I still chuckle
Your conclusion was sound. It's not for you. You can't open a fresh box, lather up and get shaved. All of this witchcraft is just silly! Still, the process is fun, talking about it is fun, carry on.
I do have one soap that I couldn't get a good lather from and that was Trumper's hard soap. It was worth persisting with as I loved the scent (Eucris). In the end, I found that using is like a shaving stick worked out well. Wash your face and prep as normal, leaving some water on your face, then rub the soap directly on your face and build up from there. So, rather than loading the brush, you load your face and use the unloaded brush to build the lather.
Maybe it's your brush that's the problem? MWF is so yummy that it tries to hold onto it ...
A few years back, we discussed water hardness and while I live in a soft water area (literally a couple of miles from Mitchell's themselves) it's not the softest, but I did get a bottle of the hardest water we could find from our midst. To my suprise, MWF worked better (yes, better) with hard water. And, that was with a new puck straight out of the box!
I often wonder if it's a face vs bowl latherer thing, or maybe a generational thing, or maybe a geographical thing but none of that seems to map out. I can't even put it down to an experience thing, as MWF was the very first shaving soap I tried.
I think it's a Sociological conundrum rather than scientific ...
Still, if this amusing ritual doesn't work out then just let it dry out and use it as bath soap.
... or send it to me and I'll add it to the pile.
Indeed, what if it does work ...
Well, you'll be perpetuating a myth that voodoo and witchcraft makes MWF lather. If it does, please report that you circled the bowl thirteen times a day wearing nothing but sheepskin chaps, chanting "Baaa! Baaa! Shaving Sheep, give me all your wool!".
Don't overthink it. I've just done a brief example for you. MWF dug out and you can see it's a dried puck (cake). I've opted to use a cheap(ish) synthetic:I'll follow that ritual exactly and hope for the best!
THE MWF DEVIL TELLS ME I NEED TO BUY MORE BLADES.
It's certainly progress ...
Like riding a bike. All wobbly one day and the next you can just do it. Something will click in your sense memory and it'll come together. Hopefully better and better each time. On the flip, some of us clearly just have mad skillz!
Used my MWF the other day and not the most user friendly soap. It is one you just have to stick with and make it work. The end results were very usable but personally I can't be bothered with the faffing around.
Alternatively just go with a soap you know works and then say 'that's why I don't use MWF'
A good technique is to submerge it in the North Sea and leave it there
It definitely has its quirks and needs that bit more effort. I'm still new to all this to happy to put the time in. Maybe, as time goes on I'll decide I've had enough and move on. Just good to be able to experience it (sort of)
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