First shave with Mitchell’s Wool Fat

[TexOkie Shaver]

How long did it take to swell to the dish, As I was talking to them on Friday and they have had no reports of a bad batch? As I get mine from the shop where it is made.

That’s odd, I emailed them in May when I was having trouble and in that email I asked them if they had any reports of defective pucks. They did not answer my email. I guess if they don’t acknowledge a report of a problem, then there isn’t a problem?

 

[rockthrower]

I honestly don't remember how long it took o fill the space. I do know that in every previous puck of Mitchells Ive had, I got great performance regardless of whether the space was filled or not. Ice_Man, if you have actually been able to talk to them about this, you might want to point them to the thread here on B&B titled

"A bad puck of MWF? Maybe no lanolin in it?"

Besides showing that others have had the same experience, Jeffus, the OP, included some photos of how the soap behaved on his face, which i the same result I and others have gotten. If Mitchells in interested in getting to the bottom of this, I'm sure the photos might really help.

 

[Mouser]

Love everything about The Fat but it's always been a mystery to me. Back when I first got started in this "thing" I couldn't lather anything. MdC required a work project plan and overtime to get a bubble but id whip up some cool whip with the Fat in a new York minute. Just the opposite of what I was told to expect.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

How long did it take to swell to the dish, As I was talking to them on Friday and they have had no reports of a bad batch? As I get mine from the shop where it is made.

The reason I asked if you had the MWF dish is important because the puck has to swell twice its size and when it fits the dish it's ready.

Is the "soaking till it fits" an official line, Ian? I have the dish, and never saw any mention of that in any of the packaging, nor any of the sales blurb.

Then again, I've never had an issue with lathering it at it's packaged size.

 

[rockthrower]

FWIW, in all the good MWF pucks I've had, I never had to soak them, and it never looked like it was 'swelling' to fill the gap. It may have to some extent, but to me it looked more like the some of the lather I was making ran down the sides of the puck, filled the gap, and hardened.

 

[kingfisher]

I keep The Fat in a Schöne covered metal container.
View attachment 1094306
Before each shave, I put a handful of water in the bowl and let it bloom while I soak my brush.

Pour what's left of blooming water into whatever bowl I'll either be dipping the brush tips (face lathering) or building my lather (bowl lathering). Then proceed to bowl/face lather and enjoy the shave.

Works for me with any type of brush.

YMMV.

Threadjack..... what is the razor in the picture?. /threadjack

 

[never-stop-learning]

Threadjack..... what is the razor in the picture?. /threadjack

Rex Envoy.

 

[never-stop-learning]

I've been happily using Mitchells for a few years and it is my all-time favourite for performance. However, the last puck I bought is defective. I think we know there is no point disputing that and arguing about lathering technique, etc. My previous pucks (3 of them) have given me an easy lathering lush and slick lather that lasts for 3 passes and touchup. My current one produces a thin semi lather that dries on my face before I can pick up the razor. I guarantee I haven't changed my water supply or lathering technique at all. There is no doubt that some pucks are defective, even if they became that way during shipping, etc.

One interesting thing I don't remember anyone else commenting; I tried letting it sit with water covering it and the lid on the ceramic bowl for 2 days. When I poured the water off, what ws left on top of the puck was a layer of gelatenous clear material with a slimy texture. I'm not a chemist, but I would guess this indicates that the components of the formula are separating, possibly from heat exposure.

I like the Fat enough that I will try again with a new puck, but probably wait until it is cooler out.

Just a thought, not a recommendation: Have you considered running the possibly 'defective' puck through a cheese grater and then reform the puck in the bowl - maybe use a small amount of distilled water to help hydrate and reform. My thought is that if the heat somehow separated the ingredients (I have no clue if this is the case), grating and reforming might get everything back together again.

From what I have read, grating and reforming shouldn't hurt anything. Maybe others can comment on whether or not this might help?

I have grated La Toja sticks into a tin and it works fine.

YMMV

 

[rockthrower]

Have you considered running the possibly 'defective' puck through a cheese grater and then reform the puck in the bowl

I have not tried that. I have scraped a considerable layer off the top, probably 1/4 inch or more, to see if the speed underneath ws any better. No luck.

 

[Khayes2350]

I have the dish, soaked the puck, it fits the dish, and that seems to make no difference at all. I'm certain it is a bad puck and has nothing to do with the dish.

Khayes2350, thanks for posting your results. I was wondering if it was a few random pucks, but it seems not if you got the same bad results from two differently-sourced pucks in a row.

No problem, seeing as how other people are getting the same results I'm gonna try something different. I just ordered another replacement puck off Amazon since the price dropped down to $13. I'm going to grate the puck and add a little bit of grapeseed oil to see if that helps it lather since I saw people had success adding glycerin to Williams (A truly notorious anti lather puck). I've also got some aired out Arko I can grate too

 

[rockthrower]

No problem, seeing as how other people are getting the same results I'm gonna try something different. I just ordered another replacement puck off Amazon since the price dropped down to $13. I'm going to grate the puck and add a little bit of grapeseed oil to see if that helps it lather since I saw people had success adding glycerin to Williams (A truly notorious anti lather puck). I've also got some aired out Arko I can grate too

Interesting. Are you going to try it as is first to see if it's a normal one?

 

[Khayes2350]

Interesting. Are you going to try it as is first to see if it's a normal one?

Yeah I'm gonna go ahead and see if it'll lather like a normal one first and if not I'll try the grate and pour method !

 

[rockthrower]

Great. I'm looking forward to hearing the result. Been sitting on the fence about buying another puck. I miss my MWF shaves.

 

[Ice-Man]

Right a couple of years ago I was talking to an old gentleman in the shop, this was when I first started to use the fat. And he told the secret to the fat soak the puck, that's right soak it, place the puck in the dish.

Then fill it with water until you get a film of water across the top then leave it, then the soap puck will swell to fit the dish. You will get a thin gel on the top now keep checking the soap and top up the water as needed,

Now around about a week, you will see the soap has expanded into the dish, now leave the soap uncovered just to dry the top once it has dried say a day.
Now try it I will post my picture of my new one that's now just about ready to use, this is when the soap has been hydrated so all you will need is a dampish brush load for a few seconds.
Then make your lather on face or bowl, But I will make a video sometime today and put it on youtube. So you can see how this has worked and how much this soap expands in the dish this is why it is important you have the MWF dish. And you must follow this to get the best out of the FAT.

Now you can see the soap does fit the dish without grating or anything just plain water to hydrate the soap, this is now done just waiting for the top to dry a little.

This will give you a fantastic lather 100%

 

[Ice-Man]

This is why the soap gets better with use because the soap is getting hydrated plain and simple.

I honestly don't remember how long it took o fill the space. I do know that in every previous puck of Mitchells Ive had, I got great performance regardless of whether the space was filled or not. Ice_Man, if you have actually been able to talk to them about this, you might want to point them to the thread here on B&B titled

"A bad puck of MWF? Maybe no lanolin in it?"

Besides showing that others have had the same experience, Jeffus, the OP, included some photos of how the soap behaved on his face, which i the same result I and others have gotten. If Mitchells in interested in getting to the bottom of this, I'm sure the photos might really help.

Is the "soaking till it fits" an official line, Ian? I have the dish, and never saw any mention of that in any of the packaging, nor any of the sales blurb.

Then again, I've never had an issue with lathering it at it's packaged size.

FWIW, in all the good MWF pucks I've had, I never had to soak them, and it never looked like it was 'swelling' to fill the gap. It may have to some extent, but to me it looked more like the some of the lather I was making ran down the sides of the puck, filled the gap, and hardened.

To all, I am just passing on what an old gentleman told me in the shop to get the best from the soap, that's when I first started with the FAT and he had never used anything else apart from MWF. And I have used this ever since and one of the ladies was behind the counter while he was telling me, the only reason I went into the shop was it was around the corner from where I was delivering to so while I was getting tipped I went round.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Right a couple of years ago I was talking to an old gentleman in the shop, this was when I first started to use the fat. And he told the secret to the fat soak the puck, that's right soak it, place the puck in the dish.

Then fill it with water until you get a film of water across the top then leave it, then the soap puck will swell to fit the dish. You will get a thin gel on the top now keep checking the soap and top up the water as needed,

Now around about a week, you will see the soap has expanded into the dish, now leave the soap uncovered just to dry the top once it has dried say a day.
Now try it I will post my picture of my new one that's now just about ready to use, this is when the soap has been hydrated so all you will need is a dampish brush load for a few seconds.
Then make your lather on face or bowl, But I will make a video sometime today and put it on youtube. So you can see how this has worked and how much this soap expands in the dish this is why it is important you have the MWF dish. And you must follow this to get the best out of the FAT.

View attachment 1137946

Now you can see the soap does fit the dish without grating or anything just plain water to hydrate the soap, this is now done just waiting for the top to dry a little.

This will give you a fantastic lather 100%

That's a lot of expansion. My soap was MUCH smaller than the bowl.

To all, I am just passing on what an old gentleman told me in the shop to get the best from the soap, that's when I first started with the FAT and he had never used anything else apart from MWF. And I have used this ever since and one of the ladies was behind the counter while he was telling me, the only reason I went into the shop was it was around the corner from where I was delivering to so while I was getting tipped I went round.

If that's direct from the guys themselves at Bradford, that's good enough for me!

Cheers Ian

 

[Ice-Man]

That's a lot of expansion. My soap was MUCH smaller than the bowl.



If that's direct from the guys themselves at Bradford, that's good enough for me!

Cheers Ian

That's no problem this was a big topic a few years back and it was posted then, with Marco and thats the reason everyone has trouble with the FAT. All because they don't hydrate the soap that's why the dish is as big as it is to allow the expansion.

I love it when I see the post load it like you hate it because the soap is that dry and it won't give anything, now if everybody followed this they would never have a problem and there would be more MWF lovers out there.

 

[Timeclo]

That's no problem this was a big topic a few years back and it was posted then, with Marco and thats the reason everyone has trouble with the FAT. All because they don't hydrate the soap that's why the dish is as big as it is to allow the expansion.

I love it when I see the post load it like you hate it because the soap is that dry and it won't give anything, now if everybody followed this they would never have a problem and there would be more MWF lovers out there.

I'm on the camp where you don't need to bloom or hydrate a soap to make it work. Out of the 50+ soaps I tried, I've never had to bloom/hydrate a soap to make it work, including triple-milled soaps. That said, I've also tried a sample of MWF that my friend never bloomed or soaked, that worked amazing. Because of that result, I'm a bit confused with this soap and is difficult to present a solution to those having trouble or to recommend it.

 

[ScottChapin]

I'm on the camp where you don't need to bloom or hydrate a soap to make it work. Out of the 50+ soaps I tried, I've never had to bloom/hydrate a soap to make it work, including triple-milled soaps. That said, I've also tried a sample of MWF that my friend never bloomed or soaked, that worked amazing. Because of that result, I'm a bit confused with this soap and is difficult to present a solution to those having trouble or to recommend it.

I had to bloom two soaps to get them started: MWF and RazoRock XXX. After the initial blooming, they perform flawlessly and wonderfully.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Timeclo]

I had to bloom two soaps to get them started: MWF and RazoRock XXX. After the initial blooming, they perform flawlessly and wonderfully.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I guess it is YMMV as always. I have no trouble lathering RR XXX and I don't bloom it.