Part 1 of 5 in evaluating scuttles. They all work well, and the final decision should be a matter of personal taste. I heated 3 cups of water in my microwave oven for 4 minutes for a temperature of 165 degrees F. The water is then poured into the scuttle to test heat retention. Fast Facts: Purchase Price: $13.00 Purchased from: Robert Becker's ebay store Special features: lid (to keep soaps moist between shaves) Reservoir capacity: 7 3/4 ounces Primary strength: performs as well as much more expensive scuttles Primary weakness: inside diameter of lathering area restricts you to a brush of 22mm or smaller Heat retention (165-degree water initially introduced into scuttle): After 5 minutes: 145 degrees F After 10 minutes: 140 degrees F After 15 minutes: 134 degrees F After 20 minutes: 130 degrees F After 25 minutes: 130 degrees F Dimensions of scuttle: Height: 4" (without lid) Base width: 2 1/8" Width on top: 3 1/2" (4 1/2 with spout) Inside diameter of lathering area: 2 13/16" Depth of lathering area: 3 1/8" Texture of lathering surface: cross hatched
Part 2 of 5 in evaluating scuttles. They all work well, and the final decision should be a matter of personal taste. I heated 3 cups of water in my microwave oven for 4 minutes for a temperature of 165 degrees F. The water is then poured into the scuttle to test heat retention. Fast Facts: Purchase Price: $45.00 Purchased from: Georgetown Pottery Special features: distinctive multi-color design, stopper Reservoir capacity: 6 1/2 ounces Primary strength: stopper (allows you to fill and soak the brush in the lathering area without changing reservoir water) Primary weakness: heat retention in comparison to others (but then, how long does it take to shave?) Heat retention (165-degree water initially introduced into scuttle): After 5 minutes: 130 degrees F After 10 minutes: 120 degrees F After 15 minutes: 120 degrees F After 20 minutes: 117 degrees F After 25 minutes: 115 degrees F Dimensions of scuttle: Height: 3" Base width: 3" Width on top: 5 3/16" (5 3/4 with spout) Inside diameter of lathering area: 3 1/4" Depth of lathering area: 2 3/8" Texture of lathering surface: cross hatched
Part 3 of 5 in evaluating scuttles. They all work well, and the final decision should be a matter of personal taste. I heated 3 cups of water in my microwave oven for 4 minutes for a temperature of 165 degrees F. The water is then poured into the scuttle to test heat retention. Fast Facts: Purchase Price: $65.00 (for this special "waterfall" pattern, other large Moss scuttles are $55.00) Purchased from: Sara Bonnyman Pottery Special features: Reservoir capacity: 11 3/4 ounces Primary strength: Primary weakness: Heat retention (165-degree water initially introduced into scuttle): After 5 minutes: 144 degrees F After 10 minutes: 135 degrees F After 15 minutes: 135 degrees F After 20 minutes: 130 degrees F After 25 minutes: 128 degrees F Dimensions of scuttle: Height: 3 1/2" Base width: 3 7/16" Width on top: 4 1/2" (5" with spout) Inside diameter of lathering area: 3" Depth of lathering area: 2 1/2" Texture of lathering surface: none, other than the fact that the surface is somewhat rougher.
Part 4 of 5 in evaluating scuttles. They all work well, and the final decision should be a matter of personal taste. I heated 3 cups of water in my microwave oven for 4 minutes for a temperature of 165 degrees F. The water is then poured into the scuttle to test heat retention. Note: if this looks familiar to you, it is similar to the scuttle used by Chimensch in his 30th Anniversary shaving video (Shaving Mugs and Shaving Scuttles by Ansgar of Schwarzweisskeramik). His is the large, and the scuttle we are examining here is the small version. FYI, "Schwarzweisskeramik" translates into Schwarz (Black) - Weiss (White) - Keramik (Ceramics) . Fast Facts: Purchase Price: $95.00 Purchased from: Mama Bear's Soaps Special features: large spout area can be used to wet the brush (nearly 2" wide, 1 1/2" deep), lathering area 4" wide, Reservoir capacity: 15 ounces Primary strength: wide brush wetting area and wide lathering area Primary weakness: highest price among those evaluated by a substantial margin Heat retention (165-degree water initially introduced into scuttle): After 5 minutes: 145 degrees F After 10 minutes: 139 degrees F After 15 minutes: 133 degrees F After 20 minutes: 130 degrees F After 25 minutes: 125 degrees F Dimensions of scuttle: Height: 4" Base width: 2 3/4" Width on top: 5 1/4" (7 1/2" with spout) Inside diameter of lathering area: 4" Depth of lathering area: 2 5/8" Texture of lathering surface: concentric circles at the bottom (smooth along the side).
Part 5 of 5 in evaluating scuttles. They all work well, and the final decision should be a matter of personal taste. I heated 3 cups of water in my microwave oven for 4 minutes for a temperature of 165 degrees F. The water is then poured into the scuttle to test heat retention. Note: in communicating with members, this one seems to have received the most favorable comments. Some have, and some haven't, had experience with the other scuttles. Fast Facts: Purchase Price: $54.00 Purchased from: Dirty Bird Pottery Special features: Reservoir capacity: 13.5 ounces Primary strength: wide lathering area Primary weakness: Heat retention (165-degree water initially introduced into scuttle): After 5 minutes: 143 degrees F After 10 minutes: 138 degrees F After 15 minutes: 133 degrees F After 20 minutes: 130 degrees F After 25 minutes: 125 degrees F Dimensions of scuttle: Height: 3 3/8" Base width: 4 7/16" Width on top: 5 9/16" (6 5/8" with spout) Inside diameter of lathering area: 4 5/16" Depth of lathering area: 2 1/2" Texture of lathering surface: an endless string starting at the bottom, winding its way to the top
Very nice - thank you. I have a lust for a scuttle but I have almost no counter space around my sink and I just know I would break it somehow.
Absolutely fantastic review! Thank you very much! Thanks to you I'm now going to buy one of these scuttles! :happy096
Well done. Very well done. I've only used the "Red Neck" scuttle. It does keep the lather warm for all three of the passes I do - for only $5. I can't say I'm overly impressed using warm lather in the summer months. I'll give it more of a work out when the temps start to cool.
Very nice job. Just a note about the price of the Schwartzweisskeramik scuttle. For someone living in Europe, when you add VAT, shipping, mysterious customs delivery charges and the hassle factor involved in ordering products from the US, the price doesn't seem that unreasonable.
Nice reviews. I see Dirty Bird has increased pricing just as fast as Moss Scuttle's did a few years back. Looks like that awesome eBay special is the way to go...
Excellent, comprenhensive and detailed, very informative, should help others make up their mind about a scuttle.
Clarification Just a quick note to clarify. My prices have remained the same since I first started making scuttles in July 2008. I have, however, started offering a larger scuttle which is priced higher than the Original.
Thank you for the compliment. I think it is only fair to mention that while Becker's (Robert's Ceramic Feats of Clay) holds its own in terms of heat retention and performance, it is not as solid, the material isn't as thick, and the workmanship isn't as precise. That is not a put down of this man's work at all. He wants to produce something at a lower price point so that more people can have scuttles. What I am saying is that if you saw both this one and the Dirty Bird side by side and someone offered to give you one you would more than likely take the Dirty Bird.
Cajun, Thank you very much for that in depth review! I've GT5 myself. Hope you've many great luxurious lathers with your scuttles!
I'll bet you always received an A+ in school when it came to research papers!? Very informative post.
Digging up the past, we should proably probe for more scuttle evaluations. Would be nice to see input from those like Col. Conk and others, even the eBay floral scuttles you come across every now and then.