Lathering mwf tips

[shoulderpet]

Hi all ,

After 2 years i have finally cracked lathering mwf and thought i should share some of the things i learnt to hopefully help others that are having difficulty lathering this soap, ymmv

1. Breaking the soap in makes a big difference, those that are lucky enough to have good water may not need to. Once the soap has gone into regular rotation it will be easier to lather.

2. Soaking the soap also seems to make a big difference, for some people this may mean a 5 min soak, for me i found success lathering this soap only once i had soaked the puck for 2 days , ymmv

3. Once the puck has been soaked pour off the water from the puck, start with a brush that is dry or only very slightly damp and use the moisture that is left on the puck to help load the brush.

4. Load the brush for longer than other soaps and use a little more pressure to load

5. Transfer brush to bowl, add a little water at a time and work the water into the lather gently , take your time and do not rush as this will introduce air into the lather

 

[dpm802]

Thanks for posting these tips ... there are lots of people that struggle with MWF, and its a shame, because its such a great soap.

I've never had any trouble with it, but I can see where it could be troubling for others, since it has so many idiosyncracies. Unless you get 'em all right, you're bound to run into frustrations.

The most important hint is to use clean water. I had a bottle of distilled water that I used for MWF when I lived in a house with rusty, stinky well water. Now I'm living in a place with good water, but I still use distilled water if I'm re-hydrating the puck after months of dormancy.

The second best hint is to keep the puck hydrated in between uses. Without it, the puck will shrink and crack, not that that's really a problem in and by itself. But the next time you go to use it, there will be very little soap transferred to the brush when you try to load it. After every use, I run some water over the puck, pour off the excess and leave it shiny-wet, then put the lid on until the next time.

One more problem that isn't talked about much ... the puck will tend to spin around in the bowl when you try loading the brush. This is easily solved, either by grating and putting it back in, or just soak the puck for a couple days until it is very soft, and then mold it against the edges of the bowl with your thumbs or a big spoon until it sticks in place.

And about that beautiful MWF ceramic bowl ... its pretty to look at, but it is slippery and awkward to hold when you're building lather. One slip and its all over. I have one, but if it ever breaks, I would not replace it. I would get a wooden or Pyrex bowl and use that instead. Leave the ceramic bowl on the shelf as an ornamental object, and get something more practical and sturdy for actual use.

 

[Morik]

I get fantastic lather out of MWF:
- I use a massively hugenormous badger brush. (31.5mm knot)
- I soak my brush
- I bring the brush out and only let water drip out; I don't flick or otherwise discard water from the brush.
- I hold the puck in my hand (no container). The puck is completely dry when I start.
- With light pressure (enough to contact all the hairs in the bulb, perhaps bending the hair 25% of the way back) I make swirling motions, rolling my wrist as I go (as the brush is so big that if I don't there are outer hairs that won't contact the puck).
- Takes maybe 20-30s to have crazy lather, but I generally keep going for a bit longer.
- Then I face lather. I generally do add more water as I face lather, as a lot comes out of the brush during the initial loading.

 

[Guitar10]

For me i use the same tech as modern William and it work perfectly fine. MWF and WMS are both thirsty soaps.

 

[nick_s]

I have zero issues with The Fat. I do find that the longer you whip the lather in the bowl (assuming you're a bowl latherer) and slowly add water, you get a rich and luxurious lather that is sheer heaven to shave with. The extra whip time is very much worth the effort.

 

[shoulderpet]

Updated (added a 6th step that I found useful)

1. Breaking the soap in makes a big difference, those that are lucky enough to have good water may not need to. Once the soap has gone into regular rotation it will be easier to lather.

2. Soaking the soap also seems to make a big difference, for some people this may mean a 5 min soak, for me i found success lathering this soap only once i had soaked the puck for 2 days , ymmv

3. Once the puck has been soaked pour off the water from the puck, start with a brush that is dry or only very slightly damp and use the moisture that is left on the puck to help load the brush.

4. Load the brush for longer than other soaps and use a little more pressure to load

5. Transfer brush to bowl, add a little water at a time and work the water into the lather gently , take your time and do not rush as this will introduce air into the lather

6. If lather is at all airy or thin then use a little of your existing lather on top of the puck instead of water and load the brush for a few seconds, this will aid in softening the puck a little more and your lather will become noticeably firmer/less airy. Once you have done this transfer your brush to the bowl and mix in gently with the existing lather

Probably the most important thing with mwf is to work the lather gently, if you whip the lather like mad then you will just end up with an airy mess

 

[Musikmann]

And about that beautiful MWF ceramic bowl ... its pretty to look at, but it is slippery and awkward to hold when you're building lather. One slip and its all over. I have one, but if it ever breaks, I would not replace it. I would get a wooden or Pyrex bowl and use that instead. Leave the ceramic bowl on the shelf as an ornamental object, and get something more practical and sturdy for actual use.

I store it mine in the ceramic bowl because that loose seal seems to keep it hydrated between uses just right. If it's been idle for some time, I check it, and add a little water as necessary. When lathering I place the dish on a non-slip surface, brace it with one hand, and lather the brush using the other. I just like how classy it seems doing things this way.

 

[fightingillini22]

I have a stag puck picked up in a passaround at some point last year that has only been used a handful of times. Now that I've been fully committed to the 3017 mentality, I might try again sometime this winter with the hopes that consistent use over many weeks will yield better results.

 

[dgreene120]

Interestingly, I got the best lather from my MWF puck the other day when I let some warm water sit on top of the puck and I soaked a Semogue 2000 while I showered. I then added some more warm water to the top of the puck while I dried off, put in my contacts, brushed my hair, etc. I then flicked the brush lightly, so it wasn't dripping, but it still had a good amount of water in it. Loaded the brush on the puck for 30 seconds and then face lathered. I didn't need to add any more water and it was the thickest, creamiest MWF lather I've ever gotten and it lasted on my brush for the entire shave. Go figure!

 

[dpm802]

I don't have any trouble lathering up MWF, but when I add a cream to it to make SuperLather, it takes it to a whole new level.

One of the earliest combos I used was MWF and Musgo Real ... the two scents mixed together form an amazing aroma, and the double dose of Lanolin makes for a fantastic shave. Of course, all that Lanolin makes the combination extremely thirsty, and it soaks up a huge amount of water. But so what? I've got plenty of water and I don't mind adding as much as necessary to get that sloppy-wet glop that I like.

Another great combo is Jack Black Supreme Shave and MWF ... I put the JBSS on first as a pre-shave and let it sit for a while as I load the brush with soap. Then I lather on top of it, and let that sit for a few more minutes. The lather does tend to dry out a little, but I just fluff it up right before I apply the blade, and the shave I get from this is utterly amazing, no matter what condition my beard is in or what razor/blade combo I choose that day.