MWF lathering help

[Sobriquet]

Is there a picture or a video of someone creating lather from MWF from start to finish?

I so want to get great shaves from it, but it's taking a lot of effort. I got one really great shave from it, but every other shave I've had from it has been less than perfect. I just can't seem to match the performance of my creams.

I've tried more water and less water. I've lathered in a mug and on my face. I've tried more soap and less soap. I've even tried recharging the brush before the third pass.

Help me. I desperately want to love this soap. I'm using a C&E BBB. This coming week, I have a Rooney 3/2 in Super Silvertip coming to see if that makes a difference.

 

[ambrose]

Soak it in under a thin layer of water while you shower, lather up come back and report.

 

[Leon]

MWF is a pain, yes.

Here's how I do it.
Soak a boar brush. Boar brushes are better for this kind of soaps.
Put some drops of warm water on top of the MWF cake.
Go shower.
Shake the brush.
Load the brush.
Load the brush some more.
If you think you've loaded the brush enough, load some more.
Wet your face with warm water.
Start swirling the brush in your face until you have some nice slick and thick lather.

Have fun

Offtopic: 500 posts! Yeah!

 

[Macion grey]

You mustn't forget to assume an air of stoic machismo.

 

[nmerth]

You mustn't forget to assume an air of stoic machismo.

Like this?

 

[MrFusion]

MWF is a pain, yes.

Here's how I do it.
Soak a boar brush. Boar brushes are better for this kind of soaps.
Put some drops of warm water on top of the MWF cake.
Go shower.
Shake the brush.
Load the brush.
Load the brush some more.
If you think you've loaded the brush enough, load some more.
Wet your face with warm water.
Start swirling the brush in your face until you have some nice slick and thick lather.

Have fun

+1
I do this and it works great however I do use a badger brush.

 

[Sullybob]

MWF is a pain, yes.

Here's how I do it.
Soak a boar brush. Boar brushes are better for this kind of soaps.
Put some drops of warm water on top of the MWF cake.
Go shower.
Shake the brush.
Load the brush.
Load the brush some more.
If you think you've loaded the brush enough, load some more.
Wet your face with warm water.
Start swirling the brush in your face until you have some nice slick and thick lather.

Have fun

Offtopic: 500 posts! Yeah!

Congrats on 500!

Load the brush some more. If you're having problems it is probably not because you have to much soap. And add the water slowly.

 

[strat1117]

Although I firmly believe that it's more about technique than equipment (notwithstanding that I am an inveterate equipment junkie in all endeavors, not just shaving) and, therefore, you should heed the good advice given to you above, I do think the Rooney 3/2 will make a big difference for you.

My Rooney 1/2 lathers MWF like nobody's business; my pewter handle C&E, not so much. The Rooney is just so much more dense and has so much more backbone, that it can't fail to give you a better result with the MWF than what you have been getting with your BBB. Just remember that the Rooney will take a week or two of shaves to really give you its best.

Enjoy!

 

[Tom Ford]

I have a Rooney 1/2 and use MWF often.

The best advice I got when I received the MWF from another B&Ber (thanks Nav) was to squeeze the water out of the brush, but then don't shake the excess out. Load up the brush, and really load it up until you have that nice slurring of the soap beginning to lather on top of the cake, and then face lather.

I've since lathered on my face and in a bowl that way with great results. In the bowl, I tend to add a bit more water while I'm mixing, but the amount of water is no different to any other soap. The only difference as I mentioned earlier is the start, where I squeeze the water out of the brush, and don't shake. Normally, I'd squeeze the water and then give two good shakes before loading up.


I hope that helps, good luck

 

[Sobriquet]

Today was a wacky morning and too many variables changed this morning to know what really happened. Our hot water was broken this morning (thankfully it is now fixed!) so I shaved over a mixing bowl with hot water from the stove. I also had loaded a fresh Feather blade in my razor the night before - the first time since I fled from them as a newbie. I didn't nick or cut myself, but the shave wasn't as close or comfortable as I'm now used to. It could have been the MWF, the Feather, the lack of proper prep, or some combination thereof.

I bowl lathered this morning with a LOT more soap. It did build to a consistency that I had never gotten before with MWF - something approaching what I get from my creams. I think I ended up adding too much water.

What should a proper MWF consistency be? Is it drier than what you get from a cream? Should it be the same if I get it right?

I may try face lathering again, but I have a feeling the Rooney 3/2 will make face lathering easier and more effective. I'll keep at this. There's just something about the smell of the MWF that really does it for me.

[Edit:] I also picked up a puck of L'Occitane Cade to get a comparison. My only other soap is Tabac which I can't use because of an allergic reaction to something in it.

 

[Leon]

In my opinion, MWF doesn't handle water very well. After loading MWF, the lather is somewhat dry. In order to prevent flaking, I keep adding one or two drops of hot water to the brush and to my face to keep the lather warm and wet.
That's how I do it.

What should a proper MWF consistency be? Is it drier than what you get from a cream? Should it be the same if I get it right?