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Williams Mug Soap, perfectly fine.... don’t hit me.

I fell in love with Tabac early on. Loads easy, thick and creamy, and I actually like the subtle baby powder/ tobacco scent. i find it a bit pricy, but I find most popular shaving soaps and creams to be pricy.
Another reason I settled on it was because all other popular products I tried are too spicy and smelly and they irritate my skin.
But this is about Williams. Based on YouTube videos, the Yugo of shaving soaps.
I saw pucks of it selling for 99 cents at my local grocery store. Soooo cheap! Had to try. Small enough to fit in my tall shaving mug (so I can finally use it!)
Honestly it works just fine! It is more work than Tabac or similar quality soaps, but not that bad. I fill the mug to the top of the puck and leave it for 5 or 10 minutes, work it with my brush for 30 seconds to a minute, and I get workable lather with about as much residual slickness as my Tabac.
Downsides: pedestrian Dial soap scent, a little more work.
But for 99 cents, it’s hard to argue with! [emoji6]
Tabac is still my fave, but I personally find Williams a decent alternative, especially if I’m not in the mood to spend more than 3 bucks an ounce for soap. [emoji8]
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Between that and trying out my $14 knock-off DE89, it seems I’ve been on a cheap-kick lately! [emoji6]
I agree with you. I find it to be a perfectly usable soap.

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Ok, I have tried so many times with methods I have read or videos I have watched. Can someone please point me to the definitive foolproof one that works? A very detailed one. Nothing left out. Sometimes even the videos have something being done off screen.

I have no fancy equipment like a scuttle. I have an unkown brand badger brush over 20 years old, an Omega boar, dont remember the model and though I still have the box it doesnt say, so please look at the pic.

I have the green VDH ceramic bowl I usually keep the puck in. I have a plastic salsa bowl that works well, and can easily use a mug from around the house. I have a water softener in my house so my water is not hard.

Thanks
 

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Started a twice per week mowing the stragglers in '69. Always have used a mug. Didn't notice any change whenever it happened and still use Williams. Probably just barrelled through it since there wasn't much else except Colgate. How does that go, ignorance is bliss?

Love the Old Spice for Christmas comment.

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+1! This is pretty much my story too. I do play with other soaps and creams now, but not because Williams Mug ever let me down. I never got Old Spice for Christmas, but a gal pal did give me a tub of something almondy from Crabtree and Evelyn back in the mid 70s. It was nice while it lasted (the gal, too), and the empty tub held a puck of Williams securely in my backpack if I went off traveling somewhere.
 
As a bona fide member of the Cult of ARKO, I will admit that I too used Williams after Old Spice became unavailable. It was OK. Then I discovered ARKO and never looked back. Williams worked, but not as well as other low priced alternatives like VDH or Col. Conk.


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As a bona fide member of the Cult of ARKO, I will admit that I too used Williams after Old Spice became unavailable. It was OK. Then I discovered ARKO and never looked back. Williams worked, but not as well as other low priced alternatives like VDH or Col. Conk.


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My first soap decision after I stumbled on to the reality that the way I shaved had become a “Thing” on the Internet:

a brick of Cella and a dozen sticks of Arko

I should have stopped there. I should certainly stayed out of all discussions of Williams Mug.

I am about to go shave with a wonky Christy SE and a tub of Lucky Tiger Mollé cream. I am a lost soul.
 
if I were so economically challenged that Williiams were the only
I can see why it might leave you cold, it’s not great. But IMHO it’s not the unusable hellfire of awfulness I hear from most reviewers.
My guess is that they either don’t put the work into it, try to face lather with it, or try to compare it to $30 artisan pucks. [emoji6]
I sadly never had a chance to try Old Spice. It seems to be well remembered by many.


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You are right about putting work into it. I shave because I enjoy the experience. I can lather Williams, but it takes so much work that I no longer enjoy the shaving experience. I want a soap that lathers easily; Williams is not that soap.

Also, I consider soap fragrance to be a large part of an enjoyable shaving experience. Although the scent of Williams is not offensive, I do not consider it to be enjoyable. The scent of Arko is borderline offensive, but it is easier to lather.

About the only thing Williams has going for it is a low price. However, if I could not afford to spend any more on shaving soap than the price of a puck of Williams, I would choose to shave with Yardley of London Moisturizing bath bar with cocaoa butter. It is less expensive than Williams, lathers more easily, and has a more pleasant scent. Performance during the shave: slickness, cushion and post-shave is similar to Williams, so I consider Yardley to be a better value. Yardley used to produce a shave soap, but no longer does so.

Cremo shave cream is another inexpensive option that outperforms Williams in my opinion.

I love using luxury artisan soaps; I admit it. The performance and scents of the best some of them are superb. They are the standard to which I compare all other soaps. They cost much more than Williams, but to me, they are worth it. I realize that not everyone can afford luxury soaps, so I am glad there are value soaps available at a variety of price points.
 
My first soap decision after I stumbled on to the reality that the way I shaved had become a “Thing” on the Internet:

a brick of Cella and a dozen sticks of Arko

I should have stopped there. I should certainly stayed out of all discussions of Williams Mug.

I am about to go shave with a wonky Christy SE and a tub of Lucky Tiger Mollé cream. I am a lost soul.

Come over to the Dark Side and join the Cult of ARKO. We may not have cookies, but we have happy shavers...[emoji16]


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It’s so funny you mention that, because I just ordered a puck of Arko out of curiosity and it came in today. ;)
Looks like I’ll be having my first Arko shave tomorrow. :)
I’ve heard the scent is a bit polarizing, but then again I love Tabac scent! LOL!
 
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I still miss Burma Shave. I have two Burma Shave mugs. Van Detr Hagan makes some nice soaps too. Affordable and easy to find also.

I still miss Burma Shave. I have two Burma Shave mugs. Van Detr Hagan makes some nice soaps too. Affordable and easy to find also.

Burma shave - best punch line ever. Pictures of the mugs! Pretty please?

Here is my Williams stick tube:
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It’s so funny you mention that, because I just ordered a puck of Arko out of curiosity and it came in today. ;)
Looks like I’ll be having my first Arko shave tomorrow. :)
I’ve heard the scent is a bit polarizing, but then again I love Tabac scent! LOL!

It is heavy citronella. You can lessen the scent by opening the stick and letting it air for a couple of days. The plus side is that mosquitos don’t bother you.


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I don’t hate Williams. I just find it to be “meh” at best. As far as putting “work” into getting a lather, well there are soaps out there that are readily available, are as inexpensive, don’t require special treatment and provide better lather. ARKO is one, VDH is another, as is Col. Conk. Creamo cream is a fourth. Shoot, CO Bigelow can be had extremely inexpensively as can L’Occitaine Cade. And I haven’t even got to Cella, Palmolive or LEA. So, I just don’t bother with Williams.


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It is heavy citronella. You can lessen the scent by opening the stick and letting it air for a couple of days. The plus side is that mosquitos don’t bother you.


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You’re right, citronella! Not overpowering, but I’ll still leave it open as suggested. ;)
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