I've been using MWF for some time and it is in my top 5 soaps. The above tips are great and is what I also do. A new puck has a glazed hard top and hence why I think some people have issues learning how to make good lather at first. My suggestion is also to grade it then hand pack it into a container it will stay in. For MFW, to prevent it from drying and cracking, I keep it in a container with a screw on top, I also make sure that the inside diameter of the container is no less than 3" for comfort. I also have hard water and yet have no issues using boar, badger, synthetic and horse hair brushes. As your brush/razor soaks in hot water, keep about a teaspoon of hot water on top of the soap puck, it will bloom, use the bloom water as you load your brush. Enjoy!
Thank you to everyone for their responses and great information! I went by the dollar store and grabbed some plastic lidded containers, much like what @Jayaruh listed above. I grated the puck into the container and pressed it down. I then did a test lather. I bloomed the soap for just a moment and then loaded up my cheap badger brush. Good grief! It lathered so easily and quite voluminously. I ran a simulated face lather on my hand. It started off a little thin and bubbly but became rich and thick the more I worked it. It reminded me of a cream where I used too much in the bowl before whipping up the lather. There was SO much left in the brush. I hope to try it with a shave in the next few days. Again, I appreciate everyone's feedback!
I agree. I got MWF for Christmas and was intimidated by all of the posts about how difficult it is. I shaved with it for the first five days of the month as part of a focus. I was getting great lather by the second day. It isn't that difficult. Have fun with it!
Nobody told me I shouldn't use a synthetic brush. How come my MWF lathered fine with one? I'm so confused
I thought it was soap. But then I never went overboard on dating either. Well, maybe once or twice. But never on soap. That's for sure.
I use the Rubbermaid counterpart to this. Works fine and fits pretty good without having to grate and press.
My dollar store version is a little thin. I was afraid I was going to crack the thin plastic when I was pressing in the soap. But it worked fine in the end.
NO! And don't listen to the haters. They are simply not chosen and are therefore jealous of those who are, like myself.
+1 for this method. I never had much issue getting a good lather out of MWF, but this approach to hydration took the soap to a whole different level of amazing.
I have water that is so hard that it could be used to drive nails. I couldn't build lather in my scuttle no matter how hard I tried. My solution was to buy a gallon of distilled water from the store, and use that distilled water to hydrate the MWF. I apply a squirt from a squeeze bottle to the puck before I start to lather, and from then on any additional water in the scuttle comes from the tap.
Some folks love it, many hate it. I know Master's Lilac Vegetal is way easier on the nose than Clubman. Clubman, to me, goes on like cat piss and then dries down to a weird play-doh scent. Definitely don't judge it by the smell from the bottle and be prepared to shower after it dries down. Also, try the Master's version too.
I keep MWF in a MWF ceramic jar. It's enjoyable to look at and use. It is costly, especially compared to the dollar store offerings but if you depreciate it over your lifespan of shaving, not so much. I also have a Tabac ceramic jar for the same reasons. My VDH puck I store in a round hand crafted wooden bowel with a lid. I also have an original three generation old mug that I melted a second VDH puck into. It was my wife's grandfathers shaving mug. All three are excellent soaps that give me pleasure to use and and in their containers are a delight to the eye.
Well, I shaved with MWF earlier today. It's fantastic stuff! I bloomed the soap while showering and then loaded the brush as I would any other soap. That worked just fine. It seemed to have been a little watery but that was worked out with no issues as I face lathered. I did two passes with touch-up and had enough soap in the brush for several more passes. The post-shave feel is incredible! My face feels smooth and hydrated and refreshed. I can see why MWF is beloved by wet shavers, and I am now a convert. I look forward to many more great shaves with it.
