Mitchell's Wool Fat Lanolin Shaving Soap and Ceramic Dish

Product Information

Hot process uses an external heat source to (carefully) speed up the soap-making process (“saponification”). Hot process soaps generally take less time to make: a couple hours for saponification and about a week to cure. Extra ingredients are added near the end of the “cook time” and the texture of the soap is generally rough-looking.

Only the very highest quality ingredients, including the purest wool fat are used in the production of Mitchell’s Wool Fat Soap products. Ease of lathering with a shaving brush using water with a variety of mineral content (in other words it works well in both “soft” water and “hard” water). Now there are shave soaps covering the entire range of price, performance, and scent. And a lot of shave soaps perform solidly–if not exceptionally–and can provide a close, comfortable shave indeed!

What have others said about our Mitchells Wool Fat Bath Size Soap Bar?

Tallow + Steel has been around for a few years and their tallow soap base is definitely in the “best” range. Their scents evoke exotic destinations with names like “Himalaya,” “Madagascar,” and “West Indies” but the real focus should be the performance: most everyone comments on the lubrication ability of these soaps. Post-shave feel is also noteworthy. Availability is not as widespread as other names on this list though so it may be more difficult to obtain. Mitchell’s Wool Fat Shaving Soap (“MWF”). Available in a single (mild) scent, some consider it the only shave soap they will use. However, since it contains lanolin, some with sensitive skin may have trouble with this soap. And a reformulation has caused some concern in the enthusiast community. Available in a variety of scents (you won’t use even the best soap if you don’t care for it’s smell) or no scent at all.

And a specially formulated Woolly Wash to safely deep-clean your favorite sweaters and delicate garments. Captain’s Choice shave soaps may be a bit weakly scented to some but no one complains about the performance! I find Captain’s Choice lather exceptionally long-lasting: if you’re looking for a particularly long or leisurely shave (maybe you are a beginner and taking more time as you work through the learning curve?) you will have plenty of lather to use for the entire time. Here’s Sharpologist’s review of the Bay Rum version. Catie’s Bubbles There are basically two ways of making artisan-style soap: hot process and cold process. They each have their advantages and disadvantages: Contains Lanolin, which is a natural wax secreted by Sheep, which keeps their fleece waterproof. Excellent for conditioning the human skin. The internet abounds with conspiracy theories, rumors, and smears. If you have some specific charge or complaint, that’s one thing. Repeating scurrilous rumors is another.

Mitchell's Wool Fat Soap

Remember, “Your Mileage May Vary” with these recommendations: although there is a large majority that like these products there will always be some for which a soap does not work as well. I use a bowl for only a few shaves, but I found that when I returned to lathering on my face, I was getting better lathers. The bowl lathering had helped me improve my lather process: I loaded the brush better, and I knew better the optimal amount of water — and what a good lather looked/felt like.

Glycerin is a byproduct of saponification but it is not typically the main base ingredient in a non-tallow based shaving soap. The main ingredient in vegetable based soaps is most likely Stearic Acid which can be derived from various vegetable sources including Palm Oil, Kokum Butter, Mango Butter, and Cocoa Butter. Stearic acid, when combined with Potassium Hydroxide makes lather. Additional ingredients like coconut oil and shea butter can enhance the ingredient mix.Recently one of my blog readers urged me to try bowl lathering (load brush with soap, move to a bowl to work up the lather, adding driblets of water as needed). I have done bowl lathering, but not for some years (countertop real-estate issue), but I’m open to trying things.

There are a few shave soaps that are not on the above lists but are still worth mentioning for specific reasons : A traditional soap that is kindness itself MITCHELL’S WOOL FAT SOAP was first produced in the early 1930’s by Bradford chemist Fred Mitchell who realised that the natural lanolin content of wool fat, which kept the hands of local sheep shearers and wool sorters so exceptionally soft, could also be beneficial to delicate complexions and sensitive skins. A simple and natural product, this soap is still made to Mr Mitchell’s original formula, based on a recipe from the turn of the century and incorporating lanolin from the wool fat as the key ingredient.“ And an omission from this list does not mean it’s a bad product— there is a lot of great stuff out there!

Chiseled Face shave soaps enjoy an excellent reputation, particularly within the enthusiast community. Ghost Town Barber, their take on the ubiquitous barbershop scent, is a particular stand-out. Cryogen is another highlight among “menthol heads” for it’s extreme cooling (OK, freezing) properties. Declaration Grooming Let’s look at this “embarrassment of riches” to try to determine which are merely really good and which are the top 12 shaving soaps. The Fall Of The English And The Rise Of The Italians? Shannon’s Soaps is an artisan sometimes overlooked in the enthusiast community…to the community’s loss. Here is Sharpologist’s review of their Botanica shave soap. Murphy & McNeil may not be a well-known name (even in the enthusiast community) but they are cranking out some great shave soaps. Their regular tallow-based soaps are very good but it’s their “Kodiak” base that’s been raising eyebrows among reviewers. Not too many years ago there were a few high-quality, old-school, tallow-based (more on that below) men’s shaving soaps from the established high-end names (Trumper, Taylor Of Old Bond Street, Truefitt & Hill, DR Harris, etc.) that were familiar to those who use a safety razor; and some low-end, every-man products like Williams Mug Soap, Burma-Shave Soap, and (a little later) Van Der Hagen.