It lathers just fine, really. I mean, just like any other relatively cheap soap. I lather this like I lather Proraso green, for example... I don't notice much difference.
The Dreaded Modern Williams Mug Shave Soap Review
- Thread starter BigD
- Start date
Are you trying to lather it the same way you always have?
Oh I’ve tried the lather in every way possible. It’s certainly not the most useless soap I’ve used, but based upon what it used to be it’s a big disappointment.
It falls right in the camp of if there was nothing else available yeah it’s serviceable... But I don’t see why anyone would choose to use it over tabac or speick stick or cella or Arko or any of hundreds of better soaps. And honestly cost/use tabac may actually be cheaper and cella almost certainly is.
It falls right in the camp of if there was nothing else available yeah it’s serviceable... But I don’t see why anyone would choose to use it over tabac or speick stick or cella or Arko or any of hundreds of better soaps. And honestly cost/use tabac may actually be cheaper and cella almost certainly is.
I like Willams so much, I bought 24 pucks at the beginning of the year. There isn't a better soap out there that I know of.
I've tied Tabac, Cella, and Arko. Tabac is good, Arko is OK if you like urinals, and Cella just plain sucks.
I would take Williams over Cella a thousand times over, anytime, every time.
In my opinion, Cella just plain sucks. Not the only one here with this experience.
In my opinion, Cella just plain sucks. Not the only one here with this experience.
I think the key is blooming it. That made all the difference for me.
^
That's quite possible. Bloom for 3 minutes with some lukewarm water. Also, using a dense synthetic brush makes lathering Williams very easy, seriously. I pick up enough soap, start lathering in my palm while adding a bit of water gradually; transfer all that lather form my palm to my face, then just paint with the brush. I have a new appreciation for this soap.
That's quite possible. Bloom for 3 minutes with some lukewarm water. Also, using a dense synthetic brush makes lathering Williams very easy, seriously. I pick up enough soap, start lathering in my palm while adding a bit of water gradually; transfer all that lather form my palm to my face, then just paint with the brush. I have a new appreciation for this soap.
Sounds like Gary needs to make a video tutorial on how to lather Williams.
I feel the same. I figured out a way to lather Williams and it has good slickness. However, it dries out my skin too much and that's the killer for me.
What? Cella is one of the best soaps out there. I'd take Cella over Williams any day. But again, YMMV so I'll leave it at that.
I probably gave up way too easily, but I could never wind up with a lather from Williams that was useable for shaving. Nothing but suds that had a flimsier consistency than any liquid hand soap in my house. I tried blooming &/or soaking the puck; I tried lather building on the puck, and I have a water softener in my house. I might give it another try at some point, but for for the past couple years, the pucks I have are used to bathe my dog. He seems to like it just fine though. Well, to the extent any dog likes soap, hahahaha.
From my memory Cella has a very waxy surface... I could see people maybe struggling to load it with very soft/low backbone brushes... but it's been a long time since I used it. When I used it though, it lathered as well or better than modern Willy and much, much more easily.
I probably own more Williams than any of its fans. The difference is what I own was made 50+ years ago and is probably the best shaving soap ever made. Todays stuff just makes me sad.
I probably own more Williams than any of its fans. The difference is what I own was made 50+ years ago and is probably the best shaving soap ever made. Todays stuff just makes me sad.
If you have so much vintage soap, would you be willing to share a puck? I've never tried vintage Williams. Is anyone selling vintage boxes of this stuff?
It comes up quite regularly on eBay. Rarely goes over $10-15 a puck. Bowls can command $25-50. Search for "Vintage shave soap" and "Vintage Shaving Soap".
The thing to be careful of with the boxed pucks is plenty of people sell modern formulation as vintage. Don't make the mistake of paying $15 for a $1 puck of soap.
Right now there's an unused currier and ives (williams) bowl that I've been resisting for the past month @ <$30 shipped. I've got a couple already and I can't say anything performs better.
The thing to be careful of with the boxed pucks is plenty of people sell modern formulation as vintage. Don't make the mistake of paying $15 for a $1 puck of soap.
Right now there's an unused currier and ives (williams) bowl that I've been resisting for the past month @ <$30 shipped. I've got a couple already and I can't say anything performs better.
It's probably the trickiest soap I've ever used and it can dissipate/bubble up real easily. The key for me is to use a synthetic brush and bowl lather with a lot of water, resulting in almost soupy consistency before the face lather. I tried Williams around 15 times and I've only gotten good result on my latest lather. Check it out if you're interested.
As you say, YMMV. To each their own. My bias against Cella is that it doesn't do any better for me than middle of the road soaps like Proraso, and it's the ONLY soap that ever turned rancid on me.
I hear a lot of rancid stories about Cella but I find it performs better than middle of the road soaps. I do have to use it up before it gets to that state..
I remember Cella being in the same ballpark as Proraso. Both perform in the same realm as modern williams... but both are much, much easier to use than Williams. And neither USED to be an incredible soap that the manufacturer gutted to increase margin and then denied changing... when the freaking ingredients list clearly demonstrates they did.
YMMV. A long time ago I read threads like this and decided I needed to buy Arko, Cella, and Wms. I learned you have to try things yourself. What others think has a nice scent doesn’t and vice versa. What others think lathers easily doesn’t and vice versa.
You really have to try it and see for yourself.
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You really have to try it and see for yourself.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
