I had no luck with a boar brush. A Cremo horse hair brush is perfect.
And here I thought Williams was hard to lather..
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I had no luck with a boar brush. A Cremo horse hair brush is perfect.
It depends. I have had the most luck recently with my S-Brush by Omega and I have been breaking in a Omega Boar brush and it works great with the Williams. My Cremo Horse Hair is my least easy to use with it, but it still works great. So maybe I just like Williams.
I have good results with my Semogue 820 boar. I pretty much lather the same way @honeybadger79 mentioned above. I don't bloom the puck, just load the damp brush on the puck for at least 30 seconds to get that sort of paste consistency then I start face lathering and adding water as needed. I've been quite content with that method and my boar.
Another way that works for me with the boar and synthetics (I don't have any badgers yet they are on the way!) was inspired by using a Derby stick for the first time. I took a damp brush, hardly any water on it at all but damp, and load the brush from the puck not worrying at all about creating a paste. I just load that brush all around and push down a bit as well. Then I paint the soap on my face leaving a thin film/layer of the soap. It's not even lather, just a layer like you have when you use a stick. Unlike other sticks though, the Williams will disappear but not to worry. I apply the soap this way about three times. We're not talking a long time just brushing it on my face and neck. Then it's just a matter of adding warm to hot water a bit at a time to the brush and bringing the soap to life. I get a rather decent lather that way with Williams.
Another way that works for me with the boar and synthetics (I don't have any badgers yet they are on the way!) was inspired by using a Derby stick for the first time. I took a damp brush, hardly any water on it at all but damp, and load the brush from the puck not worrying at all about creating a paste. I just load that brush all around and push down a bit as well. Then I paint the soap on my face leaving a thin film/layer of the soap. It's not even lather, just a layer like you have when you use a stick. Unlike other sticks though, the Williams will disappear but not to worry. I apply the soap this way about three times. We're not talking a long time just brushing it on my face and neck. Then it's just a matter of adding warm to hot water a bit at a time to the brush and bringing the soap to life. I get a rather decent lather that way with Williams.
Long ago I read about the nearly-impossible-to-lather Demon Williams, but found the last puck on a Drug Store shelf. It was cheap, so I bought it.
I don't give Williams any different or special treatment than I do any other hard soap. No Blooming or special incantations needed. It lathers like a stick on a wet face, and all I need is a damp brush to pick up soap from the dry puck to bowl lather. Lather is slick and dense.
I've grated equal parts of LEA Stick with Williams & it is even smoother.
I don't give Williams any different or special treatment than I do any other hard soap. No Blooming or special incantations needed. It lathers like a stick on a wet face, and all I need is a damp brush to pick up soap from the dry puck to bowl lather. Lather is slick and dense.
I've grated equal parts of LEA Stick with Williams & it is even smoother.
It is easy to use too much water after reading so much about how "thirsty" it is. Sometimes it's better to just treat it like a "normal" soap and have at it.
Or you could stand on one foot, face north, hold your brush in the air, light some incense, and recite from the Tibetan book of the Dead. It may help
Boar bristles are stiffer than badger. Also be sure to soak the soap and brush in the mug with hot tapwater before use.
Williams will work with just about any brush if you use it consistently. Mug soap is meant for mug lathering and not completely drying out. It's alkaline enough and has chelating preservatives so there is no danger of it molding if it stays damp.
If you do keep Williams in a rotation, just keep it in a ramekin with a lid. There is no need for this soap to dry out or anything like that.
I use a Cremo horsehair brush for face lathering. WMS likes to be used every day.
@FireDragon76 Curious, do you puck lather and then lather on face or do you go from puck to bowl lather?
I used to load on a brush and then face lather.
My skin has become more sensitive since I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia several years ago and my shaving habits have changed so I don't do that anymore. I haven't used Williams in a while, but it was a decent soap and a good value, outperforming many luxury soaps years ago when I regularly used it. If I were lathering Williams now, I would be bowl lathering, most likely.
Gotcha. I get the best lather loading the brush and face lathering like you used to also.
I used an Omega Syntex primarily, BTW, which is very exfoliating. I had acne prone skin back then so it didn't effect me as much and was actually a good thing. The Syntex is a relatively floppy brush with little backbone, but it worked fine.
My issue w this soap is that it leaves a sticky scummy residue on the blade edge and inside the razors that is harder to get rid compared to most other soaps I use. There are so many other good soaps not much more expensive that I have no reason to use this or Arko (which I hate the smell).
Straight razors are easy to clean and disinfect.
Williams seems typical of hard milled soap in that department, nothing extraordinary.
I’ve been shaving with brush and soap long enough that Williams was one of the few (only) options available so I learned to use it just fine. I guess i agree with those who say you have to hydrate the puck because using every day leaves it more hydrated than it is right off the shelf. My method was/is to toss it in my mug, fill with water, soak brush and soap together while I brush my teeth and hair then dump the water into my hands to splash my face and lather in the mug. It usually isn’t a problem but the modern alternatives certainly are easier and faster.
I use a puck of Williams in a Old Spice Mug and lather it the way my grandpa did. I love the scent, lather and feel of Williams but I rotate my kit daily so it's a treat when I use it. I always allow it to bloom under warm/hot tap water for several minutes prior to lathering and I haven't had any issues with it.
Good to know. The Yaqi 24mm Black Marble synthetic I have works nicely too but I usually use a Semogue 820. I like that with the Williams. I'm waiting for my first badger brushes to arrive and looking forward to see they perform with the Williams and my usual method of loading damp brush on dry puck then face lathering.
using hard soap as shave stick it always works great for me.
No need to actually grate the soap into a shave stick format, just use the puck straight on your face.
No need to actually grate the soap into a shave stick format, just use the puck straight on your face.
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