Some basic questions that I probably should already know the answers too

[GaryTha]

Williams is the only soap I own. I have 27 pucks left, so I won't be switching anytime soon.

Williams prefers to be used every day or at least every other day. I use a horsehair brush with almost as much water as the brush will hold. I face lather.

Nothing says you have to learn how to use Williams. Whatever works.

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

Hello all. So I have been wet shaving on and off since 2013. I just recently got back into it and I am loving it. I have picked up a couple of Fatboys and understand the mild razor, sharp blade works best for me. However, what I am not really clear on are a few basic things that I bet most of you already know. So I thought I would just ask

1. I read on here today a reply that said something like "I have mostly a mostly gray beard so it is coarse" - Q: does beard color equate to hair coarseness? And how does one know if they have a coarse beard? I assume a coarse beard takes more effort to shave.
2. I recently shaved with Williams Mug soap and I got a horrible shave. Very irritated when it was over. I felt my lather was on pair with the other soaps I was using. Q: does changing the soap have that much impact on shaves if the soap makes a good lather?
3. Speaking of lather. I watch a lot of youtube videos on shaves. Trying to understand more and spot new techniques. One thing I notice is that a lot of guys on there spend a lot of time getting a really thick lather. Q: does a think lather make that much difference in the quality of shave? I mean I have a good lather, but not like a Barbasol can lather.

So far, I have gotten a lot of DFS using the Fatboy on 2. I have tried several blades such as Personna Red, GSB, Astra (both stainless and platinum), Gillette 7 o'clock. The only 'bad' shave I have gotten in the last few mos is the Williams Mug recent shave so I believe I am doing a lot of the basics correct.

Thanks for your advice
-Erik

I’m 68 and I don’t think that my beard has gotten any more coarse over the years, but it’s gotten thinner. So it seems like it should be easier to shave it. However, since it would have been a gradual change, I really can’t tell. I’m not sure how anyone would.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[sugardaddy]

For the record, that vid I posted earlier is my own. And I'm not saying that it's the only way to lather Williams... just one.

Also, if you're Williams lather dissipates, you're not done learning about it. Mine never does. You just need more soap, water, and/or mix time.

Sent from my phone using Tapatalk

 

[Timeclo]

So I got curious about WMS so I started lathering it with my Semogue 830, to also help break in the brush.

So the bowl lathering doesn't work with a smooth bowl. The lather got foamier and foamier after adding a lot of water. It probably needs some sort of ridges/swirls to generate volume.

On the other hand, palm lathering worked out better. I built a ton of lather in volume but it was still a bit light/airy for my taste. I think it'll work well on an actual shave because of its slickness.

As for face lathering, I don't think WMS is going to work well. I have to work the lather in around double the time of my usual lathering (And I lather for a long time). This will lead to irritation even before the shave. It's probably better to keep it dry as this soap foams up even from the start.

As for the dryness of the soap, it does dry out my skin. It feels as if I put alum all over my hands when I rinsed off the soap. I'm sure balms will take care of it but it's just one property of the soap for me.

 

[Demolition]

When my beard was dark, the hairs seemed to stay lined up. I only needed to comb it to keep it presentable.

However, when my beard turned white, I don't think it got coarser or tougher. But, it definitely became more unruly. Now, the hairs are kinked and pointing in every direction. The only thing that tames it is a good shampooing (with Proraso Single Blade beard wash) to soften the hairs and a healthy dose of beard balm or wax.

 

[ShaverAZ]

I'll be 68 later this year, so I've got the obligatory white beard. Usually kept my mustache & goatee short, but I recently let the goatee grow out. I was amazed to see how coarse & stiff it is, compared to, say armpit hair.
Soaps can have a definite impact on the quality shave, as can the addition of a preshave material.
Williams is slick and provides a great, no frills or foo-foo scent shave.
In general I bowl lather, loading the soap or cream onto the brush, rubbing it around to coat the bottom of the bowl, then slowly adding drops of water and whipping well with the brush unti it begins to build a dense lather. Initially the lather will have a dull appearance, so I add more water several drops at a time, until the lather takes on a sheen, and maintains the dense & thick lather.
Equal parts of Cremo and Neutrogena for Sensitive skin at about the size of a large pea for each, whips up into a slick, close shaving, and irritation free lather that rinses easily out of the razor and leaves minimal soap scum in the sink. I use it as my comparison standard when trying new soap samples to determine if they measure up to the Cremogena, or not.
As for a pre-shave, Proraso works fine, but Noxzema and especially a blend works even better. I gently melt 3 parts of Noxzema, 1 part of Kokum Butter, and 1/2 part avocado oil (olive oil or grapeseed oil works too). Add a large dab of almost any hand cream, since they contain emulsifiers that help blend in the oil. Dove For Men works well, too, but the Noxzema (Generic Equate Brand) is cheaper and works great. The pre shave application also seems to help extend the number of quality blade shaves, too.

 

[santamariasteve]

A lotta good comments in the previous posts. I will echo some of them:

Older men definitely have tougher whiskers, especially after the age of 50 or so.

I like staying with one soap. It simplifies the lather building process. Each brand has its own water requirements.

Thick heavy lather is overkill. It looks good in pictures and it's good for the soap company's bottom line of profit.

 

[trentr]

I like the idea of a thick, heavy lather. Seems like it would work best and be all comfortable to shave with...… What it does is clog my razors. The milder the worse they clog. I got much better shaves when I stopped trying to make "pretty" lather and just made lather. And I have been doing this for quite a long time and I swear my lather is still getting better. Just little tweaks and tricks you try. Play with it. You will find what works.

 

[ShaverAZ]

So I got curious about WMS so I started lathering it with my Semogue 830, to also help break in the brush.

So the bowl lathering doesn't work with a smooth bowl. The lather got foamier and foamier after adding a lot of water. It probably needs some sort of ridges/swirls to generate volume.

On the other hand, palm lathering worked out better. I built a ton of lather in volume but it was still a bit light/airy for my taste. I think it'll work well on an actual shave because of its slickness.

View attachment 1077541

As for face lathering, I don't think WMS is going to work well. I have to work the lather in around double the time of my usual lathering (And I lather for a long time). This will lead to irritation even before the shave. It's probably better to keep it dry as this soap foams up even from the start.

As for the dryness of the soap, it does dry out my skin. It feels as if I put alum all over my hands when I rinsed off the soap. I'm sure balms will take care of it but it's just one property of the soap for me.

I put about 5 drops of water onto the Williams puck & let it sit while applying a preshave. I load a damp brush, swirl the brush around in the bottom of my bowl (smooth inside glass bowl) adding a few drops of water until it begins to lather up. I stop when the lather takes on a sheen. It is dense and slick.
The trick is to use distilled or DI water.

 

[ShaverAZ]

I like the idea of a thick, heavy lather. Seems like it would work best and be all comfortable to shave with...… What it does is clog my razors. The milder the worse they clog. I got much better shaves when I stopped trying to make "pretty" lather and just made lather. And I have been doing this for quite a long time and I swear my lather is still getting better. Just little tweaks and tricks you try. Play with it. You will find what works.

I've found that some soaps generate more razor-clogging soap scum than others. F'r instance, even with DI water, Palmolive cream tends to make excessive soap scum, coating the razor & sink, than many other soaps.

 

[Timeclo]

I put about 5 drops of water onto the Williams puck & let it sit while applying a preshave. I load a damp brush, swirl the brush around in the bottom of my bowl (smooth inside glass bowl) adding a few drops of water until it begins to lather up. I stop when the lather takes on a sheen. It is dense and slick.
The trick is to use distilled or DI water.

Hmm. Maybe DI water is the trick but my smooth bowl definitely did not work well. I'll shave with it in couple of days and see what I can get.

 

[EricSki]

For the record, that vid I posted earlier is my own. And I'm not saying that it's the only way to lather Williams... just one.

Also, if you're Williams lather dissipates, you're not done learning about it. Mine never does. You just need more soap, water, and/or mix time.

Sent from my phone using Tapatalk

I've seen the video. Kind of intresting but total overkill. I get a lather like Greek yogurt in 10-20 seconds.

 

[ShaverAZ]

Hmm. Maybe DI water is the trick but my smooth bowl definitely did not work well. I'll shave with it in couple of days and see what I can get.

I recall seeing someone here using silicone sealer to put bumps in the bottom of their smooth bowl. May be worth a try!

 

[Swedish Steel]

I have heard that the difference between blonde and brown hair is not the color but the thickness. As the hair grows thicker, its apperance darkens. This is why many blonde children grow up to have brown hair.

So, controlling for age, hair color should be related to hardness.