Mitchell's wool fat

chrisbell said:
I'm probably going to be harangued for saying this, but I wonder if some of the above reports of users in hard water users finding it easy to lather MWF are due to users seeing loads of frothy stuff and assuming that it's good lather.
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i get excellent, gloss slick creamy lather with hard water, without much effort.

i have my puck squashed into an Ikea tin, i fill that with water for a couple of minutes, empty it then load the damp brush with the puck upside down for much longer than any other soap, then face lather, adding water as needed.

i get an almost identical lather from Lea sticks as well.
 
chrisbell said:
I'm probably going to be harangued for saying this, but I wonder if some of the above reports of users in hard water users finding it easy to lather MWF are due to users seeing loads of frothy stuff and assuming that it's good lather. IME, it does produce a large volume of proto-lather, which is dry and foamy at first and then expands and goes wet and bubbly. Once I get to that stage, I find the best approach is to go against instinct which says that the lather is too wet, and actually add more water and keep working the lather on the face. As you do this, the lather thickens, smooths-out and develops a slight gloss, which is the sign that it's ready for shaving.
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Certainly when I first started with MWF I would agree with you but as you mention you soon learn to keep adding a bit of water. I get a bowl full of lovely lather that stays on my face during the shave but this wasn't the case when I started. It was too bubbly and too thin.

It's certainly not as easy to lather as some of my stuff such as RazorRock XXX (which is just too easy), Proraso or Fitness for Men (which also likes a bit of water) but I do get a nice lather from it now.

I used MWF quite a lot when I started to actually practice lathering so it took a lot of attempts before I got the right consistency although the puck barely looks used.

I've been up to Yorkshire recently, in fact I used to work at Yorkshire Water back last century albeit in IT, so I've spent plenty of time in Yorkshire and I've still got a few friends I visit on a regular basis. The water there is better for lathering as it is softer but in the harder water areas it's just about using a bit more product and being patient.

One of my Yorkshire friends visits his daughter down in Reading and moans about the difficulty in lathering when he's darn sarf but it's just about what you get used to. Last time I was up in yorkshire I used too much product, force of habit, and got a dreadful lather until i realised I'd left the South of England and readjusted.
 
That's really what I meant. I've read reviews from people in soft water areas who find MWF lathers like Arko! Bear in mind also that there's "hard" water and hard water - mine is definitely the latter!
 
I for the life of me can't lather this in a bowl. I can whip away till the cows come home but its as if I don't have enough soap on the brush. If I whip and then face lather its fine and works ok.
I've always had creams before which are easy in a bowl. I take it I should not worry as long as the product is applied ok at the end of the day.
I guess I'm use to bowl lathering and so face lathering feels different.
 
chrisbell said:
I definitely recommend face-lathering MWF, so much so that I've never even attempted to bowl-lather it.
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Cheers again Chris.

One last question really but does a brush make much difference lathering soaps?
I've only got a Chubby which I like but would a stiffer brush or softer brush work any better or would the Chubby be as good as any?
 
Minipeace said:
chrisbell said:
I definitely recommend face-lathering MWF, so much so that I've never even attempted to bowl-lather it.
Click to expand...

Cheers again Chris.

One last question really but does a brush make much difference lathering soaps?
I've only got a Chubby which I like but would a stiffer brush or softer brush work any better or would the Chubby be as good as any?
Click to expand...

Chubby should be ideal. You want a dense brush with a small loft (distance from the point where the hair knot emerges from the handle to the tip of the longest hairs) and decent backbone (not necessarily stiff as such), all of which describe the Chubby.
 
chrisbell said:
Minipeace said:
chrisbell said:
I definitely recommend face-lathering MWF, so much so that I've never even attempted to bowl-lather it.
Click to expand...

Cheers again Chris.

One last question really but does a brush make much difference lathering soaps?
I've only got a Chubby which I like but would a stiffer brush or softer brush work any better or would the Chubby be as good as any?
Click to expand...

Chubby should be ideal. You want a dense brush with a small loft (distance from the point where the hair knot emerges from the handle to the tip of the longest hairs) and decent backbone (not necessarily stiff as such), all of which describe the Chubby.
Click to expand...

Fantastic, many thanks again:icon_razz:
 
I use a semogue boor for my MWF and by adding a few drops of water to the bow every now and againl get a great lather in the bowl
 
I am considering a puck, but being a tight Yorkshireman I am loath to buy the ceramic bowl. Will it be easy enought to seal in one of the round click top lids, or an old empty Trumpers cream container?

Will it need grating in, or could I pop it in the tub and gently heat it with a hair dryer until it kind of melts into the shape of the container?

Advice welcome!
 
i havent tried those containers, but i imagine they will be fine if the puck fits.

You probably wont need to heat it up, i used mine in one of the ikea tins (all pucks i've tried fit in these) --> http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/80102919

as i either put the whole tin in the sink to soak or cover the soap with water, it softens up, i then squashed it in the tin so it couldnt move.

-------------------
Brush wise i use either a Simpson Duke 2 in Best or a Neep 26x48 Extra Silver tip.
 
Gravy said:
i havent tried those containers, but i imagine they will be fine if the puck fits.

You probably wont need to heat it up, i used mine in one of the ikea tins (all pucks i've tried fit in these) --> http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/80102919

as i either put the whole tin in the sink to soak or cover the soap with water, it softens up, i then squashed it in the tin so it couldnt move.

-------------------
Brush wise i use either a Simpson Duke 2 in Best or a Neep 26x48 Extra Silver tip.
Click to expand...

Do you know how big these containers are.

100g, 150g etc?

Thanks
 
Al H said:
Gravy said:
i havent tried those containers, but i imagine they will be fine if the puck fits.

You probably wont need to heat it up, i used mine in one of the ikea tins (all pucks i've tried fit in these) --> http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/80102919

as i either put the whole tin in the sink to soak or cover the soap with water, it softens up, i then squashed it in the tin so it couldnt move.

-------------------
Brush wise i use either a Simpson Duke 2 in Best or a Neep 26x48 Extra Silver tip.
Click to expand...

Do you know how big these containers are.

100g, 150g etc?

Thanks
Click to expand...

i dont sorry.

i have a tub of proraso in one, a 'puck' of Vitos (the ones connaught sell) in another, MWF in the 3rd. The MWF puck only just fits in height wise, with space around the sides, until squashed to fill the whole width of the tin.

TOBS and Trumpers pucks fit (upside down, as they are curved pucks) in with plenty of space above them, width wise pretty much spot on.
 
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