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Williams Institute for Shaving Excellence (WISE)

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
There’s no doubt Arko is a good soap but when you get Williams right to me it’s way better then Arko. To my personal experience I only had one puck of modern Williams who gave trouble, has for the rest it was all good shaves. But it’s a forum and we all have different opinions and it’s ok and it’s suppose to be that way, the great thing about all that is to share our experience so others can decided what’s works the best for them. Me I like Williams so much but I do respect others who don’t. Gino
I agree. Argo is easier to lather until you learn to lather Williams but Williams slickness is superior. I squeeze the water from my brush and work up a pasty lather in my brush, apply to my face then start wetting my brush and face lathering. Provides a good stable lather without the big bubbles.
 
From what i’ve Heard if there’s no bar code on the box it’s before the 80’s and there is also the one’s from the Beecham era(if i’m Not mistaken would be from the end of the 80’s till debut 2000. I think when Combe take over they change the soap, but I could be mistaken.
Williams has gone multiple reformulations under Combe as well. When Combe first took over it was still really easy to lather. The early Combe boxes still have the little price sticker circle on the top of the box. Word on the street is that one of the ingredients became expensive and difficult to obtain so they cut back on it by changing the formula, possibly due a change in environmental laws or 9/11 laws. (Another casualty of 9/11 was strike-anywhere-matches. The old school ones that would actually "strike anywhere" are considered explosives and cannot be transported across state or international lines. The ones you can buy today barely light on anything but the box.) The worst Williams puck I ever tried was around 2007-2008. I could not get it to lather at all. They reformulated again sometime around 2011-2012, and it is slightly easier to lather. I am not sure if they have changed the formula since. It seems about the same since then.
 
Williams has gone multiple reformulations under Combe as well. When Combe first took over it was still really easy to lather. The early Combe boxes still have the little price sticker circle on the top of the box. Word on the street is that one of the ingredients became expensive and difficult to obtain so they cut back on it by changing the formula, possibly due a change in environmental laws or 9/11 laws. (Another casualty of 9/11 was strike-anywhere-matches. The old school ones that would actually "strike anywhere" are considered explosives and cannot be transported across state or international lines. The ones you can buy today barely light on anything but the box.) The worst Williams puck I ever tried was around 2007-2008. I could not get it to lather at all. They reformulated again sometime around 2011-2012, and it is slightly easier to lather. I am not sure if they have changed the formula since. It seems about the same since then.
Thanks for the info
 
Was Homeland Security influenced by the movie Fight Club? Is that why they associate the manufacture of tallow based soaps with explosives??
 
Right now i’m Doing a little experiment whit modern Williams. I have 3 open pucks that I used in 3 different ways of lathering, I kept a journal of my experiment to see who will last longer. Since I didn’t start at the same time my final results will take time to tell. Right now I used one puck like a shave stick and the puck is about half used and I have 53 shaves out of it. My second puck is in a tub and I bowl lather whit it, i’m In my 15 shaves of it and it’s about less then 1/4 used. For the third puck i’m just began whit it yesterday and that one I used it just to face lathering and I load my brush whit the puck in my hand. Has soon any puck will be done i’ll Gave reports out of it. Gino
 
Using my first puck of vintage Williams since...since it wasn't vintage. Of the four I have, opened the box that has the SPECIAL OFFER for the pewter mug honoring the 200th Anniversary of America on it. Around 1976, which is when I started shaving (I have a W-2 Gillette Black Beauty super adjustable from the same year). Lathered easily, which I expected. Slickness, a hallmark of Williams soap, is good, but will probably get better as I work out the water to soap ratio.
 
I just opened up a new puck of Williams this morning and got a pretty good lather from it. I had about a nickel size piece of Arko left in my mug, and my impatience got the best of me - I tossed it, cleaned out the mug, and soaked the new Williams while I showered.

I loaded up my Omega 10049 boar with the new Williams and treated myself to a very nice 2 pass DFS. Good stuff!!
 
I seldom use my Williams powder, however since today is a holiday, I used a bit. This stuff is too rare to use often.
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Chandu

I Waxed The Badger.
I joined the WISEmen today. My first puck ever of Williams or any soap for that matter. I lathered in a mug as this was intended use for this soap and was pleased with the results.

The lather tends to go away faster than some other soaps I've used, which seems normal for many posts I've read on this thread so I think I'm going ok there. It's good and slick and smells nice and is a very good price.

I've got a few other old American standby's I want to try before I say this is my one and only. Molle and Palmolive come to mind and maybe a vintage puck of Old Spice if I can find one at a decent price.
 
Keeping Williams puck with a little water on it in covered dish or mug all the time will defenently yield a faster prep time and thicker lather, and for any hard shave soap love the omega boars hair brush.
 

Chandu

I Waxed The Badger.
Williams definitely works best as a daily driver. I also find that less is more when it comes to product.
 
I agree. Argo is easier to lather until you learn to lather Williams but Williams slickness is superior. I squeeze the water from my brush and work up a pasty lather in my brush, apply to my face then start wetting my brush and face lathering. Provides a good stable lather without the big bubbles.
Exactly.
 
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