I bought some Mystic Water shaving soap and they recommend grating the puck. Then you load the flakes or small pieces back into the container, pushing down firmly to eliminate any gap between the soap and sides of the container. This makes sense to me, as I like to put hot water onto the top of the puck while my brush soaks in the bowl. Not having a gap between the soap and container will keep the water on top of the puck, allowing it to "bloom". And most pucks that come in containers are slightly smaller than the container. I tried it and I like it. Does anyone else here do this? I am new to making my own lather and any tips or tricks will be appreciated.
Do you grate your soap?
- Thread starter Eastcoast30
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The MWF puck is a fair bit smaller than their own ceramic bowl, but after about 30 consecutive uses I've noticed that it fills the bowl right up to the edge now.
Some years ago I put a Haslinger puck into a ramekin that was quite a lot larger, and found an advantage to doing this - no doughnut hole as you get towards the end of the soap. When swishing your brush around on top of the puck it picks up soap from the edges as well as the top.
Sorry, I got away from soap grating a bit there. I have grated sticks in the past and put them into small bowls though - Palmolive and Arko.
Some years ago I put a Haslinger puck into a ramekin that was quite a lot larger, and found an advantage to doing this - no doughnut hole as you get towards the end of the soap. When swishing your brush around on top of the puck it picks up soap from the edges as well as the top.
Sorry, I got away from soap grating a bit there. I have grated sticks in the past and put them into small bowls though - Palmolive and Arko.
It can be useful sometimes, let's say you have two smaller pucks that together will fill a container. Or you want to convert a soap stick to fit better in a container.
Lately, I have been using the "loading bowl" technique. I still face lather, but take a small amount of soap from the main container to press into the bottom of a loading bowl. The damp brush is loaded with soap in the bowl to make a paste, then the paste is used to build a lather on the face. This technique keeps the original soap in the container pristine. A small amount of soap is scooped out with a plastic spatula when needed.
It's also possible to bowl lather the same way, of course. I find that is good for shaving creams or for a change of pace.
Lately, I have been using the "loading bowl" technique. I still face lather, but take a small amount of soap from the main container to press into the bottom of a loading bowl. The damp brush is loaded with soap in the bowl to make a paste, then the paste is used to build a lather on the face. This technique keeps the original soap in the container pristine. A small amount of soap is scooped out with a plastic spatula when needed.
It's also possible to bowl lather the same way, of course. I find that is good for shaving creams or for a change of pace.
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- #4
I have used this method as well.
I like to grate MWF and mix it with Cella or other soft soaps. It gives me a really enjoyable lather and shave.
I grated 3 Haslinger pucks into an old cream tub I had some time back. I think I would try to chill the soap before trying it again - made quite a mess in the grater, but it worked well.
This!! But i do it with MWF and Haslinger.
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Rhody
I'm a Lumberjack.
No. That seems like too much work for me honestly. I want to buy and use not be a partner in the manufacturing process. 
I have 5 pucks of Tabac grated into a bowl!! I may have enough for a couple of months worth of shaves.
I grate soaps when I need to, but not when I don't need to. If they don't fit the container, I definitely grate them.
I do believe that grating a soap may actually make it lather a bit faster, especially over time. It increases the total surface area and allows the soap to absorb more water. Both of these effects occur because, no matter how much you press the soap back into a single piece, it is never going to be as tightly formed together as was the original puck.
I do believe that grating a soap may actually make it lather a bit faster, especially over time. It increases the total surface area and allows the soap to absorb more water. Both of these effects occur because, no matter how much you press the soap back into a single piece, it is never going to be as tightly formed together as was the original puck.
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- #12
I have about 8 pucks of various soaps and a few samplers. I trim my beard (neck and cheek line) once a week. I will probably never have to buy soap again.
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Mitchell's Wool Fat, Tabac, and Haslinger Schafmilch.
In one container? Now that's what I'd call a real frankensoap.
☺
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
I use MWF in their ceramic bowl and have never bloomed it, or any other soap, and it has never expanded to fill the bowl. It has always worked fine for me. I have grated MWF which has a very light scent, and seeded it with Fabergé Brut, Shulton Old Spice, and Aramis cologne to produce three soaps which perform well and have great scents. I would say that the performance of the MWF is slightly degraded by the addition of the scent but is still very good.
The only time I grate pucks is when I'm making homemade shave sticks. Grating it really makes it easier to pack into the stick containers.
I always grate Saponificio Varesino soaps into their aluminium containers.
And then press the gratings into
a solid mass of soap once again.
That’s the only way that a thin layer of almost boiling water will cover the top surface of the soap and won’t get into the sides and underneath the soap.
As for MWF,I keep it into it’s
porcelain container ,but I scrape
some thin flakes with a small spoon and place them into the
lathering bowl with a bit of lukewarm water.Works like charm! I get tons of thick lather .
And then press the gratings into
a solid mass of soap once again.
That’s the only way that a thin layer of almost boiling water will cover the top surface of the soap and won’t get into the sides and underneath the soap.
As for MWF,I keep it into it’s
porcelain container ,but I scrape
some thin flakes with a small spoon and place them into the
lathering bowl with a bit of lukewarm water.Works like charm! I get tons of thick lather .
- Thread starter
- #18
I buy the MWF refills and put them in a $2 container. Maybe one day I will spring for the porcelain tub.
Yes, I grate some soaps to fit into different containers or make my own shave sticks. Much better option than melting and having rancid tallow and other fats ruin the soap.
I grate my soap when it is a hard Puck that I want to fit in a container that doesn't match the soap size.
Or when I soak those shavings of Arko or William's in a cheap aftershave so that I end up with a container of Stetson-scented but slick-as-snot performing Williams soap, for example.
But I've never felt the need to shred mystic water. I think it can be pressed with the thumb to fit the container, right?
And also, just wanted to warn you that some soap makers advise against soaking the soap ahead of time, like Will from barrister and Mann. I've never soaked the softer croaps like Stirling or mystic water or declaration grooming or cella, etc. I used to just soak the hard pucks like fine, MWF, tabac, etc. But these days I'm discovering that even they don't really need it.
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Or when I soak those shavings of Arko or William's in a cheap aftershave so that I end up with a container of Stetson-scented but slick-as-snot performing Williams soap, for example.
But I've never felt the need to shred mystic water. I think it can be pressed with the thumb to fit the container, right?
And also, just wanted to warn you that some soap makers advise against soaking the soap ahead of time, like Will from barrister and Mann. I've never soaked the softer croaps like Stirling or mystic water or declaration grooming or cella, etc. I used to just soak the hard pucks like fine, MWF, tabac, etc. But these days I'm discovering that even they don't really need it.
(Sent from mobile)
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