Mitchell's Wool Fat Shave Refill Soap

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.

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.

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 razorCons: a little expensive but should last you about six months; takes experience to get a good lather, your skin might not react well to lanolinOk 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.