Inconsistencies in the batches of MWF

[HereticHermit]

Bad batch is possibility that cannot be ruled out because of overbearing but other nuances.
I am just 4 pucks down in last 9 years and used more Tabac than MWF but never had a puck from a 'bad' batch.

 

[sarimento1]

I can understand that bad batches can happen.
However, my single puck of MWF has always lathered great, and excellent shave!!

 

[nav]

Thanks Nav but I'll take a wait and see for MWF as I usually get my soap in bulk due to shipping costs and if I get 12 bad pucks of MWF I'll use them for baseball practice lol.

I might get WMS instead as I can get 12 for around $15.

Once MWF gets more consistent I'll grab some.

Happy shaves,

Mawashi

I personally don't believe inconsistency exists. I've had so many different batches as I used to buy one puck at a time and they were all perfect.

I then bulk purchased 6 pucks in 2016 when I was moving overseas.

MWF is hardly an artisan soap maker. Their soap is sold at just about every shaving store/e-store around the world.

They also are big enough to have a soap mill (their soaps are milled), which in itself means they are not a small artisan.

Buying 12 pucks blind is never suggested. They may lather perfectly but something else may be a problem for you. You can grab one or two pucks from connaught shaving as their shipping is very reasonable.

Same here but only 4 pucks, and all seemed to be consistent.

It's a brilliant soap isn't it!?

 

[EB Newfarm]

Same here, I have always had great results with my one and only used puck of MWF. I have another brand new one on deck, but it will be a while before I get to use it. I really love mine. The disparity amongst users seems to support your theory. Maybe my puck is special?

 

[mawashi]

I personally don't believe inconsistency exists. I've had so many different batches as I used to buy one puck at a time and they were all perfect.

I then bulk purchased 6 pucks in 2016 when I was moving overseas.

MWF is hardly an artisan soap maker. Their soap is sold at just about every shaving store/e-store around the world.

They also are big enough to have a soap mill (their soaps are milled), which in itself means they are not a small artisan.

Buying 12 pucks blind is never suggested. They may lather perfectly but something else may be a problem for you. You can grab one or two pucks from connaught shaving as their shipping is very reasonable.



It's a brilliant soap isn't it!?

Hey Nav,

I may try MWF one day however, I am still trying to use up the soaps I've gotten so far.

It's June and I barely used 20% of 1 stick of Arko. Even at best guesstimates 14yrs of Arko, 3 yrs of proraso 3 yrs of TFS... That's 20 yrs worth of soap for me.
I really should stop getting stuff in bulk lol.

Happy shaves

Mawashi

 

[nav]

Hey Nav,

I may try MWF one day however, I am still trying to use up the soaps I've gotten so far.

It's June and I barely used 20% of 1 stick of Arko. Even at best guesstimates 14yrs of Arko, 3 yrs of proraso 3 yrs of TFS... That's 20 yrs worth of soap for me.
I really should stop getting stuff in bulk lol.

Happy shaves

Mawashi

My my estimates, I have a 45 year soap rotation but that didn't stop me buying MWF in bulk

But as you've never tried it, I'd recommend just getting one to begin with. You could add a few other soaps from connaught as they have a good variety of soaps.

 

[mawashi]

My my estimates, I have a 45 year soap rotation but that didn't stop me buying MWF in bulk

But as you've never tried it, I'd recommend just getting one to begin with. You could add a few other soaps from connaught as they have a good variety of soaps.

Rofl we are too similar. Fine I'll go grab a box of this and WMS and whatever I can safely hoard away wo my gf finding out then giving em away lol.

Happy shaves,

Mawashi

 

[nav]

Rofl we are too similar. Fine I'll go grab a box of this and WMS and whatever I can safely hoard away wo my gf finding out then giving em away lol.

Happy shaves,

Mawashi

Haha
Hoarding is the way to go with hard soaps! They never go off!
I've just opened a new puck of MWF and after 4 years in storage, the scent is as strong as any other batch I've purchased.

I don't use whole MWF pucks any more. I grate or cut off about 20% of a puck and pack it into my container or DIY shave stick.

Why?...because with extended use, the puck retains water and really loses its beautiful scent and I really want to enjoy that scent! So by the time the 20% chunk starts to lose its scent, it's finished and out comes a fresh chunk!

 

[BigJ]

Hey Nav,

I may try MWF one day however, I am still trying to use up the soaps I've gotten so far.

It's June and I barely used 20% of 1 stick of Arko. Even at best guesstimates 14yrs of Arko, 3 yrs of proraso 3 yrs of TFS... That's 20 yrs worth of soap for me.
I really should stop getting stuff in bulk lol.

Happy shaves

Mawashi

There is another way to look at things.

If they change the product (often for the worse), then you are still set for awhile! Nice to have a stash!

 

[KW Driver]

I’ve had the fat for years. They’ve all been consistent for me, so long as I keep it hydrated in a sealed/lidded container. More so than other tallow based soaps, the more hydrated the puck is, the easier it is to get a luxuriously rich lather. Not so wet it’s goopy or soft, but hydrated.

Once it cracks, it’ll never be the same without grating, rehydrating, and pressing it into the container. If I don’t use it routinely, I’ll check it to see if it’s shrinking. If it’s off the container sides, I’ll wet it into the sides and on top then re-lid it.

And vendor freshness is a thing as far as hydration goes. I got my first puck from an American vendor, my second from Caughnaught. There was a marked difference in performance out of the box. I attribute that to stocking/shelf time

 

[Royce]

You go to admit though Arne, cool jar. Perfect for Mike’s refill pucks.

Cheers friend.

 

[sarimento1]

I’ve had the fat for years. They’ve all been consistent for me, so long as I keep it hydrated in a sealed/lidded container. More so than other tallow based soaps, the more hydrated the puck is, the easier it is to get a luxuriously rich lather. Not so wet it’s goopy or soft, but hydrated.

Once it cracks, it’ll never be the same....I attribute that to stocking/shelf time

So true!!

 

[Galaktus]

First puck of the Fat, about 6 years ago was great. Next one, bought about 2 years ago, was so hard to lather for me I demoted it to shower duty.

 

[mawashi]

Haha
Hoarding is the way to go with hard soaps! They never go off!
I've just opened a new puck of MWF and after 4 years in storage, the scent is as strong as any other batch I've purchased.

I don't use whole MWF pucks any more. I grate or cut off about 20% of a puck and pack it into my container or DIY shave stick.

Why?...because with extended use, the puck retains water and really loses its beautiful scent and I really want to enjoy that scent! So by the time the 20% chunk starts to lose its scent, it's finished and out comes a fresh chunk!

Nav, you better have me in you will my friend 40+ yrs of soap is a lot lol.

And here I'm trying to get arko's sent to go away faster. I guess I'll have to try both MWF and WMS to see which I prefer.

Happy shaves.

There is another way to look at things.

If they change the product (often for the worse), then you are still set for awhile! Nice to have a stash!

There's a stash and then there's so much your grandkids will be using using em after you're not around lol.

 

[nav]

Nav, you better have me in you will my friend 40+ yrs of soap is a lot lol.

And here I'm trying to get arko's sent to go away faster. I guess I'll have to try both MWF and WMS to see which I prefer.

Happy shaves.



There's a stash and then there's so much your grandkids will be using using em after you're not around lol.

Hehe
Trust me, I've been in this hobby long enough to have seen great products either discontinued or reformulated for the worse.
I won't chance that with my favorite products. MWF, LEA classic tallow version, Speick stick and Polsilver blades are plentiful in my stash.

The LEA is already a good example as that we reformulated to veggie. The tallow version is one of my all time best performers! At one stage I had 15 pucks but that was ridiculous to sold off many and now have 1 in use, 1 DIY stick and 2 in my stash.

 

[Al Bundy]

I've had a slightly different but equally puzzling experience.

With my first puck of MWF (or Marvellous When I Feel like it...) it started out absolutely superb. Lathered very easily and always produced good quality, long lasting slick lather.

About half way through the puck that stopped. Just stopped. It became weak, bubbly and thin with no slickness or protection whatsoever. During this time I tried everything I could think of - more water, less water, wet brush, dry brush, more loading, less loading, badger, boar, synthetic, blooming, soaking - basically you name it, I tried it and nothing made any difference.

So for a while I stopped using it for shaving and only used it for cleaning brushes or doing test lathers.

Imagine my surprise when on one such occasion a while later it suddenly burst back to life. Any brush, any amount of water and "boom" lather aplenty!

I put it back into regular service and saw out the life of the puck with no further problems.

I'm on to my second now and so far all is well but I worry....

 

[justino_14]

I completely agree with the OP. I had suspected this when I first started using it because I would watch videos of people lathering it up fairly easily, and then for the life of me I couldn't. Like you I tried everything (grated it, loaded for 5 minutes, used distilled water, etc etc), still nothing. I have 100+ soaps (yep I have a problem), and MWF is one of the rare soaps I couldn't get a decent lather from. Wasted money on 2 pucks.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

My last puck was a very slow starter, but was fantastic once it "woke up". It can take a while for it to take on enough water (in the puck itself) to reach its full potential.

 

[Mecator]

You go to admit though Arne, cool jar. Perfect for Mike’s refill pucks.

Cheers friend.

I used the same hand gesture to purchase two tickets in a London tube station. The ticket agent slammed the shade down! The person behind me shouted “he is an American”. The man lifted the shade, gave me the same gesture and said “ did you say two tickets”?

 

[mawashi]

I completely agree with the OP. I had suspected this when I first started using it because I would watch videos of people lathering it up fairly easily, and then for the life of me I couldn't. Like you I tried everything (grated it, loaded for 5 minutes, used distilled water, etc etc), still nothing. I have 100+ soaps (yep I have a problem), and MWF is one of the rare soaps I couldn't get a decent lather from. Wasted money on 2 pucks.

justino_14,

If you still have those 2 and don't want them, I'll be happy to take em off your hands .

Mawashi