I finally figured it was time to jump in and try Williams. I've had an unused box that my grandmother gave me years ago after my grandfather passed away along with the rest of his kit and I did not want to use that puck so I bought a new one at a local drugstore. I thought I knew what to expect when I opened the box, but was surprised to see an orange colored puck that smelled like citronella. Now I have opened the puck from my grandfather and it is pure white and smells like a dead ringer for MWF, so that was what I was expecting... so did I get a bad batch? When the heck did Williams start smelling like citronella or did it always smell that way and my original puck is so old the scent is muted?
When did Williams change color?
- Thread starter PomfretSteve
- Start date
Thats what it smelled like when I bought a puck a few years ago, it wasn't orange but an off-white color.
Probably oxidation, from sitting on the shelf a long time. Previous discussion:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/272974-orange-tinted-Williams
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/360936-Williams-Soap-Question
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/195010-Does-shaving-soap-quot-go-bad-spoil-quot
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/272974-orange-tinted-Williams
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/360936-Williams-Soap-Question
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/195010-Does-shaving-soap-quot-go-bad-spoil-quot
The Williams I have bought recently was sort of a dull white in color.
The first Williams puck I used was some time around 1988/89. It's scent was a light lemony scent. The color was off-white or cream colored. It was an irritating, burning, and drying shave soap for me at that time. The second time I used it was about 4 years ago, bought a new puck, color was the same, scent was just as I recall. The products didn't burn my skin (being a lot older now), but the lather quality was terrible. It's not that I couldn't lather it. The problem I had was that the lather dissipated very quickly....as in all gone before I could finish shaving the right side of my face. Every puck I've seen in store was the same color. Never seen it darken or change to an orangish color at all. I don't believe that Williams is nearly made with the same quality and care today as it was when my father and grandfather used it decades ago.
I think you have two different formulations of Williams. There is a long thread discussing dates and plants of manufacture. The newer formulation doesn't seem to have as much tallow and doesn't perform quite as well as older formulations.
You're right about that. I think even most members who like and use Williams concede that the product has declined. People like me would use it if only for nostalgic reasons but find so many other soaps and creams easier to use that it's just not worth the effort.
My theory on what happened to Williams is that, while the ingredients list didn't change much, the portions of each ingredient changed. The reason I feel that way is that I grated up a puck and got a tremendous lather and close shave from it. But I could never reproduce the same results and I think the reason is that I depleted the ingredients that made this product legendary during that one shave. I used an earlier incarnation of Williams and it was great the whole puck through.
Here's some info on the subject, gathered by some very studious members at B&B:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/147700-Identifying-Vintage-Williams
http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Williams_Mug_Shaving_Soap
I also think one determining factor could be that this soap lathered better with those old fashioned Boar brushes as opposed to the finer badger that seem so popular today. Boar is what most average Americans used back in the day. Badger was mostly a nobility or rich mans brush. Boar seems stiffer and in theory would generate better lather with those older American hard soaps. I also agree with you on the formulation portions. I think they have been altered. All I can say is that I was never impressed either time I used Williams and those occasions were literally 20 years apart.
my first shave soap was williams i purchased it about 6 or 8 months ago it was snow white
