Continuing my shave soap and cream reviews;
This is my review of Williams Mug Shave Soap. Products used during the shower and shave were as follows;
- Pears Soap with Mint Extract Bath Soap
- Dollar Shave Club Face Wash
- The Body Shop Tea Tree Face Scrub
- Williams Mug Shave Soap
- Marvy Mug
- Q-Shave scuttle
- Omega 49 Shave Brush
- Rockwell 6S on R5
- Dorco Prime (2nd use)
- Gentleman Jon’s Alum Block
- Aqua Velva Aftershave
- Brut Antiperspirant Deodorant
The following process is what I used for my SOTD with the Williams Mug Shave Soap. This is also the same process I use with all my shave soaps;
- While I brushed my teeth I made sure the scuttle ran under the hot water
- I filled the water hollow and the lathering bowl portion of scuttle with hot water
- Rinsed brush with hot water
- Placed brush in Marvy Mug with Williams Shave Soap
- Filled Marvy Mug containing Williams Mug Shave Soap for blooming
- Took shower
- Took out brush and rung out excess water
- Used Bloom water from puck/bowl as pre-shave
- Dumped scuttle water from both water hollow and lathering bowl area
- Refilled water hollow with fresh hot water
- Loaded damp brush from puck creating a cream
- Started working the cream in the bowl
- Added hot water via finger tips until desired lather is produced
- Lather my face
- Cleaned my glasses with finger tip of lather
- Waited another minute to let the lather work its magic
- Pass I WTG
- Lather face
- Pass II Lower Jaw to Nose
- Lather face
- Pass III Chin to Ear
- Check for pick ups (None Needed)
- Scrub face with some of the leftover lather (Kevy Shaves style)
- Rinse face
- Apply alum to Face
- Rinse Alum Block
- Clean equipment
- Rinse off Alum from face
- Dry off
- Apply Aftershave
- Apply Deodorant
Now for my thoughts. Just a heads up. Due to my process of bowl lathering unless the soap/cream is just horrible I always get a great lather. It takes longer, but the control of how much water is used really helps dial in the lather just right. Some soaps/creams take longer than others. So it is hard for me to find a soap/cream I dislike.
- Time to Lather
- Takes a lot of time and patience
- Once you think you have it, you don’t
- Once you think you have it again, you don’t
- When you are about to give up, you get it
- Very thirsty soap
- Takes a lot of time and patience
- Quality of Lather
- Great quality
- If you do it right
- Great quality
- Cushion
- Great Cushion
- If you do it right
- Great Cushion
- Slickness
- Whilst lathered
- The slickest I’ve had yet
- After Pass (Bare Wet Skin)
- Almost as slick as with the lather
- Whilst lathered
- Scent
- Must get used to
- Like an extreme industrial soap
- The pairing of the Aqua Velva is perfect
- Works great with any other EdT or EdC due to no real lasting smell
- Rinse
- Rinsing Clean takes effort
- Post Shave
- Meh
- Just like using a descent face soap
- Not moisturizing
- Not drying
- Meh
This is a very polarizing soap. I love this soap. It has a great slickness and great lather. However, to get a good lather takes time, patience, and technique. I see a lot of folks mixing their pucks with other things for a better scent and faster lathering. There’s a really nice guy who has his own YouTube Channel who speaks against even blooming the puck. If he reads this he’d probably say something like, “Don’t molest the Williams.” I personally do not deviate from the process unless the process does not work. My process with this soap gives me a great lather that does not dissipate. If someone put a gun to my head and told me I was allowed only one soap for the rest of my life, it would be Williams. I wish Combe would bring back some Williams Mug Shave Soap swag. Like a mug. That would be nice.
I have bought this soap in bulk. I have over thirty pucks of this stored away for safe keeping. If the world ends I will still be able to have great shaves as long as I can find water and purify it. I highly doubt this is a needed concern, but I am not running out of Williams any time soon. For about a dollar a puck, I believe it’s well worth the money. This is the shave soap Wyatt Earp would have used. There’s just something about that that makes me smile.
I do recommend it if you are like me and accept challenges knowing the payoff in the end is worth it. If you do not have the patience, don’t buy this soap. You’ll just become frustrated. Are there easier to lather soaps with a nicer scent? Of course, but there’s just something about achieving a top tier lather with top tier slickness with a product that’s so inexpensive.