I don't Get MWF

[tsmba]

The single biggest I made during my first attempts using shave soap was under-loading the brush. As in many things, when I look back at the tutorials, I realize I hadn't followed directions. For best results I:

* Put a bit of hot water on the puck to moisten it while prepping
* Squeeze water out of soaked brush
* REALLY load the brush! This entails lots of twisting....lather should be overflowing the sides of soap container.
* Proceed to lather bowl, then proceed as Scotto directs in tutorial: Lots of water, lots of stirring. When I *think* its ready...stir more. (I actually sort of whip it)

 

[strat1117]

I've tried Badger, Boar, Stiff, Floppy and everything in between. It's just too friggin' hard to use.

I's really not that difficult. I don't do anything different for MWF than I do for any other soap, and I don't do a lot of crazy stuff with any of them. I soak the brush, load it up and face lather away. That's it.

There is absolutely no need to over-intellectualize any of this.

It's shaving, not calculus.

 

[npinn001]

Im lucky in that i live down the road from the factory where MWF is made in Bradford, and i have been in a few times to pick bits up.

THE single biggest thing the owner says is you get the best results from face lathering this soap, and i couldnt agree more. I load up my brush, a boar brush and go, and i get A+ results all the time.

Seriously, face lather with this soap and you wont be disappointed.

 

[AJ72]

If you don't like MWF, or Tabac, or Williams or whatever - don't use it.
If you think something else is great and a good value for you - use it.
You know what I don't get?
People constantly complaining about what soap or cream or blade or razor that SOMEONE ELSE likes.

So are you saying that we should only comment on things we like? The best part of this forum is expressing both bad and good experiences so that others who are not familiar with a specific product may be more well informed. I write both positive and negative based on my experience with a specific product and I think it promotes for a healthy discussion. Sorry if you got offended.

 

[ShavenMaven]

I totally agree that one doesn't want to be taking exacting steps in order to get a shave soap to produce fine, creamy lather. It should not be necessary to have to "pre-soak" the shave soap. It should not be necessary to have to "pre-soak" the shave brush in a bowl of tepid water. Pre-shave oils and after-shave balms are commercial traps. Without trying to commercialize anything, I've found a shave soap which easily produces a very fine lather with a badger brush. The only thing I do by way of preparation is to wash my face with warm water before applying the lather. That's it. Anything more is too complicated. If MWF doesn't work for you, put it aside and try something else. There's certainly plenty of choice. (Hold your nose and try Tabac!!)

 

[Ignatius]

However, I mean it. Any soap you have to work that hard is not a good soap. If you had to work that hard to get a good lather out of any other soap of which the name is not "Mitchell's Wool Fat" everyone would say that the soap is junk. But just because this soap has been around forever, it's supposed to be a legend. But when it comes to soap, it's supposed to be "worth it". That's a bunch of crap. If a soap was good, it would provide you with a thick, creamy, abundant, protective lather that was easy to build. IMO, soaps should get the job done without headaches. I build mounds of lather with every soap I own except with MWF. A great soap should lather well with hard water, soft water, and every type of water in between. If a soap needs a "tutorial" to lather it, then, IMO, it is not a good soap. It should lather easily with any type of water and in every climate. If you try using MWF with a scuttle, you will know it is junk because the lather just evaporates in thin air. I build a good lather, but it just evaporates in the warm scuttle. I don't know how that is supposed to be a legendary soap. I have tried and own many legendary soaps in my life. MWF is better than any glycerin based soap I've tried, but it is the worst tallow-based soap I have tried to date and all of the french veggie-based soaps blow it away. MWF and AOS are two of the worst tallow based soaps my brother and I have tried and we just don't see how they keep getting praise around here. MWF produces a weak lather and AOS produces a non-slick lather. YMMV i guess.

You know, AoS is usually thought of as fairly easy to lather as far as triple milled soaps goes...

The only French soap I've used is CADE, and I agree its very easy to lather, but not MUCH more than AoS or MWF.

My take on MWF is that its a milled soap in extreme; its very hard and takes a long time to work through a puck of soap. All hard soaps require a bit of work, and maybe MWF requires a bit more because it is so hard a soap. IMO its worth it. If you rate ease and speed of lathering as your #1 concern, it probably isn't.

 

[Haligonian]

Im lucky in that i live down the road from the factory where MWF is made in Bradford, and i have been in a few times to pick bits up.

THE single biggest thing the owner says is you get the best results from face lathering this soap, and i couldnt agree more. I load up my brush, a boar brush and go, and i get A+ results all the time.

Seriously, face lather with this soap and you wont be disappointed.

I think we have superior water here in West Yorkshire.
I've never had any problems with the Fat, it beats all other soaps I've tried, though Cella comes close. Tabac trails behind IMO.

Edit: Just checked my water hardness on the Yorkshire Water website, and it's classed as soft, 16.6mg/l.

 

[richmondesi]

I've never had any issues getting great lather from MWF... My first try was great and so was every subsequent attempt. Having said that, obviously some guys struggle with it. Meh... move on.

I agree with Phil to some extent, but when guys go on ad nauseum about a product and how great it is sometimes it really is appropriate to jump in and encourage them to simmer down a bit...

 

[HoratioCaine]

How in the world someone could make the leap from MWF shaving soap to intimate relations is beyond me. Takes all kinds I guess.

If the comments had been left standing, you might have a better idea of the analogies that were used. They were a little colorful, but nothing too awful, and they made sense within the context of the discussion. Admittedly, though, they had the potential to make the thread devolve into a somewhat raunchier discussion. As an adult talking about adult matters on this board (it is shaving, after all - something most kids don't do, I hope), I didn't mind them. But as you point out, it takes all kinds, and I recognize that some people can be offended by what was said.

 

[luvmysuper]

So are you saying that we should only comment on things we like? The best part of this forum is expressing both bad and good experiences so that others who are not familiar with a specific product may be more well informed. I write both positive and negative based on my experience with a specific product and I think it promotes for a healthy discussion. Sorry if you got offended.

Nope, not saying that at all. I have said in other threads that I didn't personally like Merkur blades, and I'm sure there are other examples.
I guess what I'm saying is that in the past week or so there have been threads titled:
A year without Williams - in response to a thread "a week of Williams" wherein folks profess dislike for the product.
I don't get Tabac - wherein folks profess their dislike for the product.
One of the worst ever made - Wherein folks profess their hatred for a particular razor (which rightly should have been called "Here is the name of the razor that I can't seem to use")
I don't get MWF - wherein folks profess their dislike of MWF.
I have said before that generally speaking, you can get a lot more information about products from positive oriented threads than negative ones.
This doesn't mean that a positive oriented thread is devoid of negative comments.
An example might be a thread titled "What is a good blade to try with an Old Type".
Answers would range from "I like xxx blade because xxx" to "I don't prefer xxx blade in the Old Type because xxx".
Conversely, a thread titled "What blade is terrible in an Old Type" tends to attract mostly negative posts, except those made by people who defend their brand, in which case the opportunity for arguments is exponentially increased.
That's just my opinion. Folks are free to do as they please within the constraints of TOU of the board.

If the comments had been left standing, you might have a better idea of the analogies that were used. They were a little colorful, but nothing too awful, and they made sense within the context of the discussion. Admittedly, though, they had the potential to make the thread devolve into a somewhat raunchier discussion. As an adult talking about adult matters on this board (it is shaving, after all - something most kids don't do, I hope), I didn't mind them. But as you point out, it takes all kinds, and I recognize that some people can be offended by what was said.

Well, having a bit of a warped sense of humor myself, I guess I can see that puns and innuendos could stray from the beaten path. Humor has a way of doing that, and I certainly know that sometimes my humor wasn't taken in the spirit in which it was given.

 

[Cuttingboard]

I get copious amounts of easy to lather excellence from MWF. I don't have any issues with it at all.

Same here...never had a problem lathering MWF.

 

[hdorne]

I really don't want a soap that requires detailed instructions or illustrations to use correctly. Life is too short.

I agree. I tried many times and couldn't get anything more than lousy foam out of it. It felt like I was dry-shaving, and I didn't notice any remarkable moisturizing qualities. Even after reading and following the tutorial here, I got mediocre to terrible results. I liked the scent and really wanted it to work, but it just wasn't meant to be. I went back to getting consistent A+ shaves with trusty Tabac.

I know some people swear by it, and I think that's great. Unfortunately it is not for me.

 

[Sullybob]

I love my Omega Pro. It's my go- to brush frankly.

I'm getting very thin, unstable, bubbly lather from MWF, but it really doesn't seem to matter what brush I use.

It sounds like you need a lot more soap and less water. Try adding a TBSP of hot water on top of the puck while you soak your brush. When you load your brush squeeze as much water as you can from it. If the water on top of the puck isn't absorbed, pour it into your lather bowl or mug. Really load the brush. By really load I mean load that sucker up for a minute or more. Then start building lather.

If nothing works, sell it on the BST and get something that is less trouble for you.

 

[SRock]

How in the world someone could make the leap from MWF shaving soap to intimate relations is beyond me. Takes all kinds I guess.

If you don't like MWF, or Tabac, or Williams or whatever - don't use it.
If you think something else is great and a good value for you - use it.
You know what I don't get?
People constantly complaining about what soap or cream or blade or razor that SOMEONE ELSE likes.

It happens, if it didn't forums wouldn't need moderators.

In all seriousness I agree with you to a degree. If you don't like something share your dislike and move on. No need to browbeat it to death. Share the reasons you don't like it and press on. Its great to have all different points of view, but I agree whole heartedly that overzealous fanboyism or hating gets old.

Same here. Never had any trouble making lather with it. One of my top 5 soaps.

It doesn't make my top 5, probably not in my top 10 even but it is definitely better than many other soaps out there.

I's really not that difficult. I don't do anything different for MWF than I do for any other soap, and I don't do a lot of crazy stuff with any of them. I soak the brush, load it up and face lather away. That's it.

There is absolutely no need to over-intellectualize any of this.

It's shaving, not calculus.

+1

I've never had any issues getting great lather from MWF... My first try was great and so was every subsequent attempt. Having said that, obviously some guys struggle with it. Meh... move on.

I agree with Phil to some extent, but when guys go on ad nauseum about a product and how great it is sometimes it really is appropriate to jump in and encourage them to simmer down a bit...

I agree with both Phil and Paul to a degree! Fine B&B gentlemen, the both of ya!

 

[Governor11201]

I'm fan of the fat myself, especially during the winter months.

For those that are having trouble working up good lather with MWF, I'll note that this a product that I find responds particularly well to face lathering. Follow the advice given above, beginning with a brush that has been shaken and given a good squeeze, work the brush in circles on the puck for a good ten or fifteen seconds (you are not trying for lather at this point, just loading a good bit of paste onto the bristles, then work the lather up directly on your face, adding just a bit of water to the tips of the bristles as needed (be cautious, don't drench the brush as you do this) until you've achieved a thick, moisture rich lather right on your puss.

If that doesn't work for you, I'll see you on the BST!

 

[Andy]

I have had MWF since almost the beginning and had a hard time trying to get good lather from it.
I didn't get good results until I tried with a boar brush (not trying to open a can of worms, just my personal experience)

Soak brush and MWF for a few minutes in warm (not hot) water
Drain excess water from brush and from soap
Load brush with the fat, then load some more
Face lather.

I think that the trick is to use more soap than what you would initially think.

I find that if I follow the steps above......BANG

 

[npinn001]

I think we have superior water here in West Yorkshire.
I've never had any problems with the Fat, it beats all other soaps I've tried, though Cella comes close. Tabac trails behind IMO.

Edit: Just checked my water hardness on the Yorkshire Water website, and it's classed as soft, 16.6mg/l.

I think you are right. I love yorkshire!

 

[Loner16]

I had trouble with MWF at the beginning. I just didn't know how to make it work. The I read the tutorial by Jose (du212), put his tips into practice and thought I had discovered a completely different soap.

The difference was amazing!

 

[AJ72]

I never had a problem getting a ton of lather from MWF. The problem is that it doesn't stay. It wants to evaporate on the face and completely disappears in a hot scuttle which is why I feel the way I feel about it. I will probably get some KMF unscented to add some stability to the lather in a superlather.

 

[Ignatius]

I never had a problem getting a ton of lather from MWF. The problem is that it doesn't stay. It wants to evaporate on the face and completely disappears in a hot scuttle which is why I feel the way I feel about it. I will probably get some KMF unscented to add some stability to the lather in a superlather.

Do you usually use a scuttle with triple milled soaps? Which ones? Hard soaps are designed to be face lathered, I feel (the manager of the MWF factory has advised that this soap should be used that way himself...)

Just really load your brush for 30 seconds then lather away at your face, add water when and if nneded. This is a foolproof soap for me, and I feel bad for you fellas not getting the best out of my fave. triple milled soap!

Scuttles and bowls are best used with a nice luxurious cream imo. But, if you're using other hard milled soaps like Trumpers, harris, AoS etc then MWF should be fine too.