My take on Mitchell Wools Fat.

[Bertilak]

...
The smell was quite pleasant to me. Like Robert said, "country breeze blowing through fresh laundry on the line" but I don't seem to pick up any hint of a sheep pasture up on the hill. I really like it.

Ya caught me. I made up the part about the sheep.

 

[adonnellyr]

I've never had trouble getting a great lather out of MWF either and I'm a bowl latherer. I'd already used it a few times with great success before reading the posts about people having trouble. It just didn't occur to me...(soft water here though).

 

[richmondesi]

It may just be the picture, but it doesn't look so great to me. I've figured MWF out somewhat, and can get good lather from it, but that looks closer to what I get from MWF when it's what I consider bad lather, thin, foamy, brittle looking, big bubbles. No disrespect intended, just an opinion. Just so it's clear I'm not making things up, here's today's lather after applying the first pass.

This is coming from a guy that had nearly written off MWF.

That's what I was thinking too. You're lather is more like what I am used to

 

[strat1117]

It may just be the picture, but it doesn't look so great to me. I've figured MWF out somewhat, and can get good lather from it, but that looks closer to what I get from MWF when it's what I consider bad lather, thin, foamy, brittle looking, big bubbles. No disrespect intended, just an opinion. Just so it's clear I'm not making things up, here's today's lather after applying the first pass.

That's what I was thinking too. You're lather is more like what I am used to

You guys are killing me!

Joelmole, Your photo looks wonderful. My photo (which somehow inadvertently got deleted ) showed what was left after three passes using my floppy brush (as I pointed out), applying WH and AS, and getting dressed before I took the picture -- and it was still standing up and making peaks. I face lather, which means most of the good stuff is created on my face. Nevertheless, the point is that I got an excellent shave with it, and it was neither thin, nor brittle nor dry, at least not to me.

Thanks for saving me from my own hubris.

 

[richmondesi]

You guys are killing me!

Joelmole, Your photo looks wonderful. My photo (which somehow inadvertently got deleted ) showed what was left after three passes using my floppy brush (as I pointed out), applying WH and AS, and getting dressed before I took the picture -- and it was still standing up and making peaks. I face lather, which means most of the good stuff is created on my face. Nevertheless, the point is that I got an excellent shave with it, and it was neither thin, nor brittle nor dry, at least not to me.

Thanks for saving me from my own hubris.

Seriously, No disrespect was meant. And face-lathering makes a big difference in the appearance on the brush

 

[joelmole]

I face lathered too.

All joking aside though, I seriously don't mean to practice one-up-manship on lathering or anything, nor doubt you when you say you get excellent results from MWF. You have about 7 times my post count after all. Wouldn't be wise to appear haughty. My apologies if it seemed that way.

When I saw your photo I wondered if this is what you had left after doing all your passes. The lather on my brush looked much less photogenic at the end of the shave.

 

[strat1117]

I face lathered too.

All joking aside though, I seriously don't mean to practice one-up-manship on lathering or anything, nor doubt you when you say you get excellent results from MWF. You have about 7 times my post count after all. Wouldn't be wise to appear haughty. My apologies if it seemed that way.

When I saw your photo I wondered if this is what you had left after doing all your passes. The lather on my brush looked much less photogenic at the end of the shave.

No offense taken -- don't worry about it. The only reason I have a ludicrous number of posts is because I get caught up in all the horsing around and the games in the Barbershop, it is not because I am an expert veteran wetshaver. I am blessed with a not very heavy beard and not very sensitive skin and I often try to make a point of that in my posts, although I didn't this time, because I think it is important for people to know that things which are working for me may not work for them; I can probably get away with things that others with more difficult physiology cannot. It may well be that my technique is sloppy as a result, or that I am just more tolerant of lather that is less than optimal, because it doesn't have a negative affect on my shave. Truth is, I can get a pretty darn good shave with an M3 and a can of Edge -- I did it that way for 30+ years! -- I do this only because I enjoy the "sport" and the tradition of it.

So far, the only top shelf soap that I have had "trouble" with (that is, from which I got lather that, to me, was not capable of providing a good shave), strangely enough, was the TOBS Sandalwood. I wanted to love it, and the lather looked OK, but it gave me no cushion or lubrication in 3 or 4 shaves for which I used it. So, for $5 (just to cover shipping), I passed along to another member who, hopefully, will have better results with it.

Share and enjoy!

 

[TorzJohnson]

Ya caught me. I made up the part about the sheep.

Right now, a hundred guys who were looking for a sheep pasture-scented soap, who got their hopes up from your post, are groaning in disappointment.

 

[KingCole]

Hey guys, I had my first Kent soap lathering experience this morning - and it was terrible. I used an extremely dense chubby Thäter silvertip brush, which holds a lot of water. Accordingly when taking soap from the puck the foam was very thin and watery. I then lathered up in the mug for about 3 minutes ending up with a thin lather that went immidiately try on the face.

Could you please give me a hand how to handle this soap? Should I take up soap from the puck with a more dry brush? How much water does it need in the mug?

Thanks, Alex

 

[tlanning]

There was a post above about trimming a puck to fit a bowl. Just an FYI, after a week or so of "breaking in" a new puck it actually swells up I'd estimate 30 to 35% and in my opinion becomes a bit softer and easier to load. Thats my secret, lots and lots of soap in the beginning and the addition of water untill you've got a lather going that actually makes you wish you were not finished when you are.

That may not of made a whole lot of sense but I hope you guys know what I mean. It likes a lot of water when its new. Once its broke in you can go back to it in your regular rotation and it will work great. But for me, a new puck of MWF has got to be "broken in".

 

[azmark]

"my face ,against my own prediction felt more soft and nourished than ever before."

That is exactly why I kept trying it.

Been at it for 6 years with The Fat and only stick around for the end result which is a masterpiece when I look at myself in the mirror

 

[craig87c]

There was a post above about trimming a puck to fit a bowl. Just an FYI, after a week or so of "breaking in" a new puck it actually swells up I'd estimate 30 to 35% and in my opinion becomes a bit softer and easier to load. Thats my secret, lots and lots of soap in the beginning and the addition of water untill you've got a lather going that actually makes you wish you were not finished when you are.

That may not of made a whole lot of sense but I hope you guys know what I mean. It likes a lot of water when its new. Once its broke in you can go back to it in your regular rotation and it will work great. But for me, a new puck of MWF has got to be "broken in".

Getting a puck of MWF tomorrow along with a new Omega boar. Should I soak the puck for a long time before using it then? Wonder if it would help break it in a little.

 

[Sullybob]

Getting a puck of MWF tomorrow along with a new Omega boar. Should I soak the puck for a long time before using it then? Wonder if it would help break it in a little.

Don't soak it in hot water. The melting point of lanolin is pretty low, I don't remember the exact temperature off the top of my head. When I first started using my MWF I would put a tablespoon or two of water on top of the puck while I showered. I would pour the water into my lather bowl before I loaded up my brush.

 

[azmark]

Don't soak it in hot water. The melting point of lanolin is pretty low, I don't remember the exact temperature off the top of my head. When I first started using my MWF I would put a tablespoon or two of water on top of the puck while I showered. I would pour the water into my lather bowl before I loaded up my brush.

Also, if you use it frequently, the puck stays moist and doesn't dry out and IMO works better when it's at that point. I think hot water is what kills the lathering process.

 

[craig87c]

Also, if you use it frequently, the puck stays moist and doesn't dry out and IMO works better when it's at that point. I think hot water is what kills the lathering process.

So it seems like a scuttle would be a bad idea with the Fat then?

 

[azmark]

So it seems like a scuttle would be a bad idea with the Fat then?

I use a regular bowl if for any reason I decide to not do face later. But I face lather 90% of the time. I keep my face warm with a splash of hot water on my face before every pass.

A brush scuttle would be nice a nice idea for me actually. I think I'll start dropping hints for Fathers Day.

Anyone have issues with a regular scuttle dissipating the lather?

Oh and love the avatar. One of my favorite movies.

 

[craig87c]

I use a regular bowl if for any reason I decide to not do face later. But I face lather 90% of the time. I keep my face warm with a splash of hot water on my face before every pass.

A brush scuttle would be nice a nice idea for me actually. I think I'll start dropping hints for Fathers Day.

Anyone have issues with a regular scuttle dissipating the lather?

Oh and love the avatar. One of my favorite movies.

Thanks! I need to rewatch the whole series.

I can tell you from personal experience that it is more than possible to nuke your lather with a brush scuttle. The thing to remember is that a scuttle is for making lather warm and not hot. I guess I'll either have to cool my water down even further or just skip the scuttle entirely with MWF

 

[Sullybob]

I use a regular bowl if for any reason I decide to not do face later. But I face lather 90% of the time. I keep my face warm with a splash of hot water on my face before every pass.

A brush scuttle would be nice a nice idea for me actually. I think I'll start dropping hints for Fathers Day.

Anyone have issues with a regular scuttle dissipating the lather?

Oh and love the avatar. One of my favorite movies.

I have had this happen to me a couple of times. It happened today with MWF actually.

Thanks! I need to rewatch the whole series.

I can tell you from personal experience that it is more than possible to nuke your lather with a brush scuttle. The thing to remember is that a scuttle is for making lather warm and not hot. I guess I'll either have to cool my water down even further or just skip the scuttle entirely with MWF

Yep. I tried for hot lather today and it killed my MWF lather.

 

[du212]

It's harder to get lather from MWF with hot water, I never have been able to do that. Once you have obtained lather, you can maintain warm in your scuttle

 

[barracudamagoo]

Didn't know the thing about hot water ruining the lather. I get a good lather; but, maybe I'll try taking the water temp down a notch. Also to the OP, try a little bit more water when you're lathering, it seems that MWF needs just the right amount of water; not too much, not too little!