Bowl vs Mug vs Scuttle. Which one?

I just received my Dirty Bird Travel Scuttle. I hit the road with it next week so I thought I would give it a try. I used a B&B boar brush, and Mike's Hungarian Lavender Soap. This is after two rounds. The soap is still warm. I am looking forward to the luxury of warm soap on the road.
As usual, please forgive my poor photography skills...

Chadao said:

I just received my Dirty Bird Travel Scuttle. I hit the road with it next week so I thought I would give it a try. I used a B&B boar brush, and Mike's Hungarian Lavender Soap. This is after two rounds. The soap is still warm. I am looking forward to the luxury of warm soap on the road.
As usual, please forgive my poor photography skills...

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Did you just use hot tap in your DB travel scuttle? I may be in the market for a new scuttle since i'm not satisfied with my G5. Its only effective if i take a trip to the kitchen microwave.

I do the Wal-Mart Salsa Bowl thing. It cost me $1.50 and works amazing!

I like an apothecary mug for loading the brush from hard pucks. Still, I'll usually build lather in an oversized "cafe latte" mug. I use it because I had it already, didn't buy a shaving bowl.

I went from scuttle to face lathering for the first pass. I like warm lather on pass 2 & 3, so I whip it up a little in a warm scuttle before subsequent applications.

I use a large soup mug that I bought at Wal Mart. Too keep it warm I place the mug into a larger bowl filled with hot water. The two combined were under $5. I've yet to have a lather go cold.

I'd recommend bowl over a scuttle or mug as there's a better selection to suit your brush size.
Even though I'm a face latherer, I've a scuttle somewhere, but I've not used for quite a while (I think the wife's stored it away to create more room in the bathroom). It was too small for my Kent BK8 brush.
Today I visited Abbey Mills Pottery in South Wimbledon (London) today and saw these "rejects" stoneware items that would proof to be excellent lathering bowls. The bowls had some glaze blemishes but it adds to the character methinks. Cost £6 the pair:

Bowtie2Bimmer said:

I don't currently have a shaving bowl/mug or scuttle. I am using a coffee mug and its annoying as my fingers hit the sides. I would like to get a nice device for bowl lathering. I see everything from wooden bowls, ceramic bowl, scuttles, mugs, marble, grooves, no grooves... What would you choose and why? What the advantages/disadvantes of each? Thanks!

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Bowtie, I see we are neighbors. A belated welcome to B&B.

My first shaving bowl was a large soup mug from Dollar Tree, $1. Nothing wrong with it at all--it even looked pretty good. But it was a bit large for my tastes. I mostly face lather and shave in the shower. I still use a mug/bowl. I use to keep the brush soaking in hot (not too hot) water and then have that water to add to the lather, as needed. And, should I decide on a whim to make a super/ultra lather, I have something at the ready to use as a bowl.

After trying several options, I am now using, and LOVING, my green Marvy shave mug:

http://www.amazon.com/Marvy-Shaving-Mug-Rubber-Green/dp/B0001KBP9E

It is rubber, so that's great for the shower. It seems to keep the hot water at temperature for far longer than anything I have used so far. If I don't spill out the hot water to make an uberlather, the water in it is still hot at the end of the shower. If I make the uberlather, I find it is wide enough for me to whip it up--and there isn't the annoying clinking as the rubber really deadens the sound. It probably isn't large enough for a dedicated bowl latherer, though. But when I use it to build lather, I only whip in the mug for 1 minute, or so, and finish building on my face.

I like it so much I haven't felt the need to get anything else. But there is one bowl I have had my eye on for a while (from before the Marvy)--honestly this is more based on looks than anything. If I decide to do a bit more bowl lathering I would get a scuttle, and/or something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Shave...TF8&colid=1CQ43G9JYOTTR&coliid=I3N8PBJE63AZWY

sdekuyper said:

I love my scuttle much more than any other method. Not a fan of face lathers or even bowls. They don't retain the heat nearly as well as a scuttle.

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What he said. Go the scuttle mate. There is nothing like warm lather everyday yes even in summer. Easy to use and easy to clean.

Chadao said:

I just received my Dirty Bird Travel Scuttle. I hit the road with it next week so I thought I would give it a try. I used a B&B boar brush, and Mike's Hungarian Lavender Soap. This is after two rounds. The soap is still warm. I am looking forward to the luxury of warm soap on the road.
As usual, please forgive my poor photography skills...

View attachment 331581

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The picture is fine!

Now, what makes this a "travel" version more so than any other similarly sized scuttle?

As for my bowl - I went the same route as watchiekong: my ex' brother is a potter and I have collected tons of his stuff over the years. I have a smaller bowl from him that had developed a bubble on the side during firing. Not good enough to sell but works great to make lather in! The irregularity of the hand-thrown pottery really lets me get a good lather going.

I face lather but use a $3 dollar bowl from Bed Bath & Beyond. Some day I would like to get a bowl with a handle since I've dropped it in the sink a few times. Has a nice crack now

musicman1951 said:

The size is very important. I suggest you raid the kitchen and try a few different sizes until you find the size you like.

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Great idea, I tried salsa bowls, coffe cups, everything in the kitchen until I was happy using an oversized Ikea cappuccino mug, I then treated myself to a Schwarz Weiß Keramik freestyle mug once I knew which size was ideal!

Wal-Mart salsa bowl. Here is why:

- it cost $1.28
- it is plastic, so it won't rust
- it is light and will not break your tile if you drop it
- it is durable and will not break if dropped
- it travels easily
- you won't cry if you lose it
- it is easy to PIF to a noob
- it just flat works

Overtime, I've gone from palm lather, to mug, to scuttle, and now to face latherer. My mug serves as a holder for various items and my scuttle is a brush rest while I shave.

I just use a small metal bowl, I think it is a cat food bowl. I used a mug first but they are just too small so then I used a cereal bowl until I got the metal one I have now.

Mike H said:

None of the above... Face lather!

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+1

I use an old spice mug my dad started using back in the 70's or a bowl that came with a van der hagen set i got at walmart. I think these are too small they give me a shotty lather, unless I really work at it.

semi said:

palm

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Tried it and cannot say it is any better than a bowl or scuttle. I really enjoy the scuttle.

I used to use a small, stain-less steel pet bowl from walmart and had no issues with it. Now I'm awaiting a ceramic bowl to come in the mail.