm no scuttle-meister but I asked about the same scuttle last week. The feedback I received was that the Straight Razor Designs is fairly small and best suited for face lathering rather than building up the lather in the bowl. It would work nicely for keeping lather warm on a brush that's already loaded.
If you measure your brush you should be able to get an idea of the lather making ability of the scuttle. I would estimate that you need 2x the width of the brush and about the same height. A good option that many of us use is to get a bowl that you like and insert it in another bowl filled with hot water. I do that and use a SS metal outer bowl which keeps the lather and inner bowl plenty warm. Cheaper too. Mine is pretty big but so are my brushes.
If you measure your brush you should be able to get an idea of the lather making ability of the scuttle. I would estimate that you need 2x the width of the brush and about the same height. A good option that many of us use is to get a bowl that you like and insert it in another bowl filled with hot water. I do that and use a SS metal outer bowl which keeps the lather and inner bowl plenty warm. Cheaper too. Mine is pretty big but so are my brushes.
Off topic but ...Very nice shave den, also.
I've also seen some people use mug warmers under their lather bowels to keep it warm. I personally like to have my lather bowel in the palm of my hand while lathering and applying, looking at scuttles that are larger enough to lather in, it looks like it would be cumbersome to hold them full of water
Concur which is why I've been using a stainless Sierra backpacking cup as a handled lather bowl and a small brush scuttle to keep the extra lather warm.
If I ever find the "right" latte or french onion soup cup, it will probably replace the Sierra cup. But for now it works just fine
I used to bowl lather until the DB 1.5 arrived. Do not underestimate warm lather; it is a game changer. My old lather bowl sits unused under the sink. I really should PIF the thing.
I have a Georgetown (G-5 I believe) and it is plenty large enough to build lather in, and my preference is for very large brushes. The inside of the scuttle's bowl is sort of serrated, which helps greatly in the lather building process. I'm now remembering how pleasant my lather was this morning--AOS Sandalwood, nice and warn from the scuttle.
I don't have a scuttle, but use a thick walled ceramic tea/coffee cup the same size as the DB 1.5. I just emerge it in a thick walled ceramic bowl of hot water while I soak and gently warm my brush, brush my teeth etc. and then I retrieve it all warm and nice, make my cream with a bit of new hot water and use the water in the bowl to rinse my razor with. While I shave I let the cup float in the warm water bowl. The lather may not keep hot throughout the shave but it does not go colder than my skin before I am finished which usually, since I am new to it, takes around 20-30 minutes. So, a scuttle might be nice if you can afford it and might keep things a bit warmer but really I think there are many great, cheaper alternatives that works to keep the lather warm enough for comfort. For me, a thumb grip is far more important than keeping the lather hot during the whole process.
I picked up a scuttle several weeks ago and would not go back to the bowl. For me it's the ridges in the bowl of the scuttle that make lather creation take seconds. Having warm lather is nice too.
I tend to use the same technique as you, I use a large latte cup but just cant get the lather hot enough. As of late I've been thinking of using a metal cooking bowl as the heat transfer will be significant when placed to float in a sink of hot water and just might hold me back from spending $50 on a scuttle.
Have you considered using a metal inner bowl and ceramic outer bowl instead? The outer bowl helps keep the water warm, ceramic would help insulate that. You would probably want less insulation between the lather and the hot water. I use two ceramic bowls myself, just throwing a suggestion out there.
I do the poor man's scuttle. I had this cappuccino mug that was too deep for the brush, but then I found a bowl that nested well inside it. Voila.
H
hathela
I'm currently using a silver Reed and Barton enameled bowl that I picked up at Goodwill for $4. After I'm done lathering I place it in a large coffee mug with hot tap water. The metal bowl easily contracts the heat. It stays very warm! I highly recommend!
I'm still new to alot of this stuff could you explain how it will keep a brush already loaded up warm? I usually just stand my brush up until I'm ready to lather my face back up how would putting it in a scuttle like the one posted above work?
It keeps your loaded brush warm because the inside of the scuttle itself is warm. The inner bowl if you will, is water jacketed, and this is where you place the hot water which in turn heats the inner bowl thereby heating anything that comes into contact with it(your brush).
I too highly recommend Julie's Dirty Bird 1.5 scuttle. I have had three different scuttles and the DB 1.5 is by far my favorite because you can both build lather in it and use it to keep your lather warm.
Love my Scuttle !
