Shaving Mugs vs. Shaving Scuttles: Which is Better
Shaving mugs and scuttles are quintessential must-haves for shaving enthusiasts despite new developments in wet shaving accessories.
With the ever-growing popularity of grooming using a straight razor, there is a continued interest in shaving mugs and scuttles today. It is technically a great equivalent to a woman's collection of plates and assorted cutlery. But, most importantly, it is designed for a more heightened shaving experience.
As a newbie in wet shaving, you most likely have not heard about shaving mugs, and shaving scuttles. You may be more familiar with a shaving bowl, which typically looks like a bowl, but for lathering shave soap. But, believe it or not, it has been around for a long time and is an indispensable accessory for avid practitioners of wet shaving.
These accessories are excellent milestone markers of your transition from a plastic-wielding cartridge barbarian towards a suave gentleman practitioner of the art of wet shaving. Owning a scuttle or a mug is a sign that you are getting serious with your shaving journey.
Here's a quick guide on what you need to know about shaving scuttles and mugs:
- Importance of Shaving Mugs and Scuttles
- Difference Between Shaving Mug and Scuttle
- Shaving Scuttle vs. Mug
- Naked Armor Scuttle Shaving Mugs and Kits
Importance of Shaving Mugs and Scuttles
The lather that scuttles and mugs produce serves as a barrier that can protect your skin from the friction caused by shaving.
In a modern setting, men usually use upscaled or old mugs as containers for their shaving necessities. Used mugs may be efficient containers for plastic and disposable razors, but these are not enough for men who are into wet shaving.
Here is why:
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Face lathering
Face lathering is a vital factor you need to look out for before shaving. Along with the quality of your razor and expert techniques, face lathering can make or break the result of your grooming process. That is why newbies learn how much water is needed and how long it takes to form a thick lather of shaving soap.
Those who are still in their pre-adolescent years and are still starting to grow facial hair may not take lathering seriously. But as one grows old, baby whiskers develop into a thick forest of facial hairs, and a single pass is no longer enough to shave off growth completely.
More facial hair often needs second and third passes when shaving. If you do not have a ready supply of lather, you will not have a smooth shaving experience. Instead, you will have to shave, pause, and lather.
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Sanitation
Without enough lather, your shaving experience will be interrupted. You need to put down the razor to use your hands for creating and applying more lathered soap. Whether you are shaving in the bathroom or the kitchen, you are still using the sink, which contains thousands of bacteria. When you rest your razor on this surface, there is a possibility that it will get contaminated. Hence, it is best to use a shaving mug or scuttle to avoid this.
Difference Between Shaving Mug and Scuttle
Shaving mugs and scuttles are often mistaken for one another. Some even think they are the same. Of course, these wet shaving accessories can be similar, but they too have their unique distinctiveness and purposes.
Origins
Among the two, the shaving mug is older in terms of design and use. The earliest use of a shaving mug, according to Sharpologist, began during the 1880s.
During this time, men use shaving mugs to store shaving soap. Barbershops sold these accessories with personalized designs, including the owners' names printed to prevent sharing soaps and avoid shaving rashes. What they did not know is that unsanitary razors were the cause of skin infections.
It was only later on when the scuttle came into the picture. The term came from the Middle English scutel and the Latin scutella, which means drinking bowl and tray.
Design and use
Shaving mugs are not only convenient containers for soap, but it was also suitable for putting hot water. The only way to get warm lather in the early years was to dip your shaving brush in a mug of hot water.
The old-style scuttle was technically an improvement of the shaving mug.
Its teapot-styled container allowed users to warm the lather directly. You pour hot water into its spout, and the resulting heat warmed the hard soap sitting on a holder on top of the scuttle. This process allowed users to work out a warm lather far longer than the occasional dipping of the brush into a shaving mug of warm water.
Today's modern-style scuttles take their design cues from the Moss scuttle, which was developed by Canadian town doctor Dr. Chris Moss with the help of a local potter.
The Moss scuttle is a ceramic bowl with double walls to contain hot water and inner grooves to help build lather.
To use the Moss scuttle, you will fill the inner bowl with hot water and build a thick lather on the outer bowl. The heat from the water helps produce the thick lather needed for multiple shaving passes.
Further improvements in the basic design have also resulted in scuttles with wider openings so that the shaving brush can also be kept warm and wet by the heat from the scuttle's inner bowl.
Simply put, shaving mugs have been around longer than the scuttle. However, scuttles are more efficient in design and use.
Shaving Scuttle vs. Mug
So which is better among the two?
A shaving mug is your basic utilitarian product for storing your shaving soap and containing the lather needed for your shave. Most shaving mugs on the market today are mass-produced, but if you want to get a good one, pick a shaving mug that will be relatively tall and wide on the bottom to promote easy loading on the brush.
But then again, why pick a shaving mug when a repurposed 16-oz coffee mug will do the job just fine? A shaving mug is as ordinary as you can get if you're looking around for the most basic shaving item to add to your inventory.
On the other hand, a shaving scuttle adds an added layer to your shaving experience by giving a sense of luxury by keeping the lather thick and warm. Nothing beats the experience of shaving with a scuttle, especially on a cold winter morning when you don't want a cold shave.
Naked Armor Scuttle Shaving Mugs and Kits
Is there a way to enjoy the benefits of both scuttle and mug?
Here at Naked Armor, we want to make your life easier. We are not going to let you go through the ordeal of choosing a scuttle or a mug. Instead, we improved the basic Moss design to incorporate the best aspects of a scuttle and a shaving mug in our shaving mug and scuttle kits.
Savanna Scuttle Shaving Kit
The Naked Armor Savanna Scuttle Kit comes with a porcelain shaving scuttle, shaving brush, and shaving puck.
This kit is our pioneering scuttle shaving kit, inclusive of the Savanna Scuttle Shaving Mug. Unlike the traditional scuttle and mug, ours has vertical bars along the inner bowl to keep your shaving brush in place. In addition, its horizontal ridges help catch the soap between the brush bristles, resulting in a thick lather for shaving.
It is more lightweight than most ceramic mugs, despite being made from high-grade ceramic. It has a 10-oz inner chamber with a pair of dry-rot resistant and eco-friendly corks to keep the heat from spilling out.
The Savanna Scuttle Shaving Mug Kit comes with a badger-friendly shaving brush and organically produced shaving soap to make your shaving as awesome and luxurious as they come.
Silver Fox Wet Shaving Kit
The Naked Armor Silver Fox Scuttle Kit includes a stainless steel scuttle, shaving brush, shaving puck, and shavette straight razor.
We took an urban inspiration and incorporated it into one trendy scuttle shaving mug you can find in our Silver Fox Wet Shave Kit. It is the ideal shaving scuttle for those looking at a more minimalist and less bulky shaving accessory.
This kit includes the Silver Fox Wet Scuttle Shaving Mug, sporting a silver stainless facade. It is technically our reenvisioned from its ceramic counterpart for a steaming hot shave at home.
Like the Savanna Scuttle, the Silver Fox Wet Shaving Mug has a 10-oz chamber for hot water. We embossed its interior with horizontal and vertical bars for creating the perfectly thick lather through tension.
You cannot have a complete deluxe wet shaving experience if you only have a scuttle. The Silver Fox Wet Shaving Kit contains carefully curated shaving accessories in one box, including Naked Armor's signature shavette razor, brush, and soap.
Why settle for one or the other when you can get both for the price of one?
It is a great way to keep the lather warm. Use it with our lovely scented organic soap to intensify the aroma. We guarantee you that your shaving routine will never be the same after using this.
More Naked Armor Reads:
How to Lather Shaving Soap: A Step-by-Step Guide
The Science of Wet Shaving
How to Shave for Better Result
HI Vaideh! Thank you for showing an interest in our shaving scuttle. Unfortunately, we don’t do international shipping at this time. We will send you an email if that changes. :)
HI,
I am Vaideh, I want to ask that do you ship in India, if yes then what are the delivery charges. I really like your shaving scuttle. I would love to buy it. Please let me know on my email – vijayhadke9@gmail.com. I would be thankful.
Thank you
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