Mitchell's Wool Fat Shave Refill Soap

MWF is one of the finest shaving soaps out there. I first discovered it over 6 years ago. And the only reason I'd get away from it is to find more manly scents. And that is the only negative I have about Mitchel's. It smells a lot like Dove soap bars. Not a favorite for me and I really like Barbershop and Sandalwood the most. MSW makes some of the finest smelling soaps. But each time I return to MWF, I am reminded of what I love about it. And for me, it provides the best shaves I have ever gotten. Consistently. I always aim for BBS (baby butt smooth) shaves but my neck is very troublesome. Hair grows in every direction and it's also uber sensitive down there (with occasional eczema). I perform a 3-pass shave with a 4th/cleanup on my neck and under my cheek bones. First, downward strokes, then upward strokes and finally side-to-side. I know this is generally considered with, against and across-the-grain but those are mis-used because everyone's hair grows in differently. At least to an extent. Mitchel's does take a little more water than most shaving pucks/soaps to get a creamy consistency but once you have it, it is simply fantastic. And the absolute best part of MWF is the post-shave feel. Not only do I get incredibly good shaves (DFS as they're known around forums - which stands for dizam fine shave if you drop the 'iz'))but my skin is soft and supple. This is where Mitchel's scores most of it's points. There are very few soaps out there that leave my face feeling this good... If any. What size tin should you get? I'd recommend the 4oz. tins. It fits in it like a glove (see my pic). Literally like those pucks you buy which come in tins already... I wet the bottom and put it in the tin overnight. This essentially glues the puck in place and I've never had an issue with it moving around after. How long does an MWF puck last? The puck on the right is exactly 30 shaves in and the one of the left is brand new. You can barely tell it's been used at all! It should last you many, many months. Lastly, they have changed the formula for MWF recently. In a nutshell, they're now using plant by-products instead of animal by-products (tallow). And there is a huge uproar about this change on some forums. I mean, really. When asked why they're so upset about the change, the general response is 'the new formulation could very well be better than the old one. But I don't like a change being forced upon me'. It's almost comical the amount of hysteria over something so petty. Bottom line: the new formulation is still fantastic and for some of us, MWF is very hard to beat.

I ordered this in the US and received it in 2 days, in excellent condition. One reason is I heard they were about to go out of business. One thing I learned is lanolin is a natural fatty substance which comes from the sheep's skin and helps protect their wool. After sheering the lanolin is extracted when the wool is boiled and fat separates. The soap is like a hocky puck with sharp edges It smells like a older type of soap scent, slightly perfumed, lightly pleasant. It fits well, ever so loosely in a large Simpson's shaving mug. It made a vwry quick lather which was certainly slick but appeared a little thin. Still, it gave a respectable shave with little irritation. Getting in the mood of a 100+ year old shave, I used a 1917 WW-I Gillette military issue open comb razor. Together they gave a remarkably good shave, better than many modern razors.

First , i gave this five stars for scent because it has almost no scent at all. That being said, because it is a high fat content soap, a few drops of your favorite after shave will get absorbed. if you don't use one, then you don't smell like anything. I have had no problems with whipping up a great lather that holds for multiple passes (if you do multiple passes) and is super slick. No irritation at all. Have used it with proglide razors, safety razors and even straight edge. Works great. Rises cleanly out of the brush and the razor without gumming up at all. Because it is soap, it rises out of the sink with just a quick splash of water. Previous writer talked about how alum is used with less burn and this really true. it is soft enough to remold into any cup you use. i don't have a lot of room for multiple jars of soap so generally i find something i like and stick with it.. have used porasso, Taylor of old bond and other top brands so i have compared it to top end soaps. good brush IS essential but you don't have to spend a fortune, I ordered a synthetic brush a long time ago on amazon and it is the best brush i ever have had. I hope this helps

I’ve been single-blade shaving for about 5 years. I enjoy trying out different blades and soaps. This is one of my stand-byes so I can recommend this soap. 1. SHAVE: EXCELLENT. Mitchell’s is very slick and leaves very little tendency to cut or scrape. It results in a close, smooth shave in two passes. Most premium soaps result in a good-to-excellent shave. 2. SKIN: EXCELLENT. This product contains lanolin and results in the very best and softest after-shave experience of any soap I’ve tried. Most premium soaps result in a fair-to-good experience for me. 3. VERSATILITY: GOOD. Some soaps seem to shave very well with one brand of blade and not others. Mitchell’s doesn’t seem to mind. I use ASTRA and generally sharp blades. 4. LATHER: FAIR. This soap deposits easily onto a wet badger brush, sufficient to lather onto the skin and shave well. It does not whip into a full thick lather if that is important to you. It is also reputed (I have no direct experience) to be difficult to lather at all if you have hard water. 5. LATHER DURABILITY: GOOD. The lather on the brush lasts OK during the shave. Easily enough for two passes. 6. PUCK DURABILITY: EXCELLENT. I tend to rotate among several brands of soap, and most milled soaps collect enough water from the brush to decay and dry out somewhat before the puck is finished. Mitchell’s lasts to the end. 8. VALUE: FAIR. Mitchell’s is priced about the same as other premium milled soaps. However, if it is sold as a bare replacement puck so you will need a shaving bowel or other container.

I've tried at least a dozen shave soaps, maybe two dozen. MWF is my go-to, standard. I leave it in a shave bowl in a drawer. I rinse my brush and then swirl the dripping wet brush on top of the soap. In about 20 seconds, you have phenomenal lather. Wet and repeat for more water if needed. Lather around your face further as needed. I often do this, then take a shower and repeat the lathering when I get out of the shower, and then shave. I have found a few artisan soaps that lather as good, but none better. Those artisan soaps often come in a variety of delightful fragrances, but I don't care that much about fragrance. MWF doesn't have much of any fragrance. In fact after having wet it and let it dry a few dozen times, there is no discernible scent of any kind. If you like the smell of MWF (or any other shave soap), keep it in a covered container between uses. I'd suggest for those who like fragrance in their shave soap to just put MWF in a covered container and sprinkle in a little of their favorite cologne a few times and keep it covered and you'll have a $40 artisanal shave soap! I like the ingredients. It's tallow based which I prefer. There's lanolin in it which I like. Although it's not a glycerin based soap, there is a little glycerin in the ingredients - it doesn't seem to be a large amount, so if you really like glycerin, get some vegetable glycerin on Amazon and sprinkle it on top of the soap or add it to your pre-shave. It doesn't have shea butter in it, so I sometimes keep an open puck of shea butter shave soap in a shave dish next to MWF and occasionally reach down with my brush and lather from both. I've seen some reviews that say that it doesn't lather all that well in "hard" water. We have moderately hard water in my city and I've never had trouble at all. Finally, it's cheap! I lather before showering; after showering, and usually a second time while shaving, and my brush is full of lather when I finish and my single puck will last for maybe 300 shaves?? so maybe 4 cents a shave?? Also,

Many shave products have really strong scents. This soap has a lovely scent that is very light and neutral. With other shave soaps I usually need some sort of moisturizer or balm after shaving but with this soap my face feel soft and hydrated after the shave with no need for any post shave products. Some people have trouble getting it to lather - perhaps they are used to a softer soap or cream - this is a hard soap puck and you'd have to scrub it with a wet brush for a few minutes before the surface softens enough to start lathering. some people soak the puck in water to soften but my method is to leave the hard soap puck in it's original state and store it separately -- I simply scrape or cut a few flakes into a lathering bowl or mug and compress the flakes with finger or thumb and a few drops of warm water to stick the flakes to the bottom of the bowl. Then I get a ton of thick, creamy lather and the flakes remain stuck to the bottom of the mug for several more shaves until I need to carve a few more flakes from the hard soap puck to replenish the mug.

this is a great soap. infact the best one I've ever tried. The only ones that even compares to it are the homemade soaps my wife made (100% organic and omg wonderful) but unless you want to spend a few days making soap buy this one. if you are allergic to wool then dont play with this one. Pros: feels great, nice light smell, real nice non slip shave, you get to say wool fat allot. i find this pairs well with a Feather blade in my DE razor Cons: a little expensive but should last you about six months; takes experience to get a good lather, your skin might not react well to lanolin Ok so for the lather... when it first got this soap my fore arm was getting huge from trying to work a perfect lather. Hopefully it can save you some trial and error. You don’t need to face lather. Soak the puck and your brush in warm to hot water (hard or soft), take shower, and dump out water from soap. One shake of the brush and then work the puck gently. Now transfer the froth into a separate bowl and work it until it peaks. Should take less than two minutes. I do this with a silvertip brush no problem at all. you don’t need to be an expert barber to work a good lather. Soak the puck, drain the puck, and play with the amount of water and soap you use until you figure it out. If it took you too long to get a perfect almost whipped cream lather, adjust your technique.

So far one of the best shaving soaps I've used. Been wet shaving for years, and started with a glycerin based soap. Those were excellent and a lot of them have great scents, Mamma Bear. Started to try different soaps when I realized my glycerin soaps were drying my skin while I was shaving. The wool fat doesn't dry the skin it moistens it. The lather is great, need to let hot water sit on it for a few minutes before using. The scent is light and fresh. Most important here my double edge razor glides across my face with little to no nicks. The wool fat leaves enough lubrication on your face for a second pass without bumps or nicks. I have gotten some of the closest shaves since I started using it. I shave in the shower best part after I am done i put on an aftershave, no burning sensation just a fresh smooth feeling, I credit the wool fat from Mitchell's for that.