Lather production and Scuttle use

Lather production

How does the soap get into the lid?


The soap is grated into flakes (soft soaps can be glued into the lid in one piece).


The soap flakes are pressed into the lid (do not add water!).


The compressed flakes


The soap is dissolved with the wet brush.


The stomping part...


The finished lather.


Ready to go...


After use the lid is stored in the container or on a lid rest. That way, it stays fresh.

 

Scuttle use

A scuttle is a shaving bowl with an integrated warm water reservoir that in turn keeps the lather nice and warm. A close shave is more easily accomplished when the skin is warm. A relaxed hair can be cut off closer to its root, which makes the shave - a closer one.


The Scuttles made by Schwarzweisskeramik are double-walled, i.e. there is a hollow between the outer wall and the inner bowl form, into which the warm water is filled via the "brush basin" on the side. When the hollow is filled the water also fills the brush basin and can be accessed there with the brush when additional water is needed. This makes it very easy to vary the water content of your lather.

It is recommendable to pre-warm the scuttle in the way a teapot is, i.e. by initially filling the hollow and the inner bowl with warm water (no hotter than 70°C/160°F) so that the material can store the warmth. After about 5 minutes the water is poured out and replaced by hot water. The scuttle will then keep the lather pleasantly warm throughout the shave.

Pre-heating the scuttle: the inner reservoir, the lather compartment and the brush basin filled with water:


The soap can be pre-warmed, too: upside-down (see above) or with the soap facing up (see below):


During the shave: ways to store the lid:



After the shave: the lid is stored in the scuttle or on a lid rest:



Attention (only regards scuttles with attached brush basins):

Never fill the cold scuttle with boiling water.

Normal stoneware ceramics can withstand temperature shocks, but when the object is assembled (as is the case with scuttles) a sudden high temperature rise can lead to cracks where the elements are joined.
Hot water from the tap (up to 70°C/160°F) is usually hot enough.

Check out the various scuttle versions in the list on the left. The different designs are featured in the galleries.

All SWK scuttles are handcrafted and thus unique, therefore there can be minor deviations from the cited dimensions.

^back to top