Thread: Is this a shaving mug?

Short story... I currently live with my grandmother until my house is done(a couple more weeks thank goodness). My bathroom is broken so i had to use hers. Well i keep the door open because i just do. She walks by and notices im using a straight razor. She knew i shaved with them but she said she hadnt seen one in use for years. She notices my soap bowl is a bowl and not a mud and sayd to me that it would be easyer to make lather if my mug had a handle. I humor her and say yeah i guess. She told me to turn around and look up. So i did and saw a few mugs. She told me to take my pick I could have one. Most of them were the crappy christmas present deals and some were not even mugs. The silver one looks neat. YOu think its a shaving mug? If its not it may soon be. Would the soap mess with the silver?

BTW this is from October 1910. My grandfathers name and date is stamped on it. He wasnt even born yet so It must have been his fathers.

I believe that is a shaving mug. The do hickey sticky up is to rest the brush's handle while the bristles are laying on top of the soap puck. That one on the top all the way to the left may be an occupational mug. Those were painted with the user's vocation and they are very collectible depending on the rarity of the image/vocation. Looks like an artist's palate. Was your ancestor an artist ?

I've never owned one of the silver mugs. Many of them were plated. If it is sterling silver soap or water would tarnish it but they wouldn't hurt it.

I'm no expert but it definitely looks like it. Even looks like it has a a nice holder for a brush. Great piece of family history.

Not an artist and that mug isnt old on the top left. None the less I think this is the one ill keep

Im gonna say yes that is a shaving mug but im not really sure, i do know that lot of people had there persional mugs at the barber shop in the older times , or so i hear, But even if it is not a shaving mug it is still a really cool pice of history.

Im excited about it. I nice mug and a great piece of family history. I wonder if my older razors were used with this cup? Neat to say the least.

Nice one! I also use my Grandfather's shave mug, and think about him every day while I use it.

Hello, Simpleman:

Yes, that appears to be a shaving mug. That it was your grandfather's makes it special.

Regards,
Obie

If it's sterling silver there will be some makers mark or hallmark identifying the silver content and maker somewhere on the bottom.

It will turn black with use but that's just what silver does. It won't affect it otherwise.

Nice mug.