I love the bath soap and will continue to buy it unless they mess this up, too. However, I am having a problem thinking about buying up stock of the tallow shaving soap since they shafted us. I'll have to think on it. In the meantime, I'm looking for a replacement.
Mitchells Wool Fat Shaving Soap is no longer Tallow based
- Thread starter zoidberg
- Start date
CzechCzar
Use the Fat, Luke!
True, but, in terms of market cap - in terms of making a classic that was absolutely central to the wetshaving hobby, HTGAM etc. will just never be as large a player as MWF. That's not to say PAA doesn't make quality stuff - it absolutely does, past drama notwithstanding. But, MWF, MDC, DRH, are staples in most anyone's repertoire of wet shaving. They are (were) the standard against which newcomers were measured.Why do people still use and support HTGAM/PAA?
Some forgive, some don't care, some don't want to know, some only care about the end product.
Take your pick.
Agreed. PAA has charted a new course since then. MWF will be hard pushed to recover.
Just call it MWCRAP and I'll be satisfied.
Bought 5 pucks of Kent. Seems to be the cheapest place to get Kent/MWF anyways, and I'm sort of soured on the MWF brand at the moment, if not the soap itself. Between that and my current stockpile of MWF, I think I'm set for the rest of my life. If I outlive 13 1/2 pucks, well done, I will have exceeded my own expectations. If I don't, my widow can probably make a tidy profit off what's left in 25 years.
I hear Kent is pretty good. Smells just like MWF, performs the same too.
...and technically, they shafted Kent. I'm not really aware of any old traditional soapmaker that has announced formula changes or discontinuation of a product with an announcement to the public beforehand.
I can't get Kent here, but I can get MWF without a problem.I hear Kent is pretty good. Smells just like MWF, performs the same too.
...and technically, they shafted Kent. I'm not really aware of any old traditional soapmaker that has announced formula changes or discontinuation of a product with an announcement to the public beforehand.
Where is 'here?' I ordered it off the Kent website, shipped to America. By your avatar, you also appear to be an American...
Expat?
That was a reference to the market fragmentation we are seeing at the moment, which I mentioned in an earlier post. @PLANofMAN said that he thought that professional barbers might be a big enough market enough to support well known "national" products in their own countries (Italy-Proraso, Turkey-Arko) but even that seems to be less of a sure thing these days.
Personally, I already have a few tubes of Proraso in store from when we left the EU. It's available again now (at higher prices) but it did disappear from the market for a short period (and has never come back at somewhere like Connaughts, so I expect what we see on Amazon now is actually a grey import). So, never say never!
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #668
How long have you been using Proraso for? I've seen the one reformulation, but there have been a number over the years. The most recent one to "Super Formula" really improved it to the one before.
I myself wouldn't stock up the croap in the tub as it could be prone to drying out but the cream in the tube should be fine. If you like Proraso Green, have you tried Palmolive Menthol? It's another mentholated Italian shaving cream. It goes under the radar a little but it's glorious!
Pamoluve is a fab cream, beats MWF BY MILES!
I have been using it on and off for a while, I think through the last 2 reformulations. I agree - current formula is better than the one that preceded it, and Proraso is one where I really do prefer the cream in the tube to the soap in the tub. I know it is meant to be the same stuff with different water content, but the cream sure feels better to me.
I have never tried mentholated Palmolive (just the Classic from UK supermarkets) but I have recently acquired a tube of the plain mentholated Lea in the green and white. Damn! That stuff is cold! No eucalyptus so it has a different feel from Proraso green, but I would say that the actual menthol quantity is markedly higher.
Anyway, back to the MWF saga. Grrrr....mumble....TALLOW!....mumble, mumble...KENT!...mumble...
Oh wow, the little SB4. We have stocked these for some years now!
I just popped on here today to say I am on annual leave now from tomorrow, returning on Monday, 19th June; a couple of you have messaged me separately, but so I don't miss anyone, please email Kent directly ([email protected]), so my colleague can help you in my absence, we have plenty of the tallow soap in stock as the warehouse have just found another few boxes so please don't panic
Thank you for all of your kindness, and happy shaving!
Kalie
- Thread starter
- #672
I have never tried mentholated Palmolive (just the Classic from UK supermarkets) but I have recently acquired a tube of the plain mentholated Lea in the green and white. Damn! That stuff is cold! No eucalyptus so it has a different feel from Proraso green, but I would say that the actual menthol quantity is markedly higher.
Yeah, the Lea Menthol tube is aggressively mentholated! I can imagine it would be perfect for a hot Spanish summer, but it's a bit too much in the UK from my experiences! The standard Lea cream is excellent too.
Oh wow, the little SB4. We have stocked these for some years now!
I just popped on here today to say I am on annual leave now from tomorrow, returning on Monday, 19th June; a couple of you have messaged me separately, but so I don't miss anyone, please email Kent directly ([email protected]), so my colleague can help you in my absence, we have plenty of the tallow soap in stock as the warehouse have just found another few boxes so please don't panic
Thank you for all of your kindness, and happy shaving!
Kalie
A great thank you to Kent Brushes and to you for your fine work to resolve the great disaster of Batch 9265! Enjoy your leave!
Yep. Southeast Asia.
Anyone from the UK interested in free tallow free MWF?
I have one sealed pack that i do not intend to use. If you pay for the postage its yours.
PM me.
I have one sealed pack that i do not intend to use. If you pay for the postage its yours.
PM me.
A lot of respect for @Kalie for coming in and representing Kent and the business which in turn shows passion and respect for the community and business when it comes it's products and customers. I wish your products were distributed in Australia so I could have ordered some locally but it's great that it's still accessible nonetheless.
Thank you for all the information and keeping us updated. Enjoy your annual leave and have a great day.
I would also like to add that in regards to the ceramic dish I have two. The first one I bought many years ago which is somewhere in storage that I never used so I can't verify if it is just as bad but its gotta be from at least 2018 or older and the currant one which I did. The currant one is terrible. The label is of centre, the lid does not sit flush and the dish looks almost egg shaped because the lip on the side wall is thicker on one side than the other. Maybe the person making the ceramic dish is 100 years old and that is where they are getting the heritage from.
By comparison Tabac's jar's were and are still spot on perfect.
I believe Pannacrema's ceramic dish (before they went stupidly got rid of them) were a lot better quality too based on the three I have from memory as to were the now discontinued I Coloniali terracotta pots/jar and also the Boellis Panama 1924 pots/jar, Muhle's jar is also vastly superior too so I have no real love for the MWF ceramic dishes as they bottom of the heap amongst the above ones which I have and mentioned.
Thank you for all the information and keeping us updated. Enjoy your annual leave and have a great day.
I would also like to add that in regards to the ceramic dish I have two. The first one I bought many years ago which is somewhere in storage that I never used so I can't verify if it is just as bad but its gotta be from at least 2018 or older and the currant one which I did. The currant one is terrible. The label is of centre, the lid does not sit flush and the dish looks almost egg shaped because the lip on the side wall is thicker on one side than the other. Maybe the person making the ceramic dish is 100 years old and that is where they are getting the heritage from.
By comparison Tabac's jar's were and are still spot on perfect.
I believe Pannacrema's ceramic dish (before they went stupidly got rid of them) were a lot better quality too based on the three I have from memory as to were the now discontinued I Coloniali terracotta pots/jar and also the Boellis Panama 1924 pots/jar, Muhle's jar is also vastly superior too so I have no real love for the MWF ceramic dishes as they bottom of the heap amongst the above ones which I have and mentioned.
Last edited:
Good move. Based on their behavior, Kent should be supported.
You will just have to live longer. I have 4 refills of MWF and 6 Kent. We will not mention the Tabac. I expect I'll need to live till at least 90 to use it. Then again Id rather leave a treasure trove for someone than reach for a puck and not have any. Its all shrink wrapped. There maybe some Speick sticks, maybe.
I have 3 of those old style boxes.
The batch numbers are indeed a different sequence than the new box style.
The old box batch numbers begin with 4.
The new box batch numbers begin with 9.
Sometimes, companies make mistakes - in communication, in marketing decisions, in customer notification, etc.
i find the typical "internet pile on" mentality when these mistakes occur to be fascinating to watch - a real window into the psyche of the "internet mind".
I'm not sure why Mitchell's has chosen to remain silent, but you'll have to excuse me if I don't tar, feather and run them out of town on a rail until I know all the facts. I'll also reserve judgement on the new formulation until I actually try the new formulation.
Just my opinion.
i find the typical "internet pile on" mentality when these mistakes occur to be fascinating to watch - a real window into the psyche of the "internet mind".
I'm not sure why Mitchell's has chosen to remain silent, but you'll have to excuse me if I don't tar, feather and run them out of town on a rail until I know all the facts. I'll also reserve judgement on the new formulation until I actually try the new formulation.
Just my opinion.
I couldn't agree more!Sometimes, companies make mistakes - in communication, in marketing decisions, in customer notification, etc.
i find the typical "internet pile on" mentality when these mistakes occur to be fascinating to watch - a real window into the psyche of the "internet mind".
I'm not sure why Mitchell's has chosen to remain silent, but you'll have to excuse me if I don't tar, feather and run them out of town on a rail until I know all the facts. I'll also reserve judgement on the new formulation until I actually try the new formulation.
Just my opinion.
Mitchell's has taken a pretty good drubbing in this thread.. some deserved, and some undeserved.. particularly about the bowls.
The MWF bowls are ceramic, pottery if you will. These items get fired in a kiln, and often move a bit. Personally, I find the imperfectly fitting lid, and even the sometimes off centered logo to be part of the allure, charm if you will of the material. I have no idea of the size and sophistiucation of Mitchell's as a firm, but I cannot imagine there would be enough pieces needed of the bowls for them to be mass produced on a large scale. Could they be hand thrown? I don't know and will not suppose..
But, one cannot compare the high quality (IMHO) ceramic bowl of MWF to the glass bowl with a plastic lid of TABAC. And I am not demeaning the TABAC bowl in any way, I like it also, but it's a different animal.
For my part, I've used MWF for a long time and loved it. I will keep using what I have, and keep loving the old formula, however all of this shakes out!
Last edited:
