Vintage Williams

[Cynomys]

While cruising the antique malls, I ran across a single puck of Williams in a plastic ziplock baggie for $5. No box. It was evidently a vintage judging from the old appearance and the design logo "embossed" into the cake which was quite unlike the current version of Williams. I sniffed it and there was no detectable scent.

I passed it up. Did I do right? Or should I have bought it?

 

[Topgumby]

Depends on your outlook. For your fiver, you'd be getting a puck of soap that is a great performer, in the same league as Tabac IMHO. From that standpoint, it's a bargain.

They seem to go for at least that on auction sites, and when you include shipping five bucks looks good, too.

I'd have snagged it, but I like vintage Williams.

 

[Cynomys]

I noticed that you are near Seattle (same as me), so I'll PM you and let you know where it is. Depending on whether you are north or south, you might be able to easily pick it up.

 

[michiganlover]

I would have snatched it up in a heartbeat. It's a top quality soap, that is nothing like the disaster that is the current formulation of Williams.

It would join the other ten or so pucks of Vintage Williams I already own.

 

[RayH]

If I was convinced that it was vintage, then I would have bought it just to see the difference between then and now.

 

[MrGuy]

If you are going to use it, I'd say buy it. There is some thing extremely satisfying about using vintage soaps, even more so than vintage razors. Razors were made of durable metal and designed to last. Soaps are made of... well, soap They have a finite life span and once they're gone, they're gone. You can't find a bunch of soap scraps and "re-plate" them into something looking and working like new.

If you are in doubt about the age, this thread has some nice photos of old pucks and approximate dates.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Vintage williams is some sweet stuff. Sometimes I take my Currier and Ives bowl to bed with me and put it under my pillow to give me sweet dreams.

 

[Topgumby]

Vintage williams is some sweet stuff. Sometimes I take my Currier and Ives bowl to bed with me and put it under my pillow to give me sweet dreams.

You sir, are my new hero!

 

[Deltaboy]

Pre 1980 Williams and Colgate are great. Go back and drop that Abe on the counter and get it.

 

[Cynomys]

Okay, I finally made it back (6 months later) to that antique mall store and, lo and behold, the fabled puck was still there. Not only that, but there was a 20% off sale at that vendor's booth, so rather than wait for the price to come down even further, I snapped it up.

Now I'm wondering how to use it (no jokes please). With modern Williams, I bowl lathered, then switched to face lathering, scrapping the soap puck across my beard stubble like a shaving stick. Then I grated it into a bowl which is how I am using it now and that seems to work best.

What is the best way to use the Vintage Williams. I realize that the grating technique is irreversible.

 

[Gamma]

I soak vintage Williams pucks for a bit - when it's hydrated I dump the water and then I get to it with a wet brush. When the brush is loaded - I work up the lather on my face. Lathering in a bowl is fine too - watch out - Vintage Williams is addictive.