My magic combo is face lathering with modern Williams and my Omega 10049 boar. I put a few drops of water on the puck and soak the brush while I shower. then shake out the brush well, wet the tips, and load the brush. Then I spread what's on the brush around on my face, then work up the lather, wetting the tips of the brush 2 or 3 more times. I end up with a good, thick, slick and cushiony lather.
Who says Williams Mug Shaving Soap does not lather?
- Thread starter JBLicious
- Start date
Over 50 years ago I started out with Williams Mug soap for 10 cents per puck, It lathered up quickly to a fine rich lather, I switched to Old Spice and other soaps as time went on mostly for the aroma but now while using Williams it takes more time and have to find the right combination or technique to make the same fine lather that I did 55 years ago. Don't get me wrong, it is still a great soap but it is lacking compared to years ago.
I know this sounds like a criminal offense but I've tweaked Williams a bit. I've added about a 1/4 bar of Dove (Shea Butter or unscented) soap to Williams by shaving and mixing with double boiler method, I guess the tallow in dove adds to Williams, I get a fast, thick, slick lather like I did years ago.
I've tried mixing up to a 1/2 bar of dove with different scents and works great, but takes away from the Williams.
I know this sounds like a criminal offense but I've tweaked Williams a bit. I've added about a 1/4 bar of Dove (Shea Butter or unscented) soap to Williams by shaving and mixing with double boiler method, I guess the tallow in dove adds to Williams, I get a fast, thick, slick lather like I did years ago.
I've tried mixing up to a 1/2 bar of dove with different scents and works great, but takes away from the Williams.
So that's interesting you seen and used both versions of Williams the new and the old.
Yes I have used both new and old Williams and they are VERY different. My Dad taught me how to make lather with his Williams and he watched me as I made my own on my first puck. it was easy to make a great lather and that was in 1962, but now as I have read that Williams has been sold to a few different companies, that somehow for reasons unknown the Formula has been changed from the way I remember it to be. The formula ingredients may not have changed but the amounts of each I think have. The old Ingredients list was first listed as Sodium Tallowate but now first on the list is Potassium Stearate, I could be wrong but this tell me that less Tallowate is added. So, why would my lather be better if adding some Dove soap that is a tallow based soap.
I am sorry if I hurt any ones feelings by speaking out but I miss the days when things were well made, the days when furniture didn't come in a box, when things were hand made, not by some robot and your kids (now grand children) played all day out doors thinking up their own games instead of thumbs on a phone.
@Tallships, my mom has Grandpa's cup, soap( probably williams) and old small brush. Ok he died early 1960's like a month before I was born. I'll gain some more experience with the new Williams and give it a spin, assuming it's good. It's a little yellowed around the edges but ..
Keto, I think you'll enjoy your Grandfathers kit, you have tradition, a piece of history your Grandpa used.
The way i was taught to use Williams was to soak my brush a few min., add a few drops of water to the puck, give brush a few light shakes, leaving the brush not too dry or wet, (I was taught to mug lather, But now mostly bowl) slowly swirl brush on puck with a slight pressure adding water as needed by lightly dipping brush in your sink filled with warm water, within a few strokes of the brush you will see a lather start to build, continue to swirl brush with rounding up and down motion, adding a few drops of water as needed, adjust speed of your swirl as you like it. Within 30 sec. to a minute you should have a great lather. Take your washcloth and soak with hot tap water and soak your beard for about a min. Apply lather with the swirl 8 and enjoy your shave. If you feel a slight pressure like a hand on your shoulder and a calmness about you, just look in the mirror and smile, Have a wonderful shave.
Thank you buddy for that!
Williams lathers up just fine and I use it every day. We have hard water and that doesn't seem to have any effect on it. I put a couple of drops of warm water on the puck, shower then add a drop of Cremo to the puck and whip up some awesome lather. Super slick too and all about 1 minute to great lather. I get it at Wegman's for $0.99 a puck, ridiculously cheap.
Vintage Williams lathers easier. Modern Williams will lather well if you are gentle and slow with it, to avoid the bubbles that it otherwise easily forms.
You can also go normal speed with it. You get those bubbles up front... but just keep mixing and they'll settle down into a creamy lather.
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Somehow for me, once I get the bubbles they never truly go away. Maybe I just dont spend the time needed for that. I load in a mug, then face lather. Slow-loading and slow-face-lathering Williams in this way adds about 1.5 minutes to my normal, non-Williams roitine.
Ah you're a face latherer. That's the difference. I bowl lather.
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I've been face lathering Williams (using a technique generously share by @Guitar10), not taking any longer than usual and resulting in creamy lather (not foamy, not full of air, but dense, creamy lather). I'm use a RR Bruce synthetic brush, soak the brush, wet my face, take the brush out of the soak mug and give it 2 solid shakes to get out any excess water, load from a dry puck for 15-20 seconds, then face lather (first by making a looping figure-8 - start on one cheek, go under chin, up to the other cheek back and forth a couple of times, then I begin to do the standard circles, adding water by dipping the tips of the brush in the soak mug, building to an amazing dense, creamy lather). I end up with more than enough lather for 2 full-face passes and then some.
I contend Williams shines by virtue of the slick coat it leaves on the skin. The foam is just foam.
I do 4 passes, lol. I must mug-load for about 45 seconds to a minute.
Wow, 45 seconds - 1 minute?!?! I can understand being frustrated at that.
Here's a couple of "tricks" that I use (I'm sure everyone has some that works for them, these work for me). I soak my brush in very warm water for roughly 2 minutes (since it's synthetic, it's really only wicking water up and needs about 30 seconds). When I load from the puck (which is dry, not bloomed nor soaked), I "pinch" the bristles (firmly but not squishing them, allowing some spring) so that they're stiffer (I noticed most who are successful with Williams use boar bristle brushes, but I like my RR Bruce Brush). I don't keep the bristles pinch when I face lather; I'm holding the brush normally by the handle; but I do use light pressure to start as I smear the soap around on my wet face, then regular pressure as I build.
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Thats a very interesting idea. I use a synth brush so I will try that. Thanks!
Not for me smells like mosquito repellent
I leave my puck out in open air and in two or three shaves, the citronella scent dies down and becomes a pleasant soapy scent.
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