I recently wrote a post in which I ran through my list of the best shaving soaps under fifteen dollars. The first comment I received asked why I had not included Mitchell’s Wool Fat shaving soap on my list. And the truth, probably, is a little embarrassing. I had never tried Mitchell’s Wool Fat. This is a shaving soap held in extremely high regard by many members of the wet shaving community, and I needed to rectify this oversight immediately. I quickly picked up a puck (yes, I sprung for the ceramic dish) and began my experimentation.
Packaging
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I love some quality packaging. Whether I’m buying wet shaving products, clothes, or anything else, I believe the packaging is part of the product and affects the overall experience. When I buy something which arrives poorly packaged, I get the sense the company doesn’t care about their products either. I know the dish in which a shaving soap is shipped doesn’t actually affect anything, but this ceramic bowl does add to the overall shave. Plus, I can use the bowl for other soaps once the Mitchell’s soap is kicked.
Lather
The running theme with Mitchell’s Wool Fat is that if you have hard water this can be tricky lather to build. Fortunately, I’m not hamstrung by this condition. I had zero issues building my lather with this shaving soap. My lather was always think, cushioning, and plentiful. It came together quite easily, I had enough for a three-pass shave with extra to spare every time.
Scent
Here’s where things get a little tricky. The scent of this shaving soap is mild. Very mild. I would describe it as simply a soft, soapy fragrance with a touch (barely) of citrus. I found nothing offensive with the scent, but there is not much to it. If one of the things you love about traditional wet shaving is the copious variety of fragrances to try, this may not be the soap for you. However, if you have sensitive skin that responds poorly to scented soap, this is the perfect shaving soap.
Shave
My shaves were fantastic using Mitchell’s Wool Fat. The soap is exceptionally slick, and the post-shave feel is exquisite. I attribute this primarily to the inclusion of lanolin as an ingredient, which is a by-product of the unique production process. This is absolutely a shaving soap that performs as well as promised.
Conclusion
If scent is not of primary concern to you, definitely grab this iconic shaving soap. For me, the fragrance is the only drawback. I’ll still recommend the Mitchell’s Wool Fat shaving soap for its performance alone. However, if you’re looking for a “soap-scented” shaving soap, with a bit more kick in the olfactory department, you might want to try something else.
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