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My Wife is a Potter. This is Her Second Attempt @ a Scuttle. Comments appreciated.

Very nice! I have some questions - what are the dimensions of the inner bowl? Also, how thick are the walls of the inner bowl? I think the thinner the inner bowl, the more easily the heat transfers.
 
I want that scuttle! :drool:

Seriously, it looks very good, good design and very good workmanship.
What is your own opinion after using it?

If it passes that test, I think your wife is ready to offer one for sale as a demonstration
project. See how that goes. For price, look at what other potters are charging, which seems to be $40 to $50.
 
Thanks to everyone who has commented so far. Thanks especially for your kind words about the design. She really is very talented. It's fun to watch her work. :)

Wicked man, must suck have a wife make you scuttles :D
*long suffering sigh* We all have our crosses to bear.

I would suggest that you flatten the top of the finger loop so when you have wet soapy hands and a heavy scuttle it has a better grip- function over form.

The Hobbyist subscription plan would be perfect for your wife here at B&B.
That's not a bad idea about the handle. You can get 2 or 3 fingers in it so the grip is pretty good, but a definite corner for leverage would be useful.
I'll look into the Hobbyist subscription, thanks for the heads up!

not sure how I like the two piece design. It looks like there is a gap (though small) between the bowl and the body which may be a heat retention issue. Fwiw, I have no experience with using a scuttle but that appears to be the only issue I can see.
The gap is basically caused by the rounded top of the outer bowl, and the fact that thrown pottery just isn't hugely exact in terms of shrinking. However, there is good contact all the way around so there isn't an air gap, just a gap on the outside.

Maybe instead of a lid she could make more of a rounded lip to close the gap between the 2 pieces? Make them almost touch, but not quite?
I'm trying to figure out what you're trying to express here, particularly as an alternative to a lid, and I'm having trouble envisioning it. Are you suggesting turning the top of the lather bowl down over the top of the water bowl, like rolling down a sock, kind of?

Very impressive. I really like the fact that you can remove the bowl, allowing for lathering with the bowl palmed in your hand then putting the bowl back in the "kettle" while shaving.
I've used the first version this way several times. It can be VERY helpful, and much easier than holding up a container full of hot water.

damn thats actually pretty nice!! Actually that's really nice!! I really like the aerodynamics of scuttle...How much is she going to charge???
We're working that out, now. I think we've just about got a pricing model ready. We were discussing it this morning on the commute, in fact.
 
Very nice! I have some questions - what are the dimensions of the inner bowl? Also, how thick are the walls of the inner bowl? I think the thinner the inner bowl, the more easily the heat transfers.
I didn't measure it exactly, but it's about 4" across, and 2.5" deep, I would say.
The walls of the inner bowl are a decent thickness for a hand-held pottery piece. There's a trade off with the bowl thickness, I've found. Too thick and the heat transfers less intensely, but lasts a long time. Too thin and the bowl wants to float on the water and needs to be held down while lathering, and the heat dissipates more quickly.

What is your own opinion after using it?

If it passes that test, I think your wife is ready to offer one for sale as a demonstration
project. See how that goes. For price, look at what other potters are charging, which seems to be $40 to $50.
It was very functional. Comfortable to lather in, stable on my sink, and kept my lather nice and warm. I made this face every pass:
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Looks nice!

I would suggest that you flatten the top of the finger loop so when you have wet soapy hands and a heavy scuttle it has a better grip- function over form.

The Hobbyist subscription plan would be perfect for your wife here at B&B.

I like the rounded top. As long as the handle is small enough, one can wedge their fingers in creating a tight grip.

not sure how I like the two piece design. It looks like there is a gap (though small) between the bowl and the body which may be a heat retention issue. Fwiw, I have no experience with using a scuttle but that appears to be the only issue I can see. I do know that stuff has a penchant for holding heat (i use a pottery bowl my sister made in high school) so it may not be an issue at all. Regardless that is a sharp looking piece of work and let me know if they go up for sale. The custom option sounds great.

I like the two piece design, i havent seen many like this. Very nice looking. I hope the design doesnt change much, i just might buy one!
 
I didn't measure it exactly, but it's about 4" across, and 2.5" deep, I would say.
The walls of the inner bowl are a decent thickness for a hand-held pottery piece. There's a trade off with the bowl thickness, I've found. Too thick and the heat transfers less intensely, but lasts a long time. Too thin and the bowl wants to float on the water and needs to be held down while lathering, and the heat dissipates more quickly.

That's a very nice size. Maybe her next project can be a brush scuttle for the face latherers.

I think I saw you asked about a lid. I would maybe put that in as an optional piece for an extra fee. Me personally, I wouldn't use a lid as most likely the handle of the brush would be sticking out enough where you couldn't put a lid on it.

It's good that you have a pricing model idea already - I'm not really good at pricing. It seems somewhat similar to the Dirty Bird Scuttle that I have - I think if I remember correctly that was about $50 + shipping.

What I would suggest, is putting it in the hobbyist section as Jim suggested - but put really big that it's a "testing model". I'd put a price on it to cover materials, shipping and a bit extra for her work. Keep it inexpensive as a test model so that you can get a few guys to pick it up, test it out and then give your wife some suggestions on any changes. Make modifications and then go from there with the final version with a finalized price.
 
Great looking scuttle. From a business standpoint, I think the lid (maybe a little flatter and lower dome, maybe almost completely flat) idea is great. Its an offering that is unique to her design, and not currently offered by other scuttle makers to my knowledge.

For those that use one, or have a go to soap, pressing a puck into a scuttle is a fabulous idea. I myself have wanted a scuttle to do this in, but alas no lid. For me this is perfect. I would pay $45-$60.

FWIW I use a G5 Scuttle.
 
Idea: a water level mark inside the reservoir piece. Basically a line to indicate how much water to add so that, when you put the lathering bowl in, the water level rises up just to the spout.

Obviously it's just as easy to fill it at the spout with the lathering bowl already there. But with the water line, a bleary-eyed, pre-coffee, uncoordinated morning shaver wouldn't have to worry about lining up the tap water with the spout.

And keep the lids as an option. Warm lather is the name of the game, after all, so you're retaining heat that much better.
 
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wow, that is a gorgeous scuttle. I feel that she will not have a hard time drumming up business when she decides to start making some for sale.
 
It's on! I've asked my mother in law to create her first scuttle, and Songwind has called me out in this competition. You are going down!

Just joking...

I'm curious about the removable bowl. The tradeoffs have been stated - ease of filling with the right amount of water with a one-piece, bowl-only option with the two-piece. I don't have an instinct for which is better. Perhaps an option is a one piece + extra bowl. Bundle that option for $60+.

Lead times seem to be the issue for potters, especially ones sharing a guild or kiln in a group setting. I know my MIL has two major shows per year and does a lot of her firings in coordination with that. So for a business model, it's tough for people who have to wait over a month for their purchase. Especially in our Amazon Prime society. So then the side-business model starts to be more about logistics, inventory, forecasting, etc. I would also recommend the incidentals that are needed for a small business. Maybe not quickbooks, but a scale for weighing packages and a zebra printer for printing mailing labels. PM if you want more detail. I think Paypal takes care of most of the invoicing side, but keep in mind they keep 2% or something of the payments.

The other thing that comes to mind is glazes. There is a great thread started on scuttles. Most people seem pleased with the glazes widely available, but this is one way to differentiate. Perhaps this is also the more challenging aspect of pottery. I'll see if I can remember to take some pix of the more exotic glazes from my MIL.

And yes, SWMBO learned all of her tricks from the MIL. A happy wife / happy life also extends to the MIL.

Best of luck,
Jeff
 
Very nice work! Living in Florida I really like the idea of the removable bowl, but it would be nice to see some grips on the outer edge of the bowl to avoid slips to the bathroom floor. If this is a business with overhead and holding stock I can see somewhere around $35 - $45 as reasonable. If this is a hobby for a few friends with no overhead and stocking needs, I could see $20-$25 as reasonable. I'd consider being on a waiting list for one depending on my 'suggested changes' and color options.
Talented potter looking forward to other pics!
 
agreed with most of the comments on the handle, hobbiest section, get a few betas for people to test and give feedback, the go live with it.

i for one, do NOT like the 2pce design for a BOWL scuttle. i could see it moving around a lot when lathering as the water would force it to float bit, so you'd have to hold it against the lower bowl and also the handle, and see it being cumbersome. i'd love to see a video of how you lathered it with water in the lower reservoir and how much it moved around and/or how you held it (pick up bowl and lather, then place in, or lather directly with bowl on water portion)

the shape, color and size all look great. i'd add lather ridges all the way up the top and a bit deeper, similar to the proven design of the DB

pretty sure, there is no 2 pce bowl scuttles out there for a reason, but i could be wrong.

overall i think it's a great start and with a few improvements and tests, she has a winner on her hands.
 
Would you be interested in owning a scuttle like this? Absolutely

If so, what do you feel would be fair to pay for it? $30-40

How about for a custom scuttle, with several selectable options? I like to own stuff thats unique

What do you think of scuttles with lids? Dont se any need for a lid

Thats a realy fine looking scutle would realy like one of those, Tell your wife that shes done a exelent jobb
 
I like it very much! And my wife saw this over my shoulder and said, "Oh, I like THAT one!" (She helped me pick my new Becker on the way since, well, it's HER bathroom, I just borrow counter space :wink2:)
I said, "Yea? What do you like about it?"
She said, "Because it doesn't look like a freakin' teapot!"

I laughed but she has a point. Most of them with lids do look pretty much like a teapot. This one does not and I think that makes it unique in a positive way. I'm not a big fan of the two piece design, pretty much echoing why from what the other guys said. And as far as price, I'm the type of guy who is really particular about what I get for the price I paid. Currently based on the pricing of say the Big 4 scuttle makers 'round here, DB and Bonneyman are very overpriced, Georgetown is fair, and Beckers price is awesome. I'd shoot for between Becker and Georgetown. That's my opinion though.

Thanks for sharing, can't wait to see where this goes for you... and all of us!
 
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