Williams Institute for Shaving Excellence (WISE)

[AnimalCatcher]

@abw11365 - Thank you for posting those old photographs. Great stuff! I'm going to try to make it up to Glastonbury in the next couple of weeks to check out your wonderful collection.

If there's anything in particular that you are looking for regarding your collection, let me know and I'll keep an eye out for you.

 

[abw11365]

@AnimalCatcher Great! The archivist at UConn was excited when I told her I had posted about the display on this page and said she hoped it would draw in some people to see it. My wife and I are flying up there next week to see it and meet the people that made it happen. We are also going to go to Glastonbury, but the collection is being displayed at the UConn library in Storrs, CT. It's not a huge display. I sent them about 85-90 items which is about half of my stuff. Attached is a pic of the display. Can you PM me? I can't figure out how to start a PM chat. User error I'm sure.

 

[abw11365]

Saw an excellent display of JB Williams items at the Historical Society of Glastonbury museum. Thought you guys would like to see. JB Williams grave is right outside.

 

[AnimalCatcher]

Saw an excellent display of JB Williams items at the Historical Society of Glastonbury museum. Thought you guys would like to see. JB Williams grave is right outside.

Thank you so much for posting pictures of all those great old JB Williams items. There are a few of them I had never seen before.

 

[abw11365]

Finally got everything together and had my first wet shave this morning. Used vintage Williams mug shaving soap and a vintage Williams mug. It went well. Easier than I expected. Silky smooth. Vez2's videos were a great help as well as many posts in this thread. I did palm building. I'm sure I will try face and/or bowl building at some point. Thanks to all! I am going to try to make it a Sunday thing to shave with WMS. I know some in this group do Wednesday, but the weekend is easier and more relaxed for me. When I retire (in a little less than 4 years), I may move it to Wednesday.... or both. HA!

 

[AnimalCatcher]

Finally got everything together and had my first wet shave this morning. Used vintage Williams mug shaving soap and a vintage Williams mug. It went well. Easier than I expected. Silky smooth. Vez2's videos were a great help as well as many posts in this thread. I did palm building. I'm sure I will try face and/or bowl building at some point. Thanks to all! I am going to try to make it a Sunday thing to shave with WMS. I know some in this group do Wednesday, but the weekend is easier and more relaxed for me. When I retire (in a little less than 4 years), I may move it to Wednesday.... or both. HA!

That's some good lookin' lather you have on that brush. Glad your first shave with Williams was a success.

 

[Lane101]

Finally got everything together and had my first wet shave this morning. Used vintage Williams mug shaving soap and a vintage Williams mug. It went well. Easier than I expected. Silky smooth. Vez2's videos were a great help as well as many posts in this thread. I did palm building. I'm sure I will try face and/or bowl building at some point. Thanks to all! I am going to try to make it a Sunday thing to shave with WMS. I know some in this group do Wednesday, but the weekend is easier and more relaxed for me. When I retire (in a little less than 4 years), I may move it to Wednesday.... or both. HA!

Really excellent lather! Do you generate similar quality lather when you use a modern Williams puck?

 

[abw11365]

Really excellent lather! Do you generate similar quality lather when you use a modern Williams puck?

Thanks! I have just started wet shaving and this (vintage Williams) is my first puck. So I have no experience with the new WMS pucks. I will say I found it quite easy to generate the lather. I did watch videos and read posts in this group so maybe it's because of all the excellent advice herein.

 

[abw11365]

My latest Williams acquisition from the Bay. I believe this is the 3rd Williams brush posted in this group and they are all different... but similar. Although there are a couple more of this model in other listings currently on the Bay. I wonder how many different ones they made. Can someone tell me if this is badger, boar, or synthetic? Thanks!

 

[AnimalCatcher]

My latest Williams acquisition from the Bay. I believe this is the 3rd Williams brush posted in this group and they are all different... but similar. Although there are a couple more of this model in other listings currently on the Bay. I wonder how many different ones they made. Can someone tell me if this is badger, boar, or synthetic? Thanks!
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Cool brush! I believe it's boar. If you intend on using it, you'll first have to soak it in water for about 5 to 10 minutes to soften up the bristles.

 

[AnimalCatcher]

I just dug this one out of my closet. From The Gold Line set. Weird that the cut-out doesn't match the shape of the brush handle.

 

[swellcat]

The Gold Line set. Weird that the cut-out doesn't match the shape of the brush handle.

Neat rig . . . and likely way more utilitarian than some folks might think.

Were there were shared suppliers or business relations with Mohawk (Canada)? Same or similar knots and handles are seen on Mohawk 3-338s as well as that "sterilized" verbiage.

 

[AnimalCatcher]

Neat rig . . . and likely way more utilitarian than some folks might think.

Were there were shared suppliers or business relations with Mohawk (Canada)? Same or similar knots and handles are seen on Mohawk 3-338s as well as that "sterilized" verbiage.

View attachment 1804124

View attachment 1804125

Thank you for posting this. I think you're right about Mohawk. Did that Williams puck in the bowl come with the set?

 

[swellcat]

. . . Williams puck in the bowl come with the set?

My used, $3 Mohawk brush came solo. The illustration photos are borrowed, so no idea about the soap.

Might be off-topic for this thread, but that inexpensive, small, boar brush has become my most-used. It has backbone for mashing soap in the bottom of a bowl, and it's more surgical than the giant flop-mops that might work better for rib-basting.