Is Arko truly superior to Williams?

[Jbird45]

Let me start off by saying I got lucky last weekend and found 3 boxes of Williams left at my grocery store aisle. Score.

So tonight I dug out my puck I had started that I no longer have to preserve. I loaded the brush and went to my captains choice bowl and somehow lather just exploded off the brush. It was a little dry though so I added some water and it got even better. I added just a tiny bit more and I had a bowl full of some of the slickest, smoothest lather I have made yet.

I was always under the impression that Arko was a superior lather and Williams was a superior scent. From most of my experiences this has been true.

But tonight, something about that Williams lather was magical. I now have to play with Arko again tomorrow to see if I can get a better lather than this evenings.

Anyone else ever get a better lather from Williams than Arko?

 

[nemo]

To me, Williams is slicker and has a better scent. Arko dries my skin and smells like a urinal puck. There are much better soaps than either of those, get out of the rut and try Haslinger, Ach Brito Mongo, Tabac, and Italian brick soaps if you're on a budget.

But I like Williams and have both vintage pucks and new ones to play with when I want. I get fine lathers off the puck in a mug.

 

[brucered]

Use one for a month straight....then the other.

A magical lather here and there is not how I would rank performance.

As @nemo said, there are much better soaps out there.

No one wanted Williams a couple years ago, now that it is discontinued (or is it), everyone wants it again.

As long as any form of Proraso is being made, I'd take that over both as my inexpensive soap.

 

[SoapHoarder]

They'll call me crazy, they'll call me a mad man, but I think Arko is superior to Williams in every respect. Scentwise, I think Arko has a fresh (if very artificial) lemon scent that I prefer to Williams. Arko in my experience is also much easier to lather, slicker, and yields a more stable and protective lather compared to Williams. Arko is the picture of consistency, Williams took some dialing in and technique to really get the most out of.

That said I do wish Williams had stuck around, I guess the old saying rings true and you don't know what you have until it's gone. It was a fun soap to experiment with in my early days of wetshaving, but I don't think I'd ever pick up a puck of Williams again over my stash of Arko sticks. Plus Arko comes in puck form as well if I'm feeling fancy that day.

 

[steveclarkus]

I’ve used both quite a lot but ARKO is about the only soap I use any longer. Lathering Williams was usually hit or miss with me but ARKO always lathers well and I find the scent to be just fine. The constant urinal puck comments are just juvenile nonsense so just ignore them and attend to performance. Williams is history now so no need to worry about it anyway.

 

[samasourus]

Arko is superior just in the fact that it is still being made!! Ha Ha!

 

[Jbird45]

Don't get me wrong, I have soaps by Stirling, fine accoutrements, Lakewood, PAA, Wholly Kaw, and Proraso, but every once in a while it is fun to dig out a cheap soap and try something different.

Call me crazy, but even though Williams may be a sliver of what it was historically, it's still been around a long time, and it's fun to dig out my vintage scuttle and straight and brush, and shave like someone might have 100 years ago. It's kind of a nostalgic thing.

I bought Arko after trying Williams, and found Arko the better soap, but id I can recreate the lather I had last night with Williams again it may change my mind

 

[Medivh]

The scent and the post shave feeling of the Williams are better than Arko, but the lather quality of Arko is much better for me at least. You can also use Arko on your face and work your brush on the Williams and then combine both directly on your face. That way you get the best of both soaps and the combo is pretty good.

 

[OldSaw]

YES!

 

[BradWorld]

I find Arko much better than modern Williams. Better lather. And easier to lather. And I don’t have any issue with the scent. Smells like old Ivory soap to me. I use Arko as my travel soap. I don’t use Williams for anything. It just sits in my reject pile.

 

[Kyle89]

I think Williams is slicker but Arko is still plenty slick. I find a stick of Arko lasts a LOT longer than a puck of Williams to be honest. Williams might have been a little cheaper but cost per shave, for me, with Arko was less. In terms of lather, Arko is too dang easy. Williams took some work.

 

[rockviper]

I'll take Arko over modern Williams any day of the week. Vintage Williams is a whole other thing.

 

[BigJ]

Williams, no question!

(But that‘s just my opinion.)

 

[lancre]

I find modern WMS to be superior to Arko, and vintage WMS to be superior to both.

Obligatory disclaimers:
1.) There are soaps that are better than either.
2.) I use a single soap several days or even weeks at a time.
3.) I prefer lathering in a bowl or right on the puck in a mug, rather than face lathering.

 

[Jbird45]

I find modern WMS to be superior to Arko, and vintage WMS to be superior to both.

Obligatory disclaimers:
1.) There are soaps that are better than either.
2.) I use a single soap several days or even weeks at a time.
3.) I prefer lathering in a bowl or right on the puck in a mug, rather than face lathering.

I agree, and these are good points. I almost always bowl lather, so maybe that is why some people don't like Williams. It takes more work to get a good lather, and I will admit that, but I did get a great shave last night.

It's a shame it's discontinued, but at least I was able to find a few pucks to keep in the den for down the road.

 

[lancre]

I agree, and these are good points. I almost always bowl lather, so maybe that is why some people don't like Williams. It takes more work to get a good lather, and I will admit that, but I did get a great shave last night.

It's a shame it's discontinued, but at least I was able to find a few pucks to keep in the den for down the road.

Since WMS works best when you keep it hydrated, anybody who only uses it once every couple of months is going to find it lacking. With WMS, I lather right on the puck in a mug, and I 3017 it, so it fits my method. Others my vary.

 

[Shaveprentice]

Two old time favorites! For me, Williams can produce a great lather but it isn't foolproof. It can be a little weak sometimes if I didn't load the brush sufficiently and/or the lather wasn't hydrated well. Arko on the other hand is very hard to mess up! I can be half asleep and rushed and I will still always get a great lather from Arko.

 

[RobD57]

I have a few pucks of Williams around for the nostalgia but for me it takes to much effort and thought in the morning to get what has never been more than a mediocre shave. Arko has never given me an excellent shave, but it lathers fast and thick and works with minimal drama. The Arko scent has for me calmed down with exposure to air and more when lathered.

In the end I think every wet shaver doesn't sleep as well until they've tried all the classics. So go for both and get it over with.

Happy Shaves

 

[GaryTha]

I'm down to my last 27 pucks of Williams, 12 sticks and 1 puck of ARKO. I consider them equals. Obviously, I like them both.

 

[emwolf]

YES!

+1