Mitchell's Wool Fat, how soon I forget

[heysi]

I ran out of Mitchell's Wool Fat about a year ago and have been using my other go-to, Williams, in the intervening time. Last week, while on vacation, I picked up a new Mitchell's and immediately was reminded why I loved it so much. Nice, soft , thick lather and the extra perk of the lanolin making my already grizzled features that much more smooth and supple. I'll be making sure I don't run out of this awesome soap again. Can you believe it, I'm back to being a multi-soap guy?

 

[Spider]

I will never forget just how lousy MWF’s lather is!

 

[heysi]

I will never forget just how lousy MFW’s lather is!

I'm still convinced its operator error.

 

[woodpusher]

No, KJ is correct. MFW has never given me a good lather (I haven't used it); MWF on the other hand.....

 

[OpusX]

The fat is a controversy I have not yet been able to take a side on. It is on the list of must tries.

 

[MilkCrate]

I’m using it this week without issue.

 

[Fightingillini22]

If I don't soften up my water a bit with citric acid beforehand, I struggle to lather it with our hard Lake Michigan water and the results are a foamy dissipating mess (same with Williams.)

Adding a tiny pinch of citric acid to my cup of water yields glorious yogurt-y lather from both MWF and Williams for me!

 

[OpusX]

Adding a tiny pinch of citric acid to my cup of water yields glorious yogurt-y lather from both MWF and Williams for me!

Hmmmm...

 

[heysi]

The hard water comments always confuses me. I live in a hard water area and I always get good lather out of MWF and Williams.

 

[Scuttlesoap]

The hard water comments always confuses me. I live in a hard water area and I always get good lather out of MWF and Williams.

Well, you are a Jedi…so there’s that to add to the equation

 

[beginish]

One downside to having too many soaps is going a decade between MWF shaves.

 

[Fightingillini22]

The hard water comments always confuses me. I live in a hard water area and I always get good lather out of MWF and Williams.

Perhaps it's a question of "how hard is too hard?" Or maybe there's something else in the water causing the issues. Who knows! Glad that all it takes is a pinch of the citric to make both these soaps go from zero to hero in my area though!

 

[Scuttlesoap]

Perhaps it's a question of "how hard is too hard?" Or maybe there's something else in the water causing the issues. Who knows! Glad that all it takes is a pinch of the citric to make both these soaps go from zero to hero in my area though!

That makes perfect sense - since hard water leans alkaline - I assume the citric would push the water back to a neutral pH?

 

[Fightingillini22]

That makes perfect sense - since hard water leans alkaline - I assume the citric would push the water back to a neutral pH?

I'm not a scientist but the way I understand it, the citric acid bonds with the minerals in the water and then they can't interfere with soaps.

 

[heysi]

Where would one, hypothetically, obtain this citric acid you refer to?

 

[woodpusher]

Where would one, hypothetically, obtain this citric acid you refer to?

Or use some of this....

 

[Fightingillini22]

Where would one, hypothetically, obtain this citric acid you refer to?

It can be used for canning tomatoes, so you should be able to find it in any mega mart that caters to canning, right next to the mason jars. My bottle is literally the Ball brand and I think it was like $3.50. I'd estimate I've used about 25% of the bottle and it's been used daily for over a year. It's just a tiny amount added to my Timeless lather bowl of water each morning.

 

[heysi]

View attachment 57694

Or use some of this....
View attachment 57695

Thanks to this reply, I just shaved with sprite. Didn't lather as well as I hoped but it was sure bubbly. And sticky.

 

[Scuttlesoap]

Thanks to this reply, I just shaved with sprite. Didn't lather as well as I hoped but it was sure bubbly. And sticky.

but....

 

[woodpusher]

That's the sprite spirit!