I'm sure this post will generate a lot of responses. I don't mean to offend any MWF diehards out there, I'm just genuinely curious. It seems to me that a lot of people are going to a lot of effort to make MWF work for them. I've read countless posts asking for suggestions on how to get it to lather. What intrigues me is that they will look for that magic technique, rather than try a different soap. Don't get me wrong, I've used it and consider it to be a good soap. It worked up a nice lather for me without too much effort. It provided good glide and left my face feeling soft and moisturized afterward. I also found that it was lacking any scent that I could pick up, so I wonder why people are so devoted to it. I've used many other soaps that lather, protect, and moisturize as well or better than Mitchell's, with great scents that Mitchell's lacks. If you are looking for a great moisturizing soap, why not give Mystic Waters or Mike's a try? Or why not just use a better aftershave? Isn't that what it's for? I know that much of this is subjective, and I get the whole YMMV thing. So tell me, what is it about MWF that makes it worth the effort?
Mitchell's Wool Fat
- Thread starter Chris H
- Start date
I had trouble with MWF the first few times I used it. That said, all of those shaves were still very good even with poor lather from MWF. Since, I've found that I didn't have to do a whole lot to get good lather. Basically, I just had to use a drier brush in the beginning, load for a longer period of time, and occasionally add a little water as I loaded. I face lather predominantly with soaps. I use pretty much the same technique I use with Mike's or QCS. I get great lather with all three. Post shave feel of MWF beats the other two.... so MWF is worth it for me. I love the scent too.
Ben
Ben
It's one of the best tallow soaps available and, like any soap, it just takes time to learn what it likes. I love the way it leaves my face feeling after the shave. It will always have a place in my shave den.
It works for me without any effort what so ever. It is one of a very few that work as it should in all aspects.
One of the easiest to lather soaps I use.
I have given up responding to "I hate the fat" threads. I just don't understand.
One of the easiest to lather soaps I use.
I have given up responding to "I hate the fat" threads. I just don't understand.
Any soap you put your hand in your pocket for is worth a honest try to get the maximum out of it. In a attempt to master a soap you may just lift your game for others at the same time.
MWF to me is a good soap but have found myself neglecting it in favour for Mike's of late. This could be because I am new to soaps and a bit SAD.
agree re that aftershaves are for aftershave skin care (funny that) but not sure better is how I would describe them. As we have different needs, I view it as different AS for weather, skin condition/type, seasons and fragrance tastes etc
MWF to me is a good soap but have found myself neglecting it in favour for Mike's of late. This could be because I am new to soaps and a bit SAD.
agree re that aftershaves are for aftershave skin care (funny that) but not sure better is how I would describe them. As we have different needs, I view it as different AS for weather, skin condition/type, seasons and fragrance tastes etc
+1 MFW has worked great for me with no effort, smells good and is slick.... I like.
I have no problem lathering MWF or Mike's with my hard water. MW on the other hand is completely different. I mixed mine with Cella to make it usable. I agree if it doesn't work for you, don't fight it, move on.
Although scent is nice it's the last thing I look for in a shave soap, for me the Fat is one of the best that I have tried nod the only soap or cream that I have purchased twice. No problem lathering either.
Interesting that community/group pressures work much the same over the internet and all the way down to the privacy of our bathrooms as they do in face to face, traditional settings. That said, I'm just as vulnerable as the rest of us: I worked hard to figure out how to get MWF to work, even as nearly all of my many other soaps (which I learned about from the B&B community) worked nicely and with little fuss. But then, it was really fun to try out the various strands of advice, and it's been a pleasure to get MWF to work. (Same thing for Pre de Provence.) Just as it's been a pleasure to exchange suggestions, engage in mini-debates, and explore so many products with a local cultural flavor from around the world.
In terms of cushion, nobody beats the fat. In terms of why I'd persist with the fat if I struggled in the beginning? It's very simple. The fat has been around for ages and bad products don't have that kind of longevity. I also read all the great feedback and descriptions from fellow b&bers and wanted to push past my difficulty and see what others were describing. I'm glad I did. It's one of my favorite soaps for the same reasons as many describe it
I like it, it works very well, and it lathers quite easily for me.
It makes very nice slick and most important thin lather for when I use a straight.
MWF just pushes all the right buttons for me.
I don't have to look elsewhere because I know it works.
MWF just pushes all the right buttons for me.
I don't have to look elsewhere because I know it works.
MWF works for me effortlessly. Comparable to DRH but price difference is GBP5 (MWF) vs GBP8++ (DRH)
But I agree that, for those who constantly struggle to get it to work, the price difference should not be a factor to drop MWF.
But I agree that, for those who constantly struggle to get it to work, the price difference should not be a factor to drop MWF.
+ 1. Well said my friend. Could have said it better myself. I have a cupboard full of soaps and If I want maximum protection, I reach for MWF and it is one of the easiest soaps to lather. Period!!!
I've never had problems lathering The Fat - no soaking the puck or the brush more than a couple of minutes, no loading upside down, no spells. I haven't tried another soap that is more moisturizing and making my skin feel better after using it. The scent is nice, and I can use it for long periods of time without getting tired of it. YMMV as usual.
+1 Again!!
Well, my fellow Washingtonian, as we are lucky to have soft water...I've tried a lot of soaps and MWF is my favorite. I get a similar lather from Mike's and I own four of his scents, but I love the MWF lather best. It seems just a little slicker, to me, than any other I have tried. As to the scent, it smells like soap, to me. But soap the way it smelled when I was a lad, the smell of real, genuine soap having no particular odor. I guess, to me, it smells like clean. I DO love the Mike's, but that little difference I find in lather and that great non-scent keep drawing me back. I travel a lot...so to give my Mike's equal opportunities, I mostly only use my MWF on the road. There the clean-soap scent is a comfortable homeliness, as I have said a lot in this post...to me.
I found it to be a truly excellent soap and great lather. Easily in the top marks of quality soaps. Unfortunately, while I don't hate the Fat, it hates me. Turns out my face is sensitive to lanolin. 
- Thread starter
- #20
Hmmm. I've read some interesting posts here. Again, I want to point out that I've used it before and consider it to be a good soap, but I don't think it was the best shave I've had. I honestly like my D.R. Harris better. It has all of the qualities of MWF with an amazing scent. I also found MWF to be an easy lather, but I know that many struggle with it. I guess the part that baffles me is that many people will continue to struggle with it because they think that when they get it, there will be some sort of epiphany. Maybe it is the expectation that it will be great because so many others think so highly of it. When I first used it, I had such a high expectation that I think I was honestly let down a bit. I agree that it it has excellent glide and moisturizing properties, but most of the soaps that I use have excellent glide and my Thayer's Aloe Vera Witch Hazel always leaves me moisturized, so I don't see what is different using Mitchell's.
