Thread: Mitchell's Wool Fat...

Originally Posted by Rajagra

I have the boxed MWF. I didn't know Kent did a rebranded version.

Yep, they sure do:

Originally Posted by rum

Yep, they sure do:

Which is what I have. I've also got a boar brush on order to experiment with. Thanks for the thread also. Very helpful.

I had no idea MWF/Kent was that popular. I wonder which of the two labels people tend to recognise more? Hmm... might be time for a poll!!

Originally Posted by Rajagra

I had trouble with MWF at first (Londoner here too). But two completely different methods worked well when I tried them:

1) After soaking the brush, squeeze it dry, flick it to make it even drier. Then work the brush vigorously into the soap, loading it up like crazy. Then you can add water and make the actual lather in a mixing bowl/hand/face.

Or:
2) After soaking the brush keep it really wet. Just allow any excess to run out while you hold the brush still. Maybe a tiny flick if you must. Then work the brush into the soap while pumping the brush frequently. You need the water to dissolve the soap and then suck the soapy water back into the brush. So keep pumping, the brush will load with soap eventually. Then make the actual lather in a mixing bowl/hand/face.

What DOESN'T work is running a wet brush gently around the puck of soap.

Ray has it right here - these two extremes work well with MWF in my experience. I personally use no. 1, but no. 2 has worked as well, and method no. 2 is the most reliable way to avoid the tendency of a great starting-out MWF lather to pull it's well-known "disappearing act" during a pass.

I used to see a lot of discussions over on B&B about MWF not working in hard water. and I used to believe it at one time. MWF is a great soap that provides tremendous closeness and slickness, and it's in my top handful of soaps. For pure closeness, it may even be the very best.

But to be honest, in my experience, MWF just plain requires more brush work and soap charging than other brands, and needs more water than you'd expect to hit it's sweet spot. The two approaches Ray lists are perfect bookends, approaching the problem form both the "dry end" and the "wet end." I don't think water hardness really enters into it at all. Follow the good suggestions I've seen throughout this thread and you'll whip it into submission, no worries.

I just had my first "test lather": with MWF last night.

One thing I noticed about MWF is that it seems to be different in regards to water ratio.

What I mean is that with most soaps, if you are under hydrated, the soap won't "peak", and it will be more "pasty" and thick, and then if you over hydrate, it gets very bubbly.

With the MWF it seems that it quickly gets to a frothy bubbly state, which would normally indicate that it is fully hydrated. I painted some on my cheek to see how it held up--and it dried out fairly quickly. However, I found that by adding more water, it then added richness as fullness to the lather.

So, play around with your water ratios, as it seems that MWF is a beast of a different sort than the others I've tried. Try a bit more water than you usually would and see what that does to the lather.

I certainly had no issues getting mounds of lather with the Fat. I liked the clean, soapy scent too.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

I liked the clean, soapy scent too.

For me, the scent is the best thing going for it. I think there's a lot of hype as to how well it works on your skin, etc. that isn't justified, but the scent is a strong point for me. That said, once my puck is gone, the scent won't be worth the price for me to re-order again. Tabac is cheaper, works just as well and while some hate the scent, I love it just as much as the MWF even though they're entirely different.

Eric

I agree that MWF isn't a wonder-soap, head and shoulders above all others. But it does rank up there alongside the best soaps. For me, Tabac, Irish Moos, Valobra, and MWF are all top notch performers with only slight differences in texture, cushion, closeness, etc.
ALthough I do have to say there is something a bit different about the lather with MWF, it's just a bit different than the rest.

I may retract my previous statement, as I'm really liking the Fat after a couple of shaves!

Getting loads of lather has never been an issue, dialing in the right consistancy is a biy more tricky.

Last night's shave the first pass seemed like the lather was pretty good, but I added a bit more water for pass #2, and it really helped it hit the sweet spot. The lather went from fluffy (which to me usually means too much water to begin with), to rich and creamy and slick. As Fatboyslim says, it takes a bit more water than most soaps to really get it into "the zone".

I love the stuff!

Fresh washed sheets at a cottage in the English countryside in the late spring when you are just opening your eyes to the dappled sunlight twinkling through the green leafy branches swaying in the morning breeze, as the soft bleating of sheep in the meadow announce the coming of a new day.

Had another nice MWF shave last night.

Again, I was a bit too timid with teh water to begin with. First pass was OK, nothing to write home (or SRP) about. After that, I gave it some more aqua, and BAM, the lather was rich and thick and juicey...yes, that's right JUICEY LATHER!