I have been using my Rockwell 6C trouble free for over a year. Recently I ran out of my stash of 30+ year old Williams soap and started using some of the new Williams soap. Since I started using the new Williams soap the razor clogs up quickly and does not shave well until I clean it. I now have to clean the razor two to three times a shave. With the old Williams soap I could just swish the razor in the water to keep it clean. With the new soap I have to take the razor completely apart to clean it. Does anybody else have to keep taking their razor apart multiple times a shave? What is a good soap to use with a Rockwell?
Rockwell 6C Clogging
- Thread starter redmed
- Start date
Not sure how to help u here. I've not come across the Rockwell clogging up due to using certain soaps. In all my years of wet shaving, I've never had issues with clogging, regardless of razor and soap.
Maybe your lather is too pasty? Really not sure.
Sent from my CPH1969 using Tapatalk
It sounds like your lather is too dry, it needs more water. If you are trying to shave numerous days growth I can also see a problem. Trim the stubble down to ~6mm if it is too long.
Cella and Proraso are easy to lather so give them a try.
The newer formulation is more concentrated, so it will require more water. It's a thirsty soap.
- Thread starter
- #5
I have been going three to four days between shaving since I'm not out as much. I have been attributing the clogging to the longer beard but the last three days I have been shaving one day's growth and the razor still clogs.
The lather on the new Walters seems wetter (larger bubbles) than the old Walters. I have been slightly stingy with the water. Trying to get the bubbles in the lather as small as the old Walters. To dampen the brush before I gather soap I used to dip the brush in the water then shake excess moisture out of the brush once when using the old Walters. Now I have been shaking the brush twice to get more moisture out of the brush, in a attempt to get smaller bubbles in the lather. Maybe I'll just shake the brush once like before and ignore the bubble size. The lather of the old Walter seemed richer (more protective) than the new Walter and I have been trying to duplicate the lather but can't.
With both soaps I pour a small amount of warm water on top of the soap to presoften the soap while I get things ready. Fill the bowl with water, get the razor, lay a towel on the edge of the bowl. Then use the water that was sitting on the soap to pre-moisten my beard. I do notice that the presoften water from the new Walters is not as soapy as the old Walters and hardly leaves a layer of soapiness on my face.
The lather on the new Walters seems wetter (larger bubbles) than the old Walters. I have been slightly stingy with the water. Trying to get the bubbles in the lather as small as the old Walters. To dampen the brush before I gather soap I used to dip the brush in the water then shake excess moisture out of the brush once when using the old Walters. Now I have been shaking the brush twice to get more moisture out of the brush, in a attempt to get smaller bubbles in the lather. Maybe I'll just shake the brush once like before and ignore the bubble size. The lather of the old Walter seemed richer (more protective) than the new Walter and I have been trying to duplicate the lather but can't.
With both soaps I pour a small amount of warm water on top of the soap to presoften the soap while I get things ready. Fill the bowl with water, get the razor, lay a towel on the edge of the bowl. Then use the water that was sitting on the soap to pre-moisten my beard. I do notice that the presoften water from the new Walters is not as soapy as the old Walters and hardly leaves a layer of soapiness on my face.
- Thread starter
- #6
Before I ordered the bars of Walters recently. I remembered, in the past, I used a old old bar of Van Der Hagen Shave Soap. I liked the old Van Der Hagen Shave Soap but read that Van Der Hagen changed their formulation. So when I ordered some new soap I went with the tried and true Walters. Now I find that Walters has changed too.
+1! That was also my first thought! Try a wetter lather!
If the wetter lather doesn’t work, then I suggest you try a different soap (perhaps Cella or Haslinger).
It sounds liek pasty lather. Add water
I have a 6c, predominantly use Stirling soaps and have not had any issues. Agree with others, maybe try hydrating/thinning the lather a bit more.
I agree with previous posts, wetter lather should help. I like a lather with a lot of cushion but it has enough water in it that even if it clogs momentarily, another stroke of the razor and it usually just plops out. Doesn't seem to affect the effectiveness in any way. Half the time I don't even notice, just swish and start swiping away till I'm done.
The rule of thumb for lather is it should come of razor when dipped and swished lightly in water (longer hair will affect this) but if you got your lather right it will just come off the razor when dipped and swished.
I'll be honest I have a bunch of williams and have never been able to get it lathered right. Large bubbles like you said.
It is still slick but not my liking.
I'll be honest I have a bunch of williams and have never been able to get it lathered right. Large bubbles like you said.
It is still slick but not my liking.
- Thread starter
- #13
I ordered some scented Van Der Hagen. While I'm waiting I pulled out a old experiment I tried last year when I knew my old Williams was running out. It is a bar of Pears soap I found at Dollar Tree. I had three days growth so the only difference from my last shave was the soap. The Pears did not clog like the new Williams soap. So I have definitely nailed it down to the new Williams soap or my mixing of moisture to a soap with the same name "Williams" but some different properties.
- Thread starter
- #15
Just received the Van Der Hagen. So I'll be able to do a direct comparison.
- Thread starter
- #16
Tried the Williams soap one more time and it was wet. Dripping wet. Still get clogging. A slight bit less but I still need to take the razor apart and clean it at least three times a shave. There is a substantial difference between the Williams of old and this newer Williams.
I know exactly what you're talking about. Thick lather can accumulate in the 6C or 6S.
That said, the razor should still shave well, regardless of any compacted lather. You can release most of the compacted lather by dunking your razor in running water for a few seconds while you shave.
That said, the razor should still shave well, regardless of any compacted lather. You can release most of the compacted lather by dunking your razor in running water for a few seconds while you shave.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #18
I have never tried running water. I swish the razor back and forth in standing water in my sink.
- Thread starter
- #19
I shaved the other day (Saturday) with the Van Der Hagen soap I just received and no clogging. Tomorrow morning I will have four days growth. Out of curiosity I will even more lightly load my brush with Williams and use a generous amount of water to see if I can thin the Williams lather even more. I have been planning to use less soap anyway. After shaving my face & head I usually still have about a half bowl of lather left. I want to change my routine to use less soap, but up to now the routine worked well and hesitated to change anything.
I have a routine of :
1. Turn on the faucet and wait till I get hot water.
2. Put a thin layer of hot water on the soap.
3. Fill the sink with hot water & gather razor, brush, towel and alum stone while sink fills.
4. After sink fills use the water on top of the soap as a pre-shave on face & head.
5. Twirl brush on pre-softened soap to gather soap.
6. Twirl pre-loaded brush in the empty lather bowl to load soap into bowl bottom.
7. Dip the brush into the water in the sink and shake out water twice.
8. Twirl wet brush in lather bowl until a small/rich bubble lather is obtained.
9. Lather face & head & shave.
I have a routine of :
1. Turn on the faucet and wait till I get hot water.
2. Put a thin layer of hot water on the soap.
3. Fill the sink with hot water & gather razor, brush, towel and alum stone while sink fills.
4. After sink fills use the water on top of the soap as a pre-shave on face & head.
5. Twirl brush on pre-softened soap to gather soap.
6. Twirl pre-loaded brush in the empty lather bowl to load soap into bowl bottom.
7. Dip the brush into the water in the sink and shake out water twice.
8. Twirl wet brush in lather bowl until a small/rich bubble lather is obtained.
9. Lather face & head & shave.
It sounds like you're going in the right direction. Like you, I used to whip up gobs of lather, which would get stuck in my razor.
Brush-lathering fixed that problem for me, and fast. I no longer use a lathering bowl, but that doesn't change the quality of my shave. I have similar results on my 6S and BBS-2.
My routine is brazenly minimal:
1. Wash face with common soap for a minute or two.
2. Moisten the shaving soap with a somewhat wet shaving brush.
3. For maybe fifteen seconds, brush the thin, wet lather onto your face.
4. Shave as usual, using faucet water to rinse. I use only one pass.
The whole routine takes maybe four minutes.
Similar threads
