I just received my second shaving scuttle from Robert Becker (http://www.rabfeatsofclay.com/)—my first being a tiny little 'travel' scuttle which I've been using about everyday for the past several weeks. This newest one is FULL-SIZE, meaning it's a beast compared to my wee-travel 'scuttlito.' This newest model is designated Model 001 by Mr. Becker, with a 6"diameter by 4" deep reservoir which hold about 4 cups of piping hot water. The mixing bowl is approximately 3" deep by 5" diameter & ridged/grooved to enhance lather development. Here it is with the lid on. The finish is "Harvest Plains." A shot of the bowl: Just for scale, I dropped in my largest Omega brush: Now shown next to the Travel Scuttle: Test Run: I filled the reservoir with very hot tap water (Robert says you can safely fill it with hot water & microwave the scuttle for 60-90 seconds to get REALLY hot water—but that's a long walk from my bathroom, so tap water it is.), plugged the opening with the rubber stopper, filled the bowl & sink with hot water, dropped my brush in the bowl & I hit the shower. After my shower, I drained the bowl & the sink & hoisted the scuttle (pretty hefty with all that water!) onto the counter to start making lather. A dab of TOBS cream, few drops of glycerin and MWF soap was the combination I used. Whipping up the lather was rather easy in this generous bowl—especially considering that I had previously been using the MUCH smaller travel scuttle. In no time I achieved the desired lather consistency... ...and boy, did it feel GREAT on the face! If you've never shaved with warm lather, this is one of those experiences worth having. Decadent. I had made enough lather to do four complete passes as I wanted to see how the warmth is maintained throughout the shave. The final lather pass (about 15 minutes after the 1st) was just as WARM as the first. Having a lid certainly helps. I finished the post-shave & left the scuttle alone, lid on, with the remainder of lather. I went back about 30 minutes later to 'test' the temp of the lather. The external scuttle was still warm to the touch— though not as warm as before— and the lather inside still was nice & warm to the touch. Not that I'm planning any hour-long shaves, but its nice to see products performing as they should, and in this instance, certainly exceeding most demands for their use. So I'm very happy with this initial shave using this Becker scuttle. It will assuredly keep the lather warm for the duration of the shave, and the generously-sized bowl made lather-whipping a breeze! On top of all this, it's a beautifully crafted piece of ceramic art. My wife thinks it looks great on the counter (think 'tubby teapot'), and I look forward to trying it again tomorrow.
That's the best picture I've seen of that scuttle. If I'd seen that one with that much detail I'd have ordered it. I may have to put it on the list. That lather does indeed speak of decadence! Enjoy your shaves.
I already forwarded the pic to the fiance (I hope you don't mind), I wasn't rallying for a "wedding gift" until this Have a great weekend!
Sweet! Are use the electric tea kettle to make my hot water, no traveling back-and-forth between the kitchen. Enjoy!
Flash from the past! (2013) I knew Robert Becker has scaled back his production/operation over the past 3-5 years as he moves towards retirement. Not surprised he's closing shop end of the year.
I got one in my bathroom too. SWMBO thinks I'm a lunatic. I really need one of those scuttles. Nothing beats warm lather in the middle of a Michigan winter
That's a beautiful scuttle. I'll never stop being fascinated by how many items tied to our shaving styles are both functional and works of art.
It's been four years since I started this thread and I haven't use either scuttle in about two years. I started cold-water shaving around that time and haven't bothered with a scuttle. However...winter's comin'! And with cold mornings, I will probably begin to find the thought of toasty-warm lather for shaving more appealing.
Lol...I guess I could have been more observant on the date of the post! When I saw the pic and read about the scuttle, my first thought was to post a comment. Thanks for the reply!
