Thread: A week with Mitchell's Wool Fat Soap.

After a year of using Trumpers shaving creams and the past 2-3 months of using a straight, I finally bought my first shaving soap, Mitchell's wool fat. I'd read all the threads i could find both here and on B&B so I was expecting it to be a little more difficult to lather up than a cream. After a week of using it, here's what I've found.

It's a great soap, very moisturising, leaves my skin feeling good and with little irritation.

It takes quite a lot of swirling a pre-soaked but squeezed dry brush to get a decent load of soap onto the brush.

The lather it whips up is much more porous than that from a cream, it seems to be much more aerated, full of tiny bubbles and doesn't seem to have as much cushion or be as slick as a cream but it does give me a smooth shave.

It tends to decay faster. Usually when I use a cream I whip up the lather in a bowl, lather up my face and put the brush and any excess lather into my moss scuttle. usually good for 3 passes. With the MWF by the time I go for the second pass, the lather has faded to a very light and almost non-existant foam and I have to add more soap to the brush.

I've experimented with varying the water content from little to lots and it doesn't seem to make much difference, although too much water does seem to thin it out even further.

I like this soap but I'm wondering how other people find the lather when compared to a cream or another soap once you've got used to creating it. I have some Tabac coming in the next couple of weeks which will be an interesting comparison.

Cheers,

J.

I think it's the same as Kent's soap which I have used and don't recollect as memorable.

Having said this many swear by these soaps and think they are the best. Some like the thinner soaps. Me, I like rich creamy long lasting sweet smelling protective soaps and there are plenty about which lather up easily. Many of the "Old English" suppliers and many French soaps are excellent. You really have to keep on trying until you find your favorite.

I have used Tobac and it is a wonderful lather, great value for money but you have to like the scent which is strong and you either love it or hate it. If you like the scernt you may never need to try another soap.

I've settled on two favorites that give a rich creamy lasting lather. That's Trumpers Rose and Floris JF. I've got some AOS Sandalwood on the way and I have great expectations. Unfortunately all three of these soaps are a little pricier than many other soaps and so I usually buy in bulk when I see a deal. Most pucks of a quality soap will last three months with a daily shave, so I don't see any reason to cheapskate on what is after all a shaving bargain compared to canned chemical gook.

Hello Justin,
I find MWF to be a really good soap. The lather tends to decay if I'm taking a really long time shaving, but I think this is consistent with any soap/cream. There are some people who would recommend nothing else, but I won't go that far as to saying it's that good. I've tried a few glycerin soaps made by QED, and Tryphon. I find myself going to Tryphon soaps over woolfat, but I really like both. I hear Mama Bear, and TGQ make good soaps to.

Mitchell's is far better if you face lather. Lovely stuff.

I used to use a bowl but these day I far prefer face lathering even with creams. Why waste all that energy rattling round a bowl when you could be doing it on the face and getting the benefit?

Gareth

Originally Posted by mr_magicfingers

The lather it whips up is much more porous than that from a cream, it seems to be much more aerated, full of tiny bubbles and doesn't seem to have as much cushion or be as slick as a cream but it does give me a smooth shave.

Exactly my experience. I never liked it because of the thin, airy lather it produces.

Originally Posted by mr_magicfingers

I like this soap but I'm wondering how other people find the lather when compared to a cream or another soap once you've got used to creating it. I have some Tabac coming in the next couple of weeks which will be an interesting comparison.

For me, Tabac produces a much denser, richer lather that's quite similar to what I get from a good cream.

Originally Posted by Galopede

Mitchell's is far better if you face lather.

+1 on this.. i do this with most of my soaps now.. probably gonna switch to shaving sticks, but MWF should explode on your face if you rub it into your wet face right from the puck, then hit it with a wet brush.. one of my favorite soaps to use to introduce people to wetshaving.

i think MWF is great IF - you don't want a overly fragrant soap..its almost like baby powder. also if you have very sensitive skin i think its probably the best for that.

i also don't overly enjoy the lather it produces. i have helped correct this by lathering on my face as well. i do that with all soaps now and like it much better as i prefer very thick lather.

i put hot water in the soap while i shower
get out of shower
soak/wet my brush
shake alot of the water out with a few firm flicks
dump the water out of the soap and put about a teaspon of hot water back on top
work the brush into the soap alot (30/40 spins - this is key for great thick lather)
then go right to my face and swirl/pump on my cheek to produce the lather

i found this way to make the best lather for both MWF and Tabac. i never liked my tabac lather until i did this and now its fantastic. huge difference.

the key is less water in the brush when loading and adding water via the teaspon you put on top of the soap only to the tips of the brush while loading the soap. you can add a couple drops more if you find it to be not enough but it will usually be plenty after you pump/swirl on your cheek to make the lather.

~J

Like any of the soaps or cremes there is a learning curve to MWF. Unfortunately MWF like a couple of others has a steeper curve which turns many away from it. I do build my lather primarily in a bowl, once in a while on my face. Hard or soft water make a difference in how a soap responds. Some of them seem to hate hard water so much that they don't work at all. I have been going through the list of preferred soaps and cremes and have found that MWF works very well for me. My trick is basically what is suggested at B&B with a twist. First I fill my sink with HOT water and submerge my bowl and brush. If I am using a soap (especially hard soaps) I put close to a tablespoon of the HOT water on the soap. We just missed the twist....I grated my soap. The soap collectors seem to find interesting containers to put their soaps in. To obtain the best fit you grate them and press them in. This has also been given as a way to make better suds by someone somewhere online and as far as I can tell it does. Anyway the soap softens while I am showering and is ready for me when I get out. I drain the sink, refill it with more HOT water, empty the bowl and float it, empty the soap of liquid into the bowl, and flick my brush dry. The I stick the brush into the soap container and stir. I'm not being nice to the brush either....I pump the brush while stirring until the brush has every last bit of soap that it will grab, and all that is left is for the most part dry soap. I then start building lather....first with the liquid from the soap only. Then as the lather becomes dry (thick and sticky on the bottom of the bowl) I add say a teaspoon of HOT water and I return stirring. Note I keep saying stirring NOT whipping. Whipping causes big fluffy lather with BIG bubbles and it is inferior lather. Stirring adds air as well but you get smaller bubbles and a better lather. Also don't just go in circles try back and forth as Kent says you should do. You might be amazed at the different effects you get when you do different things with the brush. Pumping is a great one as well....I stir and add water until the lather is how I want it, shiny, thick and full of moisture. I used my Kents/MWF on Sunday and with a Savile Row 3118 I put around 3-4 teaspoons of water in. The lather with my HARD water was thick, dense and slick. It reminds me of Cool Whip which doesn't taste as good.

I have found (YMMV) that the hard soaps work better for me. They create a thicker richer more comfortable lather than the glycerin based soaps. The Glycerin soaps however come in a great number of scents and many times cost quite a bit less. My collection includes Kent/MWF, Provence Sante', Institute Karite, SCS Aspect, Tabac, QED B&B, QED Fresh Lime, MB Dragons Blood, MB Sweet Vetiver, MB Lavender & Vanilla, HBS Cedarwood Amber, HBS Bay Rum, HBS Oceania, HBS Yuzu. as of today those are my soaps.I need to get at least one Penhaligan's and one Floris....ok add a Dr. Harris or two, T&H, Olivia's, Volabra, Pre De Province, The Gentlemen’s Quarter, GOLD-DACHS and Taylors....of course I missed a few and that's just soaps.....ain't AD grand?

Thank you all for the very interesting replies, it'll certainly give me some more things to experiment with.

Jscott, do you actually fill the soap container with water while you shower and then empty it out? I've been putting a little water on the the soap but not heard anyone say they fill the container.

Thanks again,

Justin.

yes. I put the water right into the container. now I should note that all my soaps are in secure fitting containers. like how u receive a QED soap...that's what I mean.

I put quite a bit of water in there while I shower. I figure more water mean longer retaining its heat to soften the soap for easier loading.

yes you may use up the soap slightly faster. but I have so many and they last long enough for me to want to try a new one. I don't mind losing a bit while soaking.

-J