Giving MWF a Second Chance

[DSB]

My first bowl of Mitchell's Wool Fat was a wooden bowl of the Kent variety. I had a terrible experience with it. I didn't like the smell (I could only smell soap), it gave me a terrible lather, and it gave me a rough shave. I have very hard water, and read thread after thread about MWF being difficult to lather when you have hard water. I traded my puck of Kent on BST a few months ago.

I listed MWF as the only soap "I would not be re-buying." I thought I was rid of it, and would NEVER use it again.

Then, a few days ago, I picked up a puck of MWF in the ceramic bowl. I found a GREAT price, and it was just too good to turn down. I felt like an idiot for buying a soap I had sworn off, but decided to give it another go.

A strange thing happened when I opened the package of soap. I smelled the new puck, and I LOVED the scent. It definitely has a scent other than just soap. The scent was similar to my L'Occitane Cade, just more subtle and subdued. I actually found the scent to be one of my favorites!

What to do next? Lather, or course. I lathered the MWF with my Semogue boar brush. I went at it in the ceramic bowl. The Semogue picked up a lot of the MWF soap. I had previously been using a Rooney 3/1 with my old Kent soap.

Surprise, surprise, I got a GREAT lather. I got a better shave than I had ever gotten previously with the Kent.

I am going to use my MWF for the next week, or so, and see how it fares. So far, I'm very pleasantly surprised.

I am SO glad I gave this soap another chance!

Never say never, again (thank you, Mr. Bond).

 

[SEAL]

My first bowl of Mitchell's Wool Fat was a wooden bowl of the Kent variety. I had a terrible experience with it. I didn't like the smell (I could only smell soap), it gave me a terrible lather, and it gave me a rough shave. I have very hard water, and read thread after thread about MWF being difficult to lather when you have hard water. I traded my puck of Kent on BST a few months ago.

I listed MWF as the only soap "I would not be re-buying." I thought I was rid of it, and would NEVER use it again.

Then, a few days ago, I picked up a puck of MWF in the ceramic bowl. I found a GREAT price, and it was just too good to turn down. I felt like an idiot for buying a soap I had sworn off, but decided to give it another go.

A strange thing happened when I opened the package of soap. I smelled the new puck, and I LOVED the scent. It definitely has a scent other than just soap. The scent was similar to my L'Occitane Cade, just more subtle and subdued. I actually found the scent to be one of my favorites!

What to do next? Lather, or course. I lathered the MWF with my Semogue boar brush. I went at it in the ceramic bowl. The Semogue picked up a lot of the MWF soap. I had previously been using a Rooney 3/1 with my old Kent soap.

Surprise, surprise, I got a GREAT lather. I got a better shave than I had ever gotten previously with the Kent.

I am going to use my MWF for the next week, or so, and see how it fares. So far, I'm very pleasantly surprised.

I am SO glad I gave this soap another chance!

Never say never, again (thank you, Mr. Bond).

Spill the beans, mister! (please )

 

[ambrose]

OH yes sir da fat is great all yr round even better for dry winter skin. Maybe that kent rebranded is not really as good as the real deal?

 

[DSB]

OH yes sir da fat is great all yr round even better for dry winter skin. Maybe that kent rebranded is not really as good as the real deal?

The members of this forum seem to universally state that Kent and MWF are exactly the same. I don't have enough experience with either to give an educated opinion. I sure am happy I have that puck of MWF, though. I am going to post a poll in this forum to see if the opinion is truly universal.

 

[Luc]

I have MWF at home and it's on the list of to-be tried. I used it once so far and it's great!

I have to use up all my creams before I move to the soaps!

 

[ambrose]

I have MWF at home and it's on the list of to-be tried. I used it once so far and it's great!

I have to use up all my creams before I move to the soaps!

why wait

 

[Luc]

why wait

good point!

 

[DSB]

You can find the MWF/Kent poll by clicking here.

 

[jhclare]

Funny, I was about to start a similar tread!

I have moaned about MWF on this and other shave forums, and I had convinced myself that I would never use it again.

MWF was one of the first soaps I tried. I had no end of trouble lathering it. I tried everything, and I mean everything! A few times I got what looked like a shave ready lather, and had very nice shaves, but this just wasn't happening consistently.

I read about hard water, and decided that my water must be too hard for this soap.

I relegated the soap to the shower, where it wasn't even a very good shower soap!

I recently acquired a Simfix Chubby 2 in Best, and tried again with what was left of the puck. I actually got some very nice lather with it!

I took the plunge and ordered a refill puck, and shaved with it a couple of days ago. Wow, really nice shave, no nicks, cuts or irritation whatsoever!

I am going to shave with it a few days in a row and see what happens.

I don't believe water hardness has anything to do with MWF problems. I believe it's all down to brush and lathering technique.

It is different to other soaps, and must be treated as such.

I go at it with wet, stiff brush for a couple of minutes on the puck. I scoop up the spillage and lather on my face, you don't need much more water!

 

[Whitmore]

Call me crazy, but I don't particularly like shaving with hot lather. Especially in summer I'm more than fine with the cool, refreshing feeling of ice-cold water on soap.

For MWF I use Avène thermal water - I spray it right onto the soap and start lathering. And since that stuff is bloody soft the lather practically explodes. Yes, it's cold, but if you have a puck you don't use because it produces crappy lather with your water - grab a bottle of thermal water for a couple of bucks and give it a try.

 

[chickpea]

As I have coached previously to chaps with MWF issues, MWF likes being your one and only, it don't take kindly to being in rotation. It is a demanding mistress.

As evidence of this. My little sliver of remaining MWF shrinks by 1/3 of its circumference over the weekend as it dries out. Then once I start shaving with it after the weekend, the puck grows out to a wide girth.

It is a water hungry puck and the lather needs a lot more water than other soaps. It also helps having a stiff brush for some, but I have little trouble using my Rooney's 2/1 Super.

 

[htownmmm]

I get the best lather using my Omega Boar with my puck of MWF. I can't wait for my Semogue 2000 Boar to arrive so I can have a go with the MWF.


marty

 

[Ru4scuba?]

Man...this thread has made me turn once more to the MWF. I havent use it since Josh's "month long soap journey" thread. To me it was hell. MWF sucks IMHO. I can't stand the stuff.

But, I will once again turn to it in the hopes of changing my mind. If not, you'll see it on the B/S/T for trade in less than a week LOL!

 

[40_Caliber]

As I have coached previously to chaps with MWF issues, MWF likes being your one and only, it don't take kindly to being in rotation. It is a demanding mistress.

As evidence of this. My little sliver of remaining MWF shrinks by 1/3 of its circumference over the weekend as it dries out. Then once I start shaving with it after the weekend, the puck grows out to a wide girth.

It is a water hungry puck and the lather needs a lot more water than other soaps. It also helps having a stiff brush for some, but I have little trouble using my Rooney's 2/1 Super.

+1

I agree with chickpea on this one. I've seen the same expanding puck phenomenon since I have been working on this month long shave challenge. I'm beginning to think that the ceramic dish supports the theory that MWF likes to be wet and used daily. Throughout the challenge, it has produced an amazing amount of proto-lather very quickly and with little effort.

Another point I have noticed is that while producing the lather in my DB scuttle, that MWF doesn't like vigorous brushing. A slow and steady pace seems to produce a much finer quality lather.

.40

 

[mparker762]

As I have coached previously to chaps with MWF issues, MWF likes being your one and only, it don't take kindly to being in rotation. It is a demanding mistress.

As evidence of this. My little sliver of remaining MWF shrinks by 1/3 of its circumference over the weekend as it dries out. Then once I start shaving with it after the weekend, the puck grows out to a wide girth.

All triple milled soaps are like this, actually - it's not a MWF phenomenon. You want some awesome lather, try using one of the Penhaligons daily for a couple of months.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

All triple milled soaps are like this, actually - it's not a MWF phenomenon. You want some awesome lather, try using one of the Penhaligons daily for a couple of months.

You're right parker, but none of my triple milled exhibit the "symptoms" as strongly as MWF. Mine gets a nice crack and significantly shrinks w/o constant use.

I learned that after not touching it for a month straight after June LOL!

 

[cityjim]

All triple milled soaps are like this, actually - it's not a MWF phenomenon.QUOTE]

Not when you place your soaps in a sealed container .

All my tripple milled soaps remain the same size for weeks on end .



cityjim

 

[crankymoose]

I am another who was about to give up on MWF then I got an Omega boar brush

 

[cityjim]

I am another who was about to give up on MWF then I got an Omega boar brush

bravo cranky !!



cityjim

 

[Spike]

MWF seems to dry too quickly on my face, but that could be my technique with this soap. The reason I responded, however, regards my Omega boar brush. Mine loses a few hairs every use. Is this normal? Did I get a lemon?