Whatever. Mine works great and I’ll keep using it. Fantastic soap IMHO.
First shave with Mitchell’s Wool Fat
- Thread starter TexOkie Shaver
- Start date
I honestly think there are bad batches of MWF floating around and some people just get the bad end of it. Some people lather it so easily but others have so much trouble... I think I'll just accept the loss and move on.
I'm gonna wait until Fri to shave again, see if I can work up a workable lather. I've given up on getting a creamy lather but I think it'll still work.
In a pure scientific matter it would be interesting for those guys with great results to share pieces of their pucks with those with less flattering lather, and vice versa.
Here's my puck and I've been getting less flattering lathers..
Also, I'm noticing that it's been used up quite a bit (maybe 1/5) over the past couple of days of lathering. I probably lathered 15 times or so.
Also, I'm noticing that it's been used up quite a bit (maybe 1/5) over the past couple of days of lathering. I probably lathered 15 times or so.
I know it's been soaking but here is a picture of the puck. Sorry I couldn't get one before
MWF, the Moby Dick of shave soaps.......
- Thread starter
- #187
I got that shave this evening. I loaded exactly like you said, with one addition. I used the protolather created while loading as a preshave. I worked it in until it disappeared, which didn’t take much. I then painted and wet just like you said. When the painting didn’t seem to make any further difference I added more water. I’m guessing that I probably dipped the tips 8 or 9 times. I didn’t test the slickness, before shaving I just decided it was as good as it was going to get.
On the first pass, the lather lasted until just before the last stroke.
On the second pass, the lather about half way through. However, there was still plenty of slickness, so I finished the pass.
on the third pass, I reloaded from the puck and lathered asI had for the first pass. The lather was about like the first pass but, the slickness was awesome. I completed a third pass against the grain.
The result was a DFS without any nicks, weapers or irritation.
I will keep trying different things, but I will keep using this puck until it’s gone. I’m including a photo of the brush just before I painted it on for the first pass.
- Thread starter
- #188
LOL, Release the Kraken!
- Thread starter
- #189
I’m guessing that your puck was flat and featureless when it was unwrapped? I see other pucks with a rough textured surface right out of the wrapper. I’m becoming convinced that my puck was exposed to heat and partially melted and then reformed. I’m wondering what effect heating MWF might have on the puck?
I don’t recall. It’s been 17 months that I’ve had it. I think it was smooth when unwrapped and placed back into the ceramic bowl it came in. I sprinkled a liberal amount of water on it and let it set for a minute. Then I lit into it with a hot saturated badger brush and the rest is history.
I haven’t added water to the puck since, but maybe the lid keeps it damp enough. It will always have a place in my arsenal.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
No wrinkles or signs of heat damage and I live in Florida... It would have to be HOT
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
That's just from loading off the puck? If so, try squeezing more moisture out of the bristles before loading. The method I described should give you more of a paste, thicker than paint, and you won't get all the bubbly stuff off the puck. When you paint on that thick dry paste, and start painting water into it, it might froth up a bit, but you should be able to start incorporating the water better.
- Thread starter
- #193
No, that’s after bowl lathering for several minutes. Right off the puck it looks like paste.
Here is my puck, grated into its own bowl
Badger soaked 10 minutes in warm water, 5 minutes of loading steady, firm and pretty slow from a dry puck. Very wet brush, like used in Marco's method.
Before swirling
After 10 minutes of steady, slow swirling motion. No mashing, no whipping, just steady slow round swirling motion. During that time, added five times about 3-5 drops of water. Ready for a shave.
After passes, had to swirl about 20 seconds slowly again otherwise began to form kinda thin and foamy lather into bowl. Also when painted into face at the first place, dipped brush tips into water few times as felt kinda dry in my face and thick, needed more slickness so added water enough that slickness was there but was not thinning out. You can really feel that in your face with MWF when you are good to go.
Badger soaked 10 minutes in warm water, 5 minutes of loading steady, firm and pretty slow from a dry puck. Very wet brush, like used in Marco's method.
Before swirling
After 10 minutes of steady, slow swirling motion. No mashing, no whipping, just steady slow round swirling motion. During that time, added five times about 3-5 drops of water. Ready for a shave.
After passes, had to swirl about 20 seconds slowly again otherwise began to form kinda thin and foamy lather into bowl. Also when painted into face at the first place, dipped brush tips into water few times as felt kinda dry in my face and thick, needed more slickness so added water enough that slickness was there but was not thinning out. You can really feel that in your face with MWF when you are good to go.
5 minutes to load.....10 more to lather.....
If I can't do it all in less than 1 minute, I don't even bother!
When I used the Fat I never loaded for more than a minute and spent maybe 30 seconds tops face-lathering it. Really makes me wonder if they have some serious QC issues going on. The Fat is a pain but not THAT much of a pain sheesh!
Nice. I guess my result was that when I added water towards the end, it thinned out unlike yours. Just a bit strange for me how two pucks act differently.
Good news, a buddy from another forum decided to send me a sample of his working-perfectly-fine MWF. I'll be able to compare mine to his and make a better conclusion. Let's see how it goes.
5 minutes to load.....10 more to lather.....
If I can't do it all in less than 1 minute, I don't even bother!
When I used the Fat I never loaded for more than a minute and spent maybe 30 seconds tops face-lathering it. Really makes me wonder if they have some serious QC issues going on. The Fat is a pain but not THAT much of a pain sheesh!
Haha I love to swirl. I can whip the soap half and hour or so. Best part of the whole shaving ritual. Watching the lather and swirling is so relaxing I can continue that like forever. Sooo hypnotic and strangely meditative.
Great! Let us know how it performs.
Alright y'all. I finished my donut of Arko and pulled out The Fat this evening. It was purchased from Maggard at the first of the year. I used the new WCS hand thrown bowl my wife got me for my birthday. It was gotten especially for The Fat as I made a comment that I didn't have anything big enough to fit the puck in. My biggest cup has my puck of Tabac in it. (I'm still good Sabbatical members).
I used my Boarzilla brush with the huge knot from Shave forge a purchased back the first of the year. I used it based on what I have read and it was way too much brush. In used my Maggard Slant with a Voskhod blade on shave no. 10. The Fat was a brand new, freshly opened puck.
I started by soaking the brush during my shower as normal in my scuttle. I then dumped the water from the scuttle and dribbled about a tsp. of water into the bottom of the scuttle from the brush. I then went right to the dry puck. I started loading the brush and tilted the bowl over my scuttle and let everything just run into the scuttle. I loaded less than 30secs. and started working it in the scuttle.
Here's the pics:
Before I started:
After 30secs or less:
On my face: I finished the lather on my face. Less than 30 secs. to cover my face in thick yogurty goodness.
After half of my face done for one pass and a 5 minute phone call from work:
And after 6 passes- 3 face and 3 head; Boarzilla was too much brush:
The end result:
I had zero issues at all. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. The lather whipped up smooth and creamy, almost like yogurt and was super slick. I even added a little more water between my face shave and head shave because it had gotten a little too thick. It just came right back to life. I didn't do anything different than I do for any soap I have; Artisan or commercial. I always start the lather in my scuttle and finish on my face. I will use my synth or my smaller boar from now on though to not have so much lather left afterwards.
My skin is so soft right now. No post shave products at all. I usually use Glycerin infused Witch Hazel but it was not needed today. The Fat just earned a permanent place in my rotation along with Arko, Cella, Tabac and Williams with an occasional MdC.
I used my Boarzilla brush with the huge knot from Shave forge a purchased back the first of the year. I used it based on what I have read and it was way too much brush. In used my Maggard Slant with a Voskhod blade on shave no. 10. The Fat was a brand new, freshly opened puck.
I started by soaking the brush during my shower as normal in my scuttle. I then dumped the water from the scuttle and dribbled about a tsp. of water into the bottom of the scuttle from the brush. I then went right to the dry puck. I started loading the brush and tilted the bowl over my scuttle and let everything just run into the scuttle. I loaded less than 30secs. and started working it in the scuttle.
Here's the pics:
Before I started:
After 30secs or less:
On my face: I finished the lather on my face. Less than 30 secs. to cover my face in thick yogurty goodness.
After half of my face done for one pass and a 5 minute phone call from work:
And after 6 passes- 3 face and 3 head; Boarzilla was too much brush:
The end result:
I had zero issues at all. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. The lather whipped up smooth and creamy, almost like yogurt and was super slick. I even added a little more water between my face shave and head shave because it had gotten a little too thick. It just came right back to life. I didn't do anything different than I do for any soap I have; Artisan or commercial. I always start the lather in my scuttle and finish on my face. I will use my synth or my smaller boar from now on though to not have so much lather left afterwards.
My skin is so soft right now. No post shave products at all. I usually use Glycerin infused Witch Hazel but it was not needed today. The Fat just earned a permanent place in my rotation along with Arko, Cella, Tabac and Williams with an occasional MdC.
