Williams is kind of amazing

[DFrancis]

Well I took the plunge and decided to give Williams a try. I mostly use cream and have yet to use a tallow soap so I figured what the heck, it's a cheap experiment.
As has been recommended I soak the puck in my mug, weighing it down a bit with my brush. I then dumped my water and proceeded to build a wonderfully thick, creamy lather. Oh that scent, crisp, clean and as spicy as if Emeril Lagasse BAMMed in my mug.
The shave was so very smooth and after my skin was as smooth and soft and a very smooth soft thing.
So thank you to all you Williams fans out there, I have found a soap that will stay in my rotation.
What's next? The Veg?

 

[Topgumby]

(Although if Emeril BAMMed in my mug, I might start searching for the Scrubbing Bubbles... )

 

[SliceOfLife]

Sounds like you took the time to treat it right. And it returned the favor. Williams is nice in that it can be very bad lather if you treat it like tabac, but if you soak it well, load the brush sufficiently and then work it like a dry tallow soap should be worked, it is much more consistently a quality soap.


As for what to use next... what have you used so far?

 

[Pumpkin]

I'm about to try Williams for the first time this evening.

I've read the advice about soaking the whole puck in your mug then lathering...what happens if you use a larger bowl? Do you need to chase the puck round the bowl with your brush?

 

[SliceOfLife]

Sort of? Same as any other puck in an over sized bowl. It's not a huge hassle, but it adds a few seconds to the loading process.

 

[Loner16]

It's good to see open minded people willing to give a much maligned (wrongfully) product like Williams a chance...

And then find out how really good it is!

 

[Pumpkin]

Sort of? Same as any other puck in an over sized bowl. It's not a huge hassle, but it adds a few seconds to the loading process.

Up until now, all of my pucks have needed to be trimmed/milled to fit into OS mugs (what I use to load from). This will be the first mini-puck I've used

 

[SliceOfLife]

Ah, that makes sense. Then yeah, it moves around a little while you load, but with a quick twirl it still loads fine. Never gave me any problems.

 

[Topgumby]

Once the puck "softens up" it gets pretty sticky, and I've found that that it'll stick to a flat bottom bowl even while it has a pretty generous amount of water on top of it.

Don't get fooled by that first airy Mr. Bubble stuff you'll get. Keep loading the brush 'til it gets clumpy. At the price point, with Williams and loading your brush, anything worth doing is worth over doing.

 

[luvmysuper]

Well I took the plunge and decided to give Williams a try. I mostly use cream and have yet to use a tallow soap so I figured what the heck, it's a cheap experiment.
As has been recommended I soak the puck in my mug, weighing it down a bit with my brush. I then dumped my water and proceeded to build a wonderfully thick, creamy lather. Oh that scent, crisp, clean and as spicy as if Emeril Lagasse BAMMed in my mug.
The shave was so very smooth and after my skin was as smooth and soft and a very smooth soft thing.
So thank you to all you Williams fans out there, I have found a soap that will stay in my rotation.
What's next? The Veg?

Yes.

Yes it is.

 

[DFrancis]

Once the puck "softens up" it gets pretty sticky, and I've found that that it'll stick to a flat bottom bowl even while it has a pretty generous amount of water on top of it.

Don't get fooled by that first airy Mr. Bubble stuff you'll get. Keep loading the brush 'til it gets clumpy. At the price point, with Williams and loading your brush, anything worth doing is worth over doing.

This was exactly my experience, it got stuck to the bottom and yes at first it was airy but keep with it, it's quite easy to get great lather from it if you treat it right.

 

[DFrancis]

Yes.

Yes it is.

I thought it was

 

[chrking]

LOL!

(Although if Emeril BAMMed in my mug, I might start searching for the Scrubbing Bubbles... )

 

[BlackBard]

Good for you! A new Williams convert. Congrats on learning how to use a real traditional American shaving soap.

 

[shmeegs]

Williams takes alot of patience to use. These are the steps I use to make a better shave out of Williams.

1) Put hot water on top of the puck as you shower. Let it sit on there for the whole shower, while your brush soaks in hot water.

2) Squeeze out all of the hot water in the brush and swirl around for 20 seconds on the puck (leave the water on the puck). Do this until large bubbles are no more.

3) Lather on the face until all bubbles are gone.

4) Shave like normal. If you created a good lather, it won't disappear. If it does, you made a bad batch.

5) When you are done with your shave, squeeze out the super rich lather out of the brush and put it on the puck and let it dry out. This will make for an easier to build and better lather.



I use Williams by itself, but most of the time I mix it with VDH to make a Frankenstein type soap.

 

[mayidunk]

...as if Emeril Lagasse BAMMed in my mug.

 

[SliceOfLife]

He's a TV chef who yells "Bam" when he adds seasoning to his food.

 

[DFrancis]

mostly cayenne pepper.

 

[luvmysuper]

I'd poke him in the eye if he bammed in my mug!

 

[timj219]

I love Williams. In fact until I came to this forum it was the only soap I'd ever used. And no matter what advantages some other soaps might have I still appreciate its qualities and its value. I'm a sucker for a good deal.