Mitchell's Wool Fat reformulation

Some of you may already be aware of this, but I couldn't find a thread about it.

Mitchell's Wool Fat has been reformulated with a palm oil base. Shipments of the new formula started getting to vendors about two weeks to a month ago.

As of this time, many vendors in the U.S., including Amazon, still carry the old tallow formula. Vendors in Europe, Australia, and the U.K. pretty much have nothing but the new formula, including Connought Shaving.

Kent Luxury Soap (rebadged MWF) is at this time still tallow based on all retailers, but is expected to convert to the new formula when stocks run out. Batches of Kent always run a few batches behind MWF, likely due to fewer sales.

The Queen is Dead. Long live the King.

The one bright spot in all this is that it is now easier to lather, for those of you who couldn't lather the tallow MWF.

For the rest of you, you can look forward to another reformulation in 7 years, when the EU/UK ban on palm oil products goes into effect.

The stated reason for the reformulation was that the tallow soap noodle base for the shaving soap was no longer being manufactured. The bath and shower soap, made at a different factory, will continue to be tallow based.

Reviews on the current (new) formula are mixed. Some like it, some don't. All agree that it's not equivalent to the tallow formula, and might as well be an entirely different soap.

New ingredient list:
Sodium Palmate
Potassium Palmate
Aqua (water)
Potassium Stearate
Potassium Palm Kernelate
Sodium Cocoate
Glycerin
Sodium Stearate
Sodium Palm Kernelate
Palm Kernel Acid
Parfum (fragrance)
Sodium Chloride
Lanolin
Titanium Dioxide
Tetrasodium Etidronate
Pentasodium Pentetate
Sodium Gluconate
Tetrasodium EDTA
Limonene

Old ingredient list:
Sodium Tallowate
Potassium Stearate
Sodium Cocoate
Sodium Stearate
Aqua (water)
Potassium Cocoate
Glycerin
Parfum (fragrance)
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Hexyl Cinnamal
Limonene
Linalool
Hydroxycitronellal
Lanolin
Titanium Dioxide
Sodium Chloride
Sodium Gluconate
Sodium Silicate
Tetrasodium EDTA
Magnesium Sulphate
Tetrasodium Etidronate.

Seems like shavers either love MWF or they can't make it lather and don't use it. I love trying different soap but never tried MWF because of all the negative experiences I've read about. So, from your post I get the idea you are quite familiar with MWF. Do you have a recommendation, and do you have any suggestions about using it? Thanks for starting the tread and providing an update on MWF.

...Do you have a recommendation, and do you have any suggestions about using it?...

Yes, I've been using MWF for well over a decade in regular use, and I was the person who first pioneered the recommendation to add cold water to the puck and let the puck absorb it a day before using it. There's quite a few people who say this is not needed. To them, I say that the average triple-milled soap is about 0.8 g/ml in density. MWF by comparison is >1.6 g/ml in density, or about twice as dense as a triple milled soap. You didn't pay for water when you bought it.

Use a damp, stiff brush to load the soap, then reduce pressure to nearly nothing and continue to build the lather on the puck. With a hydrated puck, that should take only a minute or two.

If the lather is drying on your skin quickly and/or dissipating, you didn't incorporate enough water. It's difficult to add water to the lather without it breaking down, so it's much easier to just add the water to the soap beforehand.

If the lather is thin and foamy, you didn't incorporate enough soap.

MWF is a jealous soap, and becomes temperamental if not used at least weekly. For best, consistent results it should be used daily.

For the new formula, everything I said above gets tossed out. It's easy to lather. But it does not produce as slick or dense a lather as the old formula. This could be a case of people just haven't gotten it dialed in yet, or (more likely) it's just not as good as the previous formulation.

Edit: If you live anywhere near the Salem, OR area, you are more than welcome to swing by my house for a lathering demonstration.

The new MWF formula does contain some saponified stearic acid, but far less than the traditional formula. I have not tried the new formula and have no plans to do so. Mitchell's Wool Fat and Tabac used to be the only two traditional soaps that I considered worthy of recommending. Now both have been reformulated, so I no longer recommend them.

I suspect that the reformulated MWF might be easier to lather than the tallow formula. It is also likely to be plenty slick. However, with far less stearic acid, I doubt the lather will be as stable or as protective as the traditional formula. For those who shave using a cartridge razor, the new formula should be just fine. Those with less sensitive skin might not have a problem with a less protective lather. However, I would likely have an issue with the soap due to my sensitive skin. That is why I have no plans to try it.

https://store.mensroombarbershop.com/mit...ap-refill/

Just a reminder, it's $13.75 here, with free shipping after a minimum $50 order. They still have tallow MWF in stock. They also sell the refill w/ ceramic bowl.

To much work for that soap especially with so many other better soaps.

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To much work for that soap especially with so many other better soaps.

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Many people use it effortlessly, without any hassle or special preparation. Soaps tend to be subjective, but many, including myself, found it to a an absolute top tier soap. For myself, I've found very few soaps that could match it's performance. Saponifico Verisino being one of those.

I find most palm oil based soaps dry my skin out too much. But each to their own.

To much work for that soap especially with so many other better soaps.

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Many people use it effortlessly, without any hassle or special preparation. Soaps tend to be subjective, but many, including myself, found it to a an absolute top tier soap. For myself, I've found very few soaps that could match it's performance. Saponifico Verisino being one of those.

I find most palm oil based soaps dry my skin out too much. But each to their own.

Yup. The same here.  No work at all to get to work -- I do agree about lathering on the face; that works well.  The traditional tallow formulation, at least, has been simply great soap.  I did get myself two pucks of the tallow this week just to make sure I've enough for a while.

Same here. They last a very long time for me. So, I should be good for some time.


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Gotta throw my 2 cents worth in here. Firstly I fill the mug/cream boat with hot tap water that's holding the MWF soap to hydrate it. Let it sit for a minute or two. Pour out the water. Then using a brush that's been soaking in warm water...I start to build my lather. ABSOLUTELY NO FRICKIN' PROBLEMS..Sorry if it's not working for you, but I will no longer be buying this product. This was a great historical shaving product...PALM OIL? Again no frickin' way.