Mitchell's Wool Fat and Hard Water

What is your opinion on fine shaving creams and hard soaps? Do you like Trumpers, Coates, Taylors, Truefitt & Hill? Post your reviews and opinions here!
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John Parker
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Mitchell's Wool Fat and Hard Water

Post by John Parker »

Any one have any comments on how well (or not) MWF does in hard water? The Fine Vetiver I bought is doing well, as are several others. But I got to thinking about trying MWF again. And that often spells buying something!
John
brothers
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Re: Mitchell's Wool Fat and Hard Water

Post by brothers »

John, you may choose to buy another MWF puck, or maybe trade for one. My experience with MWF in the beginning was that I could not force it to lather no matter how hard I tried. I was a failure at it. I gave it to my son and swore I'd never waste any more time trying. After a while I asked him to give it back. I just lathered it like any other soap, disregarding all of the lore and legends about secret methods. Just pretend it's not the magic MWF, but just another no-name soap just like all the rest. It worked. I thought my water was hard, maybe it was. That doesn't matter! I can lather anything that anybody else can lather. It's a semi-conscious instinctive learning process.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
mlb549
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Re: Mitchell's Wool Fat and Hard Water

Post by mlb549 »

Very well said and appropriate, Gary. Soap is soap and water is water, the only difference is the lather maker.
Mike
pausted
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Re: Mitchell's Wool Fat and Hard Water

Post by pausted »

+1
Best regards,

Basil
Bill_K
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Re: Mitchell's Wool Fat and Hard Water

Post by Bill_K »

John, have a look at mantic59's video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MGLi_m9n_s

The tip that helped me out the most was lathering upside-down. I have very hard (12.6 gpg) water, but I'm still able to get a really good lather with MWF. I did find, though, that if I use my Texan Moss scuttle with really hot water then the lather breaks down quickly.

One variation from the video is that because I bought the refill puck instead of the soap and container, I used a cheese grater to break up the MWF so that I could press it into a mug. Perhaps the extra surface area of the looser soap made a difference, I don't know. I should have tried it without grating but it's a little late now.

Don't give up too quickly! Good luck.

Bill
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Brutus
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Re: Mitchell's Wool Fat and Hard Water

Post by Brutus »

Mitchell’s Wool Fat does not like hard water.

I can get it to work if the water is not overly hard but it does take more effort, and I never had to make it work in some regions of the US that have exceptionally hard water.

Haslinger Ewe’s Milk shaving soap has many of the properties that people like about Mitchell’s and is far less emperamental as far as hard water is concerned.


B.
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Bill_K
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Re: Mitchell's Wool Fat and Hard Water

Post by Bill_K »

Has anyone tried Pereira? mantic59 opines that it's like MWF only better[1] but I can't find any comments on it in a quick search of the SMF archives.

[1] https://sharpologist.com/2018/06/pereir ... pires.html
Bill
brothers
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Re: Mitchell's Wool Fat and Hard Water

Post by brothers »

Bill_K wrote: Mon Oct 29, 2018 11:28 am Has anyone tried Pereira? mantic59 opines that it's like MWF only better[1] but I can't find any comments on it in a quick search of the SMF archives.

[1] https://sharpologist.com/2018/06/pereir ... pires.html
SMF member/vendor - suffolksupplies - Paul has it in stock at the moment. He operates Connaught Shaving in UK. One of the oldest and quite reliable vendors. You can check his most recent posts here in the Shopping forum.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
Gene
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Re: Mitchell's Wool Fat and Hard Water

Post by Gene »

I dealt with Paul several times a few years ago - he is an excellent vendor.
Gene

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CMur12
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Re: Mitchell's Wool Fat and Hard Water

Post by CMur12 »

My experiences buying from Paul at Suffolk Supplies/Connaught Shaving was always very positive.

- Murray
nav
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Re: Mitchell's Wool Fat and Hard Water

Post by nav »

Nope, no issues lathering MWF in hard water.

However, I should state that I switched over to using RO water for all my soaps. I just find it keeps everything consistent and my lather is just how I like it without any fuss. I use bottled water when away from home.
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jww
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Re: Mitchell's Wool Fat and Hard Water

Post by jww »

Throwing in my 2 cents here -- seeing as I am the resident Wool fat evangelist ......

Hard water or soft, you can get good lather from MWF. However, you have to be patient and cautious about the water-to-soap mixture. Hard water can quickly degrade the quality of lather when you add it. The upside-down lathering technique is something I have advocated since I started using this soap -- and it sounds nuts, but it really does work. Having said that, I use that method for all my soaps. For some reason the gravity seems to drive the soap into the knot to produce far superior lather.

Shave on gents!!!! Up with the Woolfat
Wendell

Resident Wool Fat Evangelist & anglophile. Have you hugged a sheep today?
brothers
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Re: Mitchell's Wool Fat and Hard Water

Post by brothers »

jww wrote: Thu Jan 24, 2019 5:37 pm Throwing in my 2 cents here -- seeing as I am the resident Wool fat evangelist ......

Hard water or soft, you can get good lather from MWF. However, you have to be patient and cautious about the water-to-soap mixture. Hard water can quickly degrade the quality of lather when you add it. The upside-down lathering technique is something I have advocated since I started using this soap -- and it sounds nuts, but it really does work. Having said that, I use that method for all my soaps. For some reason the gravity seems to drive the soap into the knot to produce far superior lather.

Shave on gents!!!! Up with the Woolfat
The upside down lathering makes a whole lot of sense!
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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SirCur
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Re: Mitchell's Wool Fat and Hard Water

Post by SirCur »

Hi John,

I have extremely hard water (well water) - which affects the performance of every soap (and deposits rust on brushes etc ...)

In my experience, MWF is not affected by the hard water any more than other soaps. With Mitchell's, just don't add too much water and you should be fine ...

... cur
To want what I have
To take what I'm given with grace
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jbcohen
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Re: Mitchell's Wool Fat and Hard Water

Post by jbcohen »

Just bought a puck of Mitchell's wool fat, hmm.
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