First time Kent / MWF user ... (Mama Bear to the rescue!)

[wimbouman]

Gentlemen,

I might need some of the invaluable advice of the honorable soapies here.

Today, I tried Kent soap for the first time.
Performed just as expected (after reading the reviews).

Incredibly hard to make a good lather.
First try gave me some so-so lather, lasted just one pass.
Mama Bear had to come to the rescue with Turkish Bazar to save the SOTD.

Stated often, one seems to need to trial and error with this soap.
The errors have probably been made, but what can I try?

Things I can think of are:

• use less water?
• use a badger instead of a boar?

Any suggestions?

 

[PaulUK]

Probably less water/more soap.
It took me a little while to "get it right" and now I know what works for me, my local water and my brush.

I have an EJ best badger brush and fairly hard water.
From reading other threads, a boar brush might actually be better with soap.
Don't give up. It is worth the effort.

Paul

 

[Groundhog]

With the next puck of MWF I buy, I going to to put it in a bowl and try to make some lather the traditional way to see what all the fuss is about and why it's apparently so challenging to make decent lather. I use MWF 2-3 times per week in homemade shave stick form and it lathers quite easily.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

Plz post a full, step by step of how you're using this stuff. Its a very fickle mistress!

Try this out...

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=77987&highlight=Newb%27s+Review

 

[wimbouman]

Plz post a full, step by step of how you're using this stuff. Its a very fickle mistress!

Try this out...

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=77987&highlight=Newb%27s+Review

It sure is!
Thx for the tips!

My mental notes for next time:
1. Soak it a bit
2. Use less water
3. Stick with the boar
4. Work harder

.. and then see what happens!

 

[SilkySmooth]

I'd try face lathering. It's much easier to judge that way.

 

[wimbouman]

Ooops... should have mentioned that: I am a face latherer.
Thx anyway!

 

[mparker762]

Stated often, one seems to need to trial and error with this soap.
The errors have probably been made, but what can I try?
...
Any suggestions?

Take the soap out of the dish, and place it in the trash. Put something else in the bowl.

 

[BEAR DEN]

Try face lathering, more/less soap, more/less water. Once you figure it out you will be rewarded greatly.

 

[wimbouman]

Take the soap out of the dish, and place it in the trash. Put something else in the bowl.

... a bit too radical to my likings

 

[ctakim]

Hmmm...I find that MWF needs a generous amount of soap and more water, not less compared to my other soaps such as Tabac. But YMMV. Please have patience with this soap because once you get it right you will never want to be without it. I like to use a boar brush with my MWF.

 

[pcb01]

Now love it. What I do is:

1. Put a teaspoon of HOT water on the puck for 10 minutes
2. Empty slurry into sink after 10 minutes has passed
3. Use a damp (wrung and shaken) boar
4. Hit the puck for 60 seconds, holding puck upside down over lathering bowl
5. Transfer loaded brush to bowl (which should contain a dollop or two of lather that has fallen from the puck) and whip maybe 10 seconds. (At this point, an optional squirt or smidgen of cream is recommended, though not required -- Real Shaving Co. is cheap and works fine)
6. Add a FEW DROPS warm distilled water
7. Whip embryonic lather
8. Repeat last two steps about 4-5 times, or until lather glistens and peaks
9. Scoop a brushful of shiny, thick, creamy goodness on your mug and send me a thankful PM

You're welcome

 

[pcb01]

Now love it. What I do is:

1. Put a teaspoon of HOT water on the puck for 10 minutes
2. Empty slurry into sink after 10 minutes has passed
3. Use a damp (wrung and shaken) boar
4. Hit the puck for 60 seconds, holding puck upside down over lathering bowl
5. Transfer loaded brush to bowl (which should contain a dollop or two of lather that has fallen from the puck) and whip maybe 10 seconds. (At this point, an optional squirt or smidgen of cream is recommended, though not required -- Real Shaving Co. is cheap and works fine)
6. Add a FEW DROPS warm distilled water
7. Whip embryonic lather
8. Repeat last two steps about 4-5 times, or until lather glistens and peaks
9. Scoop a brushful of shiny, thick, creamy goodness on your mug and send me a thankful PM

You're welcome

 

[40_Caliber]

Hmmm...I find that MWF needs a generous amount of soap and more water, not less compared to my other soaps such as Tabac. But YMMV. Please have patience with this soap because once you get it right you will never want to be without it. I like to use a boar brush with my MWF.

+1 More soap. Over load the brush with it.

.40

 

[RBE17]

Load the living daylights out of the brush. Then add water as needed.

 

[john parker]

I think this morning I just discovered the magic of using soaps - C&E SAO. Thinking about trying yet more soaps. You have certainly talked me out of getting MWF! That is entirely too much work!

 

[The Nid Hog]

I think this morning I just discovered the magic of using soaps - C&E SAO. Thinking about trying yet more soaps. You have certainly talked me out of getting MWF! That is entirely too much work!

Don't let it discourage you. The MWF factory in the UK has been cranking it out since the 1930s and, as long as there are sheep to be rendered down, they'll probably keep at it. For decades, thousands of doughty Yorkshire farmers have reached for it for their morning shave, little knowing that one day Americans would complain on an internet forum that they couldn't get it to lather. It's soap. You're a naval aviator. Piece of cake.

 

[Bill Smith]

I'm getting a decent lather out of my MWF with an Edwin Jagger travel brush consistantly, I would say it comes down to technique.

 

[john parker]

Don't let it discourage you. The MWF factory in the UK has been cranking it out since the 1930s and, as long as there are sheep to be rendered down, they'll probably keep at it. For decades, thousands of doughty Yorkshire farmers have reached for it for their morning shave, little knowing that one day Americans would complain on an internet forum that they couldn't get it to lather. It's soap. You're a naval aviator. Piece of cake.

Ah! There are night cat shots and night traps! And then there is soap!!!!

 

[The Nid Hog]

But anybody who can find that little boat in that big ocean can lather the heck out of MWF.