Scuttle-Nice to have or necessity?

[djw19]

I am thinking about buying a scuttle but can't bring myself to spend $30+ on one without knowing how effective they truly are. For those of you who use one, do you believe this is just a nice to have or a necessity?

[tsmba]

Its not necessary....but is sure nice if you like warm lather!

[mmack66]

I put a coffee cup in a bowl of hot water and it keeps the lather warm throughout my shave.

[Bulldawg]

Looking back on all the money I've spent on wetshaving since 12/08, the Dirty Bird Scuttle was/is the best $40 spent. Definitely not necessary but it's sooooo nice to have.

[norman931]

I used one every day for over a year, then sold it on the BST. It was nice, but I don't really miss it.

[ProphetNoir]

Looking back on all the money I've spent on wetshaving since 12/08, the Dirty Bird Scuttle was/is the best $40 spent. Definitely not necessary but it's sooooo nice to have.

+1 for me too!
Charging the scuttle is part of the ritual for me. Maybe it isn't a necessity for warm lather, but it does guarantee that I will have warm lather.

[JEEP]

Floating the bowl in a sink filled with hot water works just aswell. That is what I usually do. But, for those special shaves I enjoy using my Norpro dip chiller scuttle - it may not be as fancy as a Dirty Bird or one of the other beautiful handmade scuttels available, but it gets the job done.

Some brushes, like the Omega 10098 prof. boar, are too long to balance in in the enamal bowl I use - here a scuttle comes in real handy.


Regards.

Jakob

[TOB9595]

I suggest you try out the other less expensive alternates to the scuttle.
I have a scuttle and use it daily.
Choices...
You may be very happy with a mug heater, immersion heater, float the bowl in hot water, CHIP N DIP set...Look for this as it is terrific...
So maNy other ways...
face lathering, hand lather..etc

This is a world of experiencing! For me at least :)
Tom

[Bertilak]

I am thinking about buying a scuttle but can't bring myself to spend $30+ on one without knowing how effective they truly are. For those of you who use one, do you believe this is just a nice to have or a necessity?

Since I have never used one I guess I am not qualified to answer. So I won't, but will note that I have no trouble shaving while suffering under this handicap!

[Luc]

I like the scuttle but I have to say it's a nice to have. You can get great results with a bowl or coffee mug. However, a scuttle will work better to keep that lather warm!

[thirdeye]

A scuttle is nice to have but certainly not necessary. Most of the time I just float a bowl in my sink.

[Gringo]

It's a shave I don't have enough room in my bathroom to storage or even place next to me while I'm shaving :( I'd definitely go for a Dirty Bird Scuttle if I had the space! Placing my mug in the sink just always gets me water in it and ruins my lather.

[BarryR]

A scuttle is nice to have but certainly not necessary. Most of the time I just float a bowl in my sink.But I would say REALLY nice to have. I found the floating bowl method to be a real pain and I was always worried about getting water in the soap.

If you're not on a tight budget and you think you want one, I'd get it. They do show up on B/S/T every week or two (more or less) so that's another way to get it. I do think they're a bit expensive bought new due to the shipping costs. I got my (Large Moss Scuttle) from B/S/T for about $40 and I'm very glad I did.

[Brodirt]

Whatever the cost was it was worth it for my Georgetown Pottery scuttle. Not because it makes nice warm lather that I love so much, but rather, because it is a spectacular piece of pottery that SWMBO loves and introduced us to Georgetown Pottery who happens to make MANY pieces in the style that SWMBO LOVES!

So, it was about $50 for the piece...but the added costs keep piling up!

However, I get no flack about what I spend on creams and colognes either.

[chainfire]

As a shower shaver, I find them ok, but not necessary - they can whip up cream nicely but are kind of hard to manuever in a small shower environment. So a cheap bowl works better for me. I guess my shower just isn't really setup to take full advantage of them and while I don't regret getting one (as an earlier poster mentioned they are cool pieces of pottery), I also wouldn't say your missing that much not having one either. My answer maybe different if I used a sink to shave, but I doubt it.

[DunEdinRanger]

A scuttle is nice to have but certainly not necessary. Most of the time I just float a bowl in my sink.

Hey, whatever floats your bowl. :biggrin:

I have noticed a marked improvement since I started using a scuttle, and the warm lather is a nice added plus.

[AFG]

I use one daily and have for probably a year now. The warm lather is nice, especially in the winter. I could get by without one and did so for years. A coffee mug or a bowl immersed in the sink will do the job too but its a lot messier and the scuttles are a nice piece of pottery that look good in the bathroom.

[DSB]

I find my Moss Scuttle nice to have, but it is not a necessity. If you told me tomorrow that I HAD to cut one piece of equipment from my routine, I'd probably choose to ditch the scuttle. On the other hand, I'm glad I have it, and really enjoy the warm lather it gives me. I also like the mug in the sink of hot water technique, but find I sometimes accidentally splash a little water into the mug, changing the water/cream ratio. If you don't want to shell out the cash for a scuttle today, I'd put the scuttle on your holiday gift list.

[40_Caliber]

It's true that it's not a necessity. Most of us have accumulated more gear than we really NEED. I enjoy my Georgetown scuttle and it finds daily use. I really like the warm lather.

Is it a necessity? NO.

[thunderball]

As others have said - not necessary. I personally think hot lather is overrated...as long as your prep is complete with lots of hot water I don't really think the lather needs to be hot (though some people really like it).

[JD.E.]

A cheaper option to give the warm lather idea a try without spending much (13$ with super saver shipping from Amazon) is a Dip Warmer (http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stay-Cool-Warm-Server/dp/B000SSRVAQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1245062831&sr=8-2) that gets the job done but isn't exactly the most elegant solution.

I would comment on how it works, but mine hasn't arrived yet :tongue_sm

But, for reference, there are some reviews of it in the reviews forum as well and all of them that I read seemed to praise it pretty highly.

Once I get mine, and have a couple shaves with it, I will provide an update/review of some sort.

~JD

[Sharp Blade]

Whatever you use ,you will not be disappointed !! Warm lather is very,very nice. I use a DB scuttle and would not give it up for anything but as usual it's YMMV.:a50:


Regards,
John

[Confilo]

In the cold winters month it is nice to have, almost a necessity

[dpm802]

No matter which way you go, keep in mind that a scuttle, shaving mug, or lather bowl is designed from the ground up for the purpose of shaving., It will do its job better than anything else you can jury-rig from the kitchen ... and IMHO, that makes a key difference.

I just got the DB Brush Scuttle and matching Lather Bowl ... the jury is still out on the Brush Scuttle part of it, but the Lather Bowl has become an integral part of my routine.

Its the perfect size and shape for bowl lathering, and those ridges inside help to whip up a nice, rich foam about 3 or 4 times faster than anything else I've tried. The lip keeps it all contained where it should be, and when I swirl my brush around to pick it up, I get almost everything in one swipe.

The scuttle portion is a little cumbersome to fill and refill, and I still haven't gotten lather that's anything more than luke-warm. But, to be fair, I've only used it twice, so I'm sure my results will get better as I learn how to use it.