Lathering techniques for Williams Mug Soap? and is it in your normal rotation?
Williams Mug Soap
- Thread starter vitaman
- Start date
Not really in my "normal" rotation, but it gets to come out every now and then. I go for the shave stick style. Soak the whole puck for just a little while, maybe 5-10 minutes tops. Rub it all over my face then proceed to lather with a brush.
It was there for my first DE shave and it still remains in my rotation.
Lots of water, soak the puck in very hot water. Use more soap than you think you need.
I have the best luck making lather in a bowl rather than on my face.
Great stuff!
I have the best luck making lather in a bowl rather than on my face.
Great stuff!
1. Place puck in mug. Fill with piping hot water. Throw brush in there too. Shower. Build lather right on the puck. The first few days, the lather will be thin. Use daily, it gets better after several days. Use a stiff brush.
2. No. I have some, but not in use.
Williams is one of the unsung heroes of the wet-shaving world.
Its been around since 1840. Its made in America. You can buy it almost anywhere. Its dirt cheap. It works extremely well, and the scent is all about old-timey, classic, traditional barbershop aroma.
In a world where you can easily drop hundreds of dollars on imported soaps and creams, what else gives you this much bang for just ONE buck?
(And to answer your other question ... NO, its not in my normal rotation, but any shave-den would be incomplete without a puck of Williams on hand. I break mine out and use it perhaps 4 or 5 times a year.)
Its been around since 1840. Its made in America. You can buy it almost anywhere. Its dirt cheap. It works extremely well, and the scent is all about old-timey, classic, traditional barbershop aroma.
In a world where you can easily drop hundreds of dollars on imported soaps and creams, what else gives you this much bang for just ONE buck?
(And to answer your other question ... NO, its not in my normal rotation, but any shave-den would be incomplete without a puck of Williams on hand. I break mine out and use it perhaps 4 or 5 times a year.)
OldSaw
The wife's investment
Not only is it not in my rotation, but I keep a puck laying around just to occasionally remind myself of how much I dislike it. Usually it just takes a little whiff of its putrid stench to remind me so I don't actually have to shave with it.
Lathering technique:
1. Try, try, tryyyyyy to work it into a decently thick and cushiony lather that will last long enough to shave my face.
2. Move on to any number of better lathering and protecting soaps available (Tabac, DR Harris, MWF....), and enjoy how easy and great the shaves are.
1. Try, try, tryyyyyy to work it into a decently thick and cushiony lather that will last long enough to shave my face.
2. Move on to any number of better lathering and protecting soaps available (Tabac, DR Harris, MWF....), and enjoy how easy and great the shaves are.
OldSaw
The wife's investment
Lathering technique:
1. Try, try, tryyyyyy to work it into a decently thick and cushiony lather that will last long enough to shave my face.
2. Move on to any number of better lathering and protecting soaps available (Tabac, DR Harris, MWF....), and enjoy how easy and great the shaves are.
Even VDH is better than Williams.
Everytime I think of Williams Shave soap, which I use from time to time, I think of the line that George Clooney says in the movie "I'm a Dapper Dan Man" in reference to his hair pomade. Here's a video of one of George's shave dens....
http://www.entertonement.com/clips/gqttgsqxkj--George-Clooney-O-Brother-Where-Art-Thou-Everett-I-want-Dapper-Dan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bECMzkAHnA
http://www.entertonement.com/clips/gqttgsqxkj--George-Clooney-O-Brother-Where-Art-Thou-Everett-I-want-Dapper-Dan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bECMzkAHnA
Ouch that hurt... Couldn't you have said cedarfurnitureman?
Yep. Amusingly MWF isn't though...
OldSaw
The wife's investment
From what I have read cedarfurnitureman is probably better than Williams.
OldSaw
The wife's investment
That I would have to disagree with.
It works either way for me, but the key is to soak the puck in water. I find it helps tremendously to mill a puck, wet it a little with some water and press it into a container. Do that and you see good lather coming from a puck of Williams in no time, as opposed to the week masonjarjar suggests. All in all, its a much more serviceable soap than Dennis (OldSaw) makes it out to be. Just my two cents.
But cedarfurnitureman soap received such glowing reviews!
+1! Good post.
I recently went back to Williams because the VDH seems go faster and faster these days, don't know if they changed the formula or if it's something in my technique but I used to get a good three weeks out of a puck of VDH and recently can't get ten shaves before it's gone.
I love the clean barbershop smell of Williams and it lasts a good long time. I have no problem whipping up a good fat fluffy lather with good hot water and my Omega professional 10049 boars hair (is there anything else?) brush.
My only problem with the Williams was that now I have a larger mug than I used to use and I find myself chasing the puck around in circles as it dances around the bottom of my shaving mug.
So since Williams won't melt in the microwave, I melted a puck of VDH and then dropped the puck of Williams right in the middle of it and let it set. Problem solved.
My routine is this, while brushing my teeth in the morning I have a large mug (hot chocolate size) of water heating for 2 minutes in my 1100 watt microwave. I finish brushing my teeth and rinsing and fill the sink with hot water from the faucet, plug and sit my shaving mug in there. I then get the heated cup of water from the MW and pour it over the top of the shave soap and the rest I sit my brush in.
I then let that sit while I put on pants and shoes and by that time it's ready to go. I get a super hot super fluffy lather that I really love.
You all can have all your expensive shave soaps with all your scents and perfumes added, there's just no way in h*** I'm paying $15-$20 PLUS shipping and handling for what is essentially nothing but a bar of freaking SOAP which should cost no more than a buck fifty at MOST period. I've tried the samples and it's not worth it. I'll take a good ol' puck o' Williams or VDH or the combo of the two anyday.
I may have been born at night, but it wasn't LAST night!
Seriously, each to his own but that high dollar stuff would rot on the shelves if it was left to me.
+1
Unless that den is in India, where Godrej soap would be its an acceptable substitute, or the UK, where Wilkinson would be acceptable.
I either face lather it like I would a stick or just lather it in the mug straight on top of the puck. To those who will complain that these methods deteriorate a puck too quickly, dig in the couch, find some change, and go to the store for a spare.
It is in my rotation in stock form and as my frankensoap which I love so dearly.
+1! Good post.
I recently went back to Williams because the VDH seems go faster and faster these days, don't know if they changed the formula or if it's something in my technique but I used to get a good three weeks out of a puck of VDH and recently can't get ten shaves before it's gone.
I love the clean barbershop smell of Williams and it lasts a good long time. I have no problem whipping up a good fat fluffy lather with good hot water and my Omega professional 10049 boars hair (is there anything else?) brush.
My only problem with the Williams was that now I have a larger mug than I used to use and I find myself chasing the puck around in circles as it dances around the bottom of my shaving mug.
So since Williams won't melt in the microwave, I melted a puck of VDH and then dropped the puck of Williams right in the middle of it and let it set. Problem solved.
My routine is this, while brushing my teeth in the morning I have a large mug (hot chocolate size) of water heating for 2 minutes in my 1100 watt microwave. I finish brushing my teeth and rinsing and fill the sink with hot water from the faucet, plug and sit my shaving mug in there. I then get the heated cup of water from the MW and pour it over the top of the shave soap and the rest I sit my brush in.
I then let that sit while I put on pants and shoes and by that time it's ready to go. I get a super hot super fluffy lather that I really love.
You all can have all your expensive shave soaps with all your scents and perfumes added, there's just no way in h*** I'm paying $15-$20 PLUS shipping and handling for what is essentially nothing but a bar of freaking SOAP which should cost no more than a buck fifty at MOST period. I've tried the samples and it's not worth it. I'll take a good ol' puck o' Williams or VDH or the combo of the two anyday.
I may have been born at night, but it wasn't LAST night!
Seriously, each to his own but that high dollar stuff would rot on the shelves if it was left to me.
Don't hold back now. Let us know how you really feel.
For what it's worth, I understand that Tabac(another of my favorites) is a "grocery store brand" in Germany.
