The Best Way To Use Williams!

[riverstyxxx]

Williams shaving soap is really nice. It has a good scent, it's cheap, it dates back about 200 years, but it's also very hard and requires a 10-minute soak in hot water for an easy lather. So here's what I did: Grind it up with a cheese grater, smoosh it into a bowl best as possible, then add boiling-hot water and just let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. Then drain the water, smoosh the soap down even more, and stick it in the fridge until it's cold. This softens it up and makes lathering a cinch, no need to presoak it anymore and it builds within seconds of adding the water and brush. It also kills a lot of the scent, if that was a problem for you:

 

[jlindy]

The best way to use Willie's is just like it says on the box... Mug soap! drop it in your mug and lather on the puck. It's cheap enough I wouldn't worry about 'economizing' with it! =)

 

[riverstyxxx]

The best way to use Willie's is just like it says on the box... Mug soap! drop it in your mug and lather on the puck. It's cheap enough I wouldn't worry about 'economizing' with it! =)

Yeah I did it that way for a long time, takes forever even with a mid-range super badger. The cost of Williams is negligible, $1 per bar locally. It performs like Arko with this method - Arko is also really soft & builds instantly.

 

[SliceOfLife]

The best way to use Williams is to just buy the old stuff from when it was the best shaving soap made instead of the junk it is now. Then just use it. Because it's actually good.

The old stuff is even harder than the modern stuff. Williams isn't bad because it's hard. It's bad because they changed the recipe to a far inferior and cheaper one, and decided to deny doing so until the end of time. Yes, you can make it work. You can also shave with canned goo. You can also shave with Ivory. You can also shave with almost any soap if you're willing to lather on the puck and/or work it for an eternity. The question is, why? You want to use it up? Go for it. You genuinely like it? Hey great. Don't do it as a status thing though. "I can lather WILLIAMS!" Why make yourself have an inferior shaving experience (jumping through hoops, "fixing" your soap, not getting the best lather you can, whatever), just to prove a point? No one will be any worse off if you just choose to buy a better soap in the first place. We're all here. We all have the internet. We all have better options available.

 

[BradWorld]

I bought some Williams at the supermarket for a dollar a puck. I grated it into a bowl, and mixed in some grated Col. Conk Bay Rum that I also wasn't using. Mixed it all up and pressed it down into the bowl. It made a nice Franken-soap.

I grated another Willaims puck into a bowl, then melted a puck of Conk Lime in the microwave. Poured it over the Williams and mixed up up. Let it harden. Another fine Franken-soap.

In in both cases, the whole was far better than the parts. I took a few mediocre soaps I wasn't using and made something a little better.

 

[Ad Astra]

Whew; I was afraid there was going to be a pic of someone washing their dog with it ... Though I rarely use Williams, I do respect the name.


AA

 

[Steve56]

The best way to use Williams is to just buy the old stuff from when it was the best shaving soap made instead of the junk it is now. Then just use it. Because it's actually good.

The old stuff is even harder than the modern stuff. Williams isn't bad because it's hard. It's bad because they changed the recipe to a far inferior and cheaper one, and decided to deny doing so until the end of time. Yes, you can make it work. You can also shave with canned goo. You can also shave with Ivory. You can also shave with almost any soap if you're willing to lather on the puck and/or work it for an eternity. The question is, why? You want to use it up? Go for it. You genuinely like it? Hey great. Don't do it as a status thing though. "I can lather WILLIAMS!" Why make yourself have an inferior shaving experience (jumping through hoops, "fixing" your soap, not getting the best lather you can, whatever), just to prove a point? No one will be any worse off if you just choose to buy a better soap in the first place. We're all here. We all have the internet. We all have better options available.

This summarizes my experience too.

But when people talk about William's 'heritage' WRT the modern stuff, one has to realize that it is not the same soap nor the same company whose products our fathers and gramdfathers used. It's a completely new, inferior, and different product in a box with nostalgic graphics.

Cheers, Steve

 

[dabrock]

The best way to use Willie's is just like it says on the box... Mug soap! drop it in your mug and lather on the puck. It's cheap enough I wouldn't worry about 'economizing' with it! =)

Exactly! A mug lather gets the best lather IME and you get a nice thick lather when you do it right. The long pre soaks help as well.

 

[dabrock]

Whew; I was afraid there was going to be a pic of someone washing their dog with it ... Though I rarely use Williams, I do respect the name.


AA

No, there are animal cruelty laws! [emoji38]

 

[nemo]

The best way to use Willie's is just like it says on the box... Mug soap! drop it in your mug and lather on the puck.

This has always worked for me as well, drop the puck in an Old Spice mug and lather away.

 

[sarimento1]

over the years, i've been able to grab several vintage williams, so no issue.
always lathers great!

 

[gsurko]

I too find mug lathering the only way to go.

 

[Guitar10]

Williams is a thirsty soap use The right amount of Water and you get great results. It's not what it used to be(vintage Williams) but it's still good and very usable. I dont have any trouble lathering it, The shave and The post shave is good. Dont get me Wrong this is not a high quality soap but it really works.

 

[California Cajun]

Williams shaving soap is really nice. It has a good scent, it's cheap, it dates back about 200 years, but it's also very hard and requires a 10-minute soak in hot water for an easy lather. So here's what I did: Grind it up with a cheese grater, smoosh it into a bowl best as possible, then add boiling-hot water and just let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. Then drain the water, smoosh the soap down even more, and stick it in the fridge until it's cold. This softens it up and makes lathering a cinch, no need to presoak it anymore and it builds within seconds of adding the water and brush. It also kills a lot of the scent, if that was a problem for you:

View attachment 682652
View attachment 682651

You can buy Citronella Essential Oil to approximate the scent (actually smells better IMO).

I grated an Arko stick, immersed in water, and added 5-10 drops of citronella oil and stirred. It makes a soft soap and works well. Next time I will drain the water. I want the soap to be harder.

A few years ago I grated a Williams puck, nothing else, and I got one fantastic lather. But two subsequent attempts were bad. That's what led me to believe that when Combe cheapened their formula, they reduced the ingredients that made it easy to lather.

 

[RobsForge]

Nice I love that people don't give up on Williams, I love the stuff as a pre shave and regular shaving soap. I really want to try the vintage Williams!

 

[Cash_Stronomer]

Sounded neat until you said it dulled the scent. I love the scent!

 

[dabrock]

You can buy Citronella Essential Oil to approximate the scent (actually smells better IMO).

I grated an Arko stick, immersed in water, and added 5-10 drops of citronella oil and stirred. It makes a soft soap and works well. Next time I will drain the water. I want the soap to be harder.

A few years ago I grated a Williams puck, nothing else, and I got one fantastic lather. But two subsequent attempts were bad. That's what led me to believe that when Combe cheapened their formula, they reduced the ingredients that made it easy to lather.

Probably potassium sterate and potassium tallowate they replaced by sodium sterate and tallowate I believe because they are less costly.

 

[Kronsteen]

In the shower. Modern Williams sucks for shaving; super market bricks like Ivory and Kirk's Castile actually lather more easily than it and dry out your face less. Williams deserves its discontinuation.

 

[BSAGuy]

I thought you could only use Williams in a mug. It is called "mug soap."

 

[Rory1262]

Williams is a thirsty soap use The right amount of Water and you get great results. It's not what it used to be(vintage Williams) but it's still good and very usable. I dont have any trouble lathering it, The shave and The post shave is good. Dont get me Wrong this is not a high quality soap but it really works.

This has been my experience as well.