Williams Fans, please help!

[Alfredo Becerra]

Ok, so, I bought a puck of Williams Shaving Soap and just could not get it to work. I poured a layer of hot water over it while I showered, tried a few things and I could not get a decent lather. The lather was paper thin, provided no cushion, and disappeared FAST!

What throws me off is that the reviews are mixed; some say it's horrible, some say it's OK, some say it's their favorite. Plus, if you go to other sites, like Amazon, it gets rave reviews. Some of the good reviews say that it's good but it takes some work to lather it up.

So, gents, lovers of Williams soap, my question is: how do you lather it? and, do you get thick and lasting lather?

It probably blows for all I know, but I can't help thinking there's gotta be something I'm doing wrong.

Please tell me how you lather it up, I want to give it a fair chance before I write it off for good.

 

[Leche]

Williams fans?

Just Kidding, someone likes it.

 

[Topgumby]

Please tell me how you lather it up, I want to give it a fair chance before I write it off for good.

I use an Omega #49 boar. It's got the stiffness and backbone to pick up a lot of soap.

I use hot water, just short of boiling from an electric kettle. Soak the brush, put about a tablespoon on the puck, and wait a minute.

I pour the water off the puck in to my lathering bowl. I shake out the brush, and give it a squeeze. I start loading the brush, swirling and pumping, for a good minute or so. I'll often turn the mug upside down while I do this.

I keep loading until the bristles are almost clumpy with soap, then start building my lather. I add water a few drops at a time until the lather starts to build. If the lather is goopy, a little more water. If it's thin and airy, I get more soap from the puck. It's better to start a tad dry and carefully add water than to try and fix a watery batch of lather.

A trick that might help is a few drops of Aqua Velva on the puck before you start loading the brush...I think the glycerin helps it out.

If your water is hard, that might make it tough to lather.

Good luck! It's a solid soap, even if it isn't top flight. I get a kick out of making it work.

 

[dpm802]

The Aqua Velva additive is a neat idea. I need to try that. Since they are both from the same company, it makes sense to mix 'em together.

I've gotten some great lather by mixing it with KMF Fragrance Free, but any cream will do. Next time I use Williams, I think I'll try it with KMF Lavender/Shea.

BTW, I get a nice lather just with Williams alone. It does tend to dry out on my face a little faster than others, but that just means I have to keep adding water to it prior to each pass. That's fine by me, since I prefer a sloppy-wet lather no matter what brand of soap or cream I'm using.

 

[FL shaver]

I have not had a problem getting this to lather. Also, when I used the Williams after a day using Trumper's Coconut soap, I thought the Williams allowed the razor to glide over my skin better. Raised my eyebrows. Anyway, I dunk the entire puck in the hottest water I can fill the sink with, and lather with a best badger brush holding the puck in my left hand. I get a good lather which has staying power, but I don't waste anytime passing the blade over my beard.

 

[mrscottishman]

We get this question and others on Williams all the time. Here is a link to a thread that answers a lot of these questions: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=133571&highlight=williams

But here is the summary of the accepted steps and process:

1. Put your shaving mug in hot water while you shower to start the process.

2. Rewarm the water around your mug when you get out of the shower.

3. Next, put a plentiful amount of hot water into the mug, don't skimp here. You want to cover the puck.

4. Run hot water over your brush and without shaking it insert it into the mug.

5. Press the brush frimly against the soap at the bottom of the mug and make a circular motion with the brush while pressing downward.

6. The puck of williams should now be loose in the mug and spin if you did the previous steps correctly.

7. Now that the puck is loose dump it into the trash.

8. Rinse the mug thoroughly and go to walmart and get some VDH shaving soap.

I hope this helps.

Yes, they have a great soap down at Walmart for less than $2 called Van Der Hagen . . .

best and good luck, I have to hide the Williams fans are after me again.

mrscottishman

 

[bookamatches]

I lather in the same mug as the puck.

My procedure:

Place hot water on the puck (approximately 1 tablespoon) while soaking a VdH boar for two (2) minutes in 140 degree F water.

After soak, I spill off puck water and pull the brush from its soak and let the water run out of it (I don't squeeze or shake).

I then pump and make slow circles on the puck for 30 seconds.

Then I whip into a lather for 60 to 90 seconds.

You will know when you are getting close because the light foamy lather, which all the whiners complain about, goes away and you will start to develop the product you are looking for. That is, if it's light and foamy - keep whipping for the good stuff.

I then let my mug float in a hot water filled sink to keep the mug and lather warm.

I find lathering on the puck allows me to make mixture adjustments more easily.

Williams is a great product, but you'll have to put your purse down to make it into a lather.

 

[DFrancis]

We get this question and others on Williams all the time. Here is a link to a thread that answers a lot of these questions: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=133571&highlight=williams

But here is the summary of the accepted steps and process:

1. Put your shaving mug in hot water while you shower to start the process.

2. Rewarm the water around your mug when you get out of the shower.

3. Next, put a plentiful amount of hot water into the mug, don't skimp here. You want to cover the puck.

4. Run hot water over your brush and without shaking it insert it into the mug.

5. Press the brush frimly against the soap at the bottom of the mug and make a circular motion with the brush while pressing downward.

6. The puck of williams should now be loose in the mug and spin if you did the previous steps correctly.

7. Now that the puck is loose dump it into the trash.

8. Rinse the mug thoroughly and go to walmart and get some VDH shaving soap.

I hope this helps.

Yes, they have a great soap down at Walmart for less than $2 called Van Der Hagen . . .

best and good luck, I have to hide the Williams fans are after me again.

mrscottishman

 

[Slivovitz]

Unless it's some hard water thing, I'm not sure. I've never had a problem. All I do is:

• Leave my brush soaking in hot water while I shower. I don't soak the soap, but I keep it in a mug, and I suppose there is always some water left in there.
• Leave my face wet. Swirl the brush on the soap for, I don't know, 15 seconds?
• Swirl it on my face and face lather. I don't lather in a bowl.

I get about the same results with a boar or badger brush. When I lather again for a second pass, I'll add just a little bit of water to the brush.

 

[JCD]

I think Topgumby hit it with the comment "I keep loading until the bristles are almost clumpy with soap" Williams needs a lot of soap to get good lather
then it's just a matter of adjusting the amount of water. If you have hard water try distilled. Good luck.

 

[redwing]

+1 too

hot tap h20
soak brush while showering
1 teaspoon hot h20 on puck

dump h20
shake out brush
add 1-2 shakes AV ice blue to top of puck

swirl brush 30 secs
lather up face

good for 3-4 passes at least

nice & cooling

 

[Topgumby]

Williams is a great product, but you'll have to put your purse down to make it into a lather.

I'm having that engraved on my tombstone...

 

[Pescara]

My method:

1. use Williams as shower soap
2. rub wet puck on wet face
3. rub wet brush on wet puck
4. face lather

If it doesn't work for you, at least you'll be mosquito-proof.

 

[mrscottishman]

If it doesn't work for you, at least you'll be mosquito-proof.

True,

mrscottishman

 

[michiganlover]

It probably blows for all I know, but I can't help thinking there's gotta be something I'm doing wrong.

Your not doing anything wrong, the present formulation of Williams just sucks, and not in a good way****



****The opinion of a shaver who has tried upwards of 20 times to make the product work. If after 20 tries I can't make it work it truly does blow/suck/ is total garbage. But of course Your Millage May Very, and all.

 

[mrscottishman]

Your not doing anything wrong, the present formulation of Williams just sucks, and not in a good way****

Where have you been? I have been waiting on you to back me up! You must have been watching the Olympics or something.

best and health,
mrscottishman

 

[DirtyDave]

I used it years ago and won't touch the stuff now, which is a shame because I really like the scent. Reminds me of a barbershop. I had the best results l lathering first in the mug and then on my face. For years I thought this was as good as a soap could be. Boy, was I wrong.

 

[michiganlover]

Where have you been? I have been waiting on you to back me up! You must have been watching the Olympics or something.

best and health,
mrscottishman

I was busting my butt at the gym while watching the Olympics/ The Bachelor. Worked out for the full hour today.

 

[Alacrity59]

The Aqua Velva additive is a neat idea. I need to try that. Since they are both from the same company, it makes sense to mix 'em together.

I've gotten some great lather by mixing it with KMF Fragrance Free, but any cream will do. Next time I use Williams, I think I'll try it with KMF Lavender/Shea.

BTW, I get a nice lather just with Williams alone. It does tend to dry out on my face a little faster than others, but that just means I have to keep adding water to it prior to each pass. That's fine by me, since I prefer a sloppy-wet lather no matter what brand of soap or cream I'm using.

I tried the AV thing. I found the smell to be like burnt old car electrical system . . . hideous.

 

[Topgumby]

I believe the OP titled the thread:

"Williams Fans, please help!"

Not -

"Williams Naysayers, please discourage!"

Y'know, I think I'm going to mix up some modern Williams with my Tabac cologne, so I can get the great scent of Tabac with the lathering properties of Williams.

The resulting concoction would have a most entertaining effect on many members here....