Scuttles and Soap

What is your opinion on fine shaving creams and hard soaps? Do you like Trumpers, Coates, Taylors, Truefitt & Hill? Post your reviews and opinions here!
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drmoss_ca
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Scuttles and Soap

Post by drmoss_ca »

I expect most if not all of you know that the traditional shaving scuttle was a way of having some hot water for your brush before indoor plumbing was a thing. Your valet brings a jug of hot water from the kitchens and fills the bottom of the scuttle, and you use the hot water in it to lather and shave:

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But this kind of scuttle isn't much help if you want to use a shaving cream, so I designed the first modern cream scuttle and had the admirable Sal Bonnyman make it for me. She smoothed out my prototype and this is an example of the small size (which I like for a better fit around the brush with greater heat retention):

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But after a while, I wondered about making a deeper version - deeper than the large model - so that some soap could be set in the bottom, allowing the lather to stay hot when the brush is placed in it between latherings. Here is what she made for me:

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And with some homemade soap in it:

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This doesn't work too badly. It has to be deep enough to have the soap, the lather, and the brush still surrounded by the hot double ceramic layer. Obviously, it works best with smaller brushes. As far as I know, there are only two of these so far (I gave one away). I've had it for a few years now and not played with it very much, so I felt I ought to get it out and use it steadily for a while and see if it worth asking Sally to make it available.


And for those uncharitable souls who wondered, I don't get a cut of her sales (nor any royalties from all the copycats)!


C.
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John Rose
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Re: Scuttles and Soap

Post by John Rose »

Regarding the vintage-syle scuttles, I think I've identified a link to puck design.
Williams Mug and Godrej have been around a long time.
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Two things they have in common is a relatively small diameter, and a raised edge.
Both of these fit nicely in my own vintage scuttle (was my great-grandfather's):
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When I've used it, I poured some of the water on top of the puck and the rim held a little puddle of it to bloom while I took my shower. The lather came out very nice. There's not much room for the lather, but the brush would hold enough and the lather was very slick, so you don't need a lot of it anyway.
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Re: Scuttles and Soap

Post by John Rose »

drmoss_ca wrote: Mon Sep 28, 2020 8:26 am ... And with some homemade soap in it:

Image

This doesn't work too badly. It has to be deep enough to have the soap, the lather, and the brush still surrounded by the hot double ceramic layer. Obviously, it works best with smaller brushes. As far as I know, there are only two of these so far (I gave one away). I've had it for a few years now and not played with it very much, so I felt I ought to get it out and use it steadily for a while and see if it worth asking Sally to make it available. ...
Do you keep that same soap in it day after day, or do you scoop it out after the shave?
If you leave it in, do you also use it day after day, or is it in a soap rotation?
My theory about the vintage scuttles (and soaps) is that they were intended to be used exclusively every day and they would never completely dry out. Back in the day, it would not occur to them to "rotate" through a large collection of soaps any more than we would rotate our toothpaste. This in turn would make it easier to whip up the lather.

Now, if the intention is to leave the soap in the scuttle but not use it exclusively day after day, then I would be looking for a lid to keep it from drying out. Add a silicone gasket, like what you'd find on a wooden or ceramic kitchen canister lid.
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drmoss_ca
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Re: Scuttles and Soap

Post by drmoss_ca »

I almost always use my homemade soap, and leave it in a deep bowl. This bit can stay in this scuttle. It won't need a lid as it will be used most days.
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maskaggs
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Re: Scuttles and Soap

Post by maskaggs »

Beautiful scuttles. The Waterfall and Cobalt blue patterns / colors are particularly striking to me. An item for the wish list!
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fallingwickets
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Re: Scuttles and Soap

Post by fallingwickets »

this thread makes me miss my 'moss' scuttle sooooooooooooooo much i might have to drive the 650 miles and get it out of storage!

clive
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Re: Scuttles and Soap

Post by maskaggs »

fallingwickets wrote: Tue Sep 29, 2020 6:42 am this thread makes me miss my 'moss' scuttle sooooooooooooooo much i might have to drive the 650 miles and get it out of storage!

clive
Must be a story there.
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Re: Scuttles and Soap

Post by John Rose »

maskaggs wrote: Mon Sep 28, 2020 7:51 pm Beautiful scuttles. The Waterfall and Cobalt blue patterns / colors are particularly striking to me. An item for the wish list!
On my wish list too.
drmoss_ca wrote: Mon Sep 28, 2020 2:25 pm I almost always use my homemade soap, and leave it in a deep bowl. This bit can stay in this scuttle. It won't need a lid as it will be used most days.
Ah.
Sounds very Old School.
I like it. =D>
"If this isn't nice, then what is?" - Kurt Vonnegut's Uncle Alex
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