Picked up some modern Williams

[Kentos]

I was surprised by the scent. Not at all what I was expecting. It was much more bathroon deodorizer than Arko but I never read about that. We will see if I have the skill to lather it up assuming it really is as bad as youse guys whine about.

(cue vioin music)

 

[jonathan_matos5]

lather it up fine, but don't shave with it!!!

 

[luvmysuper]

I believe it works just fine. There's a whole lot of chit chat about the stuff, more than half of which I believe is just jokes.
The jokes about it are so prevalent that some people take it seriously.

Once applied it's a different kind of lather than some of the custard type soaps/creams, but it protects just as well as any of my other soaps, and leaves my face feeling great after a shave.
If you try to make it look like Arko or Tabac or AOS on your face, I can see where people get the "hard to lather" bit.

Is it stellar and better than most other soaps? Nope.
Is it the worst product out there? Nope.
The truth is, it falls somewhere in the lower mid-range of soaps. It's inexpensive and abundant, and aside from the skin feeling I get from it, that's what it primarily has going for it.

In my personal opinion. YMMV

 

[Rudy Vey]

..sorry to hear that!

 

[Kentos]

It works pretty well for a buck fifty a puck. I think I overloaded the brush and didn't hydrate enough. The lather also dissipated pretty quickly, but the skin was still slick enough to shave. Good enough for this straight shaver, and one could do much worse and pay much more.

 

[Big Jim]

During my lifetime I have shaved with Williams far more than anything else. It was pretty much the only game in town for decades.

It works. It works well enough to get a good shave even with a lousy brush.

There certainly are much better shaving though. I still have a couple of unopened pucks. I don't know if I will ever use them up.

 

[Cajunboy2k]

I tried Williams for the first time today. I dont really see what the bad press is about. It lathered up great, shaved really well, and had a scent I could live with. Up until today I only used Omega and TOBS creams. This soap will be a standard in my rotation.

 

[Kent Kimmons]

I have a puck of this stuff in my cup now, and my wife bought a second thinking I needed it. I will use this puck because I opened it. The second puck will go in long-term reserve for the zombie apocalypse. On second thought, I may use it to wash the dog. I need to get even with him for peeing on the rug last night.

 

[¢orey]

You can get a far better soap for not much more money.

Gave away my first and only puck of Williams. No regrets.

 

[DrumZalot]

I had been using Williams for many years even with hard water I can lather this soap. It's serviceable and is inexpensive I don't mind the aroma. With so many other soaps available I don't use much anymore but I guess I am one of the few who still like it.

 

[Kentos]

Thanks for the input guys! Had a second shave tonight, used a lot more water and hey! Got a great shave! It's a YMMV thing but I think it's a good soap.

 

[mctmatt]

Many soaps take a little time to dial in their Lather Point just like Mike's, Mystic Water, MWF, and many more. Once I was able to get Williams dialed in then it produced very slick and luxurious lather. For me the secrete was letting the puck soak with hot water on the top of the puck while I showered then prep for my shave. This soap loves a "Stupid Amount of Water", not the originator of this statement, but I love it and it is true.

 

[luvmysuper]

FWIW - I don't do anything special with it. No pre soaking, no additives. Just lather up and shave.
If you can use MWF, you can use Williams - they have very similar characteristics.

 

[Deano]

Williams is ok at best. For the same money or a tiny bit more you can get VDH Deluxe, a much better soap IMO.

 

[luvmysuper]

Williams is ok at best. For the same money or a tiny bit more you can get VDH Deluxe, a much better soap IMO.

Easier to lather for sure.
I'm not sure I personally agree it's better, or even cheaper. VDH is a melt and pour soap, and folks can rip through a puck pretty quickly when compared to a hard soap.

 

[Disburden]

My favorite soap ever. I think I have tried over fifty soaps and this I have used for a year straight.

I used to hate it, then one day I figured it out. The slip is unparalleled.

 

[Topgumby]

Williams....It makes your blade sharper, your ho-hum razor the envy of all the other shave geeks, gives your aftershave extra fragrance and zing, and in general transforms the average shave into a memorable event.

The key ingredient...envy. I don't pre-soak the puck or add anything other than the karmic tears of green, jealous rage that the Williams haters emit on almost every Williams thread, and there is a mighty river of them to be had. Is that the razor singing as it mows down stubble on a super-slick cushion of wonderous Willie, or is it the sound of wailing and gnashing teeth from another shaver, who struggles mightily and gets only wispy, dissapating dissapointment? Either way, it's a sweet, sweet song.

The sheer joy of getting a great shave out of a puck that so obviously infuriates and mystifies my fellow man is invigorating...and it's so cheap that after a shave I sometimes find an extra buck or two stuffed into my wallet, with that tell-tale lingering citronella scent giving away the origin of the new samolians.

Of course, YMMV, but if it does, your agony only adds to the ectasy of the man who has unlocked the secret of modern Williams.

 

[OldSaw]

The truth is, there is no secret. You can quit trying to figure it out, it will only frustrate you if you don't like it. If you like it, shave on. That's it. Sorry I let the cat out of the bag.

 

[sandtrout]

Used it over the last two days...soak it and the brush while I shower. Slick, smooth lather and good shave. I use it when the urge hits me. 90% of the time I'm using Proraso products.

 

[Mr5x5]

It works but for an extra $1 I like VDH Deluxe better.