MWF lather help!!

[aggiejason]

I recently acquired a Rooney S3/S1. It works very well with my TOBS lemon/lime and rose creams. However, I'm having trouble using it with the MWF. I load up the brush and start making lather in my GP scuttle. Everything looks good so I start applying lather to my face. Lather disappears!! It goes on very thin. I try more water, I try more soap, I can't figure out what the hell to do!

 

[nav]

face lathering with the MWF works very well. In fact, the sales director of MWF openly states that face lathering gets the best results.

I can tell you from experience that this is an awesome shave soap and that face lathering will get the best results...for the shave and also skincare (the lanolin has more skin contact time).

 

[marvin100]

Here's what I do, which works 100% of the time and has made MWF into my favorite soap by a long shot (sorry Pen's EF loyalists!)

1. Kyle's prep, abbreviated, while soaking my Shavemac finest. No water on puck.

2. Shake brush well. 4-5 shakes.

3. Build proto-lather on puck. I do 25-30 sec of vigorous swirling (I like four full passes and that always does it). If it looks too dry, I'll splash a couple drops of boiling water in the mix.

4. With a tiny airplane spoon (thanks Singapore Air!), I spread the bristles and pour one tiny spoonful of boiling water into the breech. This is probably about 1/3 of a tablespoon. I've used tap water in four countries on three continents and bottled water from at least six different sources as well, and water has NEVER altered my results at all. Some day I'm going to figure out how to scientifically prove that water hardness is not a factor. I'm quite sure it's not.

5. Face lather. Sometimes the initial lather is light and airy or wet. MWF has a remarkable water/soap ratio, though, unlike any other soap I've used, so continued lathering builds a thick, rich, lather with holding power to spare. This is probably where many people struggle--there's technique and effort involved, but if you're averse to technique and effort, maybe an electric shaver is in your future. I NEVER go back to the puck. Never.

6. Shave & repeat. I do four passes and invariably have plenty of lather for a full face wash after (squeezing it from the brush).

7. Alum block-->Thayer's alcohol-free witch hazel (unscented)-->444 menthol balm-->Floid

8. Walk out into the world with a smooth face and a smile. Oh, and pants. Never forget the pants.

 

[BROWNS]

This has been working best for me (I've only been using MWF a short while, I've spent way too much time in the last week making trial lathers).

1. Soak brush in mug with hot water.
2. Soak puck in a reasonable amount of hot water too, while showering.
3. Squeeze bristles so most of the water leaves brush.
4. Go to town swirling on the puck for about 30-40 seconds. It gets kind of messy with the water in there so slosh it around and do what you've got to do. My brush seems to load a lot more soap this way as opposed to going at a dry puck.
5. Bowl lather and add water as necessary, or face lather.

This is what's been working best for me, so good luck to you!

 

[cityjim]

MWF is one of the best soaps I've used . Little hot water on top of the puck and swirl normally . Makes great lather and I have hard water . Nothing but a great product .


cityjim

 

[joto]

I usually wet the puck for about 20 seconds- just enough to get it damp with little or no standing water. This seems to be a great way to load my brushes with any of my soaps. I will admit that although I like MWF, it can be a real pain to get it working. I generally find I add a whole lot more water than any other soap I have, and I am usually lathering longer. Also, I face lather. A good test for me is to take a little lather off the brush or face with my index finger and rub it between that finger and thumb. Not slick enough? I'll barely dip my finger in the sink full of water and rub my fingers together again. If it's slicker with the added water, I add more to the brush until it passes the slickness test without adding extra water, or adding the extra water in the slickness test causes the slickness to degrade. That's basically what I found out- I lather longer and add more water than I thought possible, until it passes that test above. Unlike other soaps, it is not uncommon for me to be shedding grape-sized lumps of lather because of the volume of lather this stuff generates. I suggest doing a couple of test lathers on your arm or palm and try adding way more water (gradually) that you think you need as an experiment. Generally, I have gotten away from bowl lathering entirely.

 

[40_Caliber]

It looks like you have some great advice. There isn't any mystical secret to getting great lather out of this soap. Some of the water around Rt 66 TX (The Panhandle) can be pretty hard and some have had trouble using this type of water. I've never had trouble with MWF while visiting there.

The puck like to be wet and doesn't like to be in a rotation. Use every day.
Use LOTS of product. Load the bush until it can't possibly hold more soap.
Don't build the lather like a daiquiri in a blender. Slow down a little.

.40

 

[PaulUK]

+1 for face-lathering.

You do have to "play around" to work out just how much soap to put on the brush. If you don't put enough on it can run thin but once you've mastered it you'll love it (IMHO).

Paul

 

[strat1117]

Using a Rooney 1/2 super (a very dense brush with lots of backbone) and face-lathering, MWF lathers as easy for me as Tabac (that is, very easy). Just keep at it and you'll figure it out eventually. I don't believe MWF is as diffficult to use as its reputation would suggest, and it gives a FANTASTIC shave, so it is worth the trouble to figure out what is giving you a problem. If it was really so hard to lather, it wouldn't have stuck around for over 100 years!

 

[Hughies_online]

+1 to all the above. Using less water and more soap helps.