noob question, does williams or vdh shaving soap produce a cleaner shave?
williams or vdh
- Thread starter flight567
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Soap is only one part of the shaving equation. Either can/will give you a great shave provided that you have all the other processes covered.
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I agree with markb, I would say though that I much prefer the ease of a great lather that I can get from VDH, that's just me though
Good luck
Good luck
- Thread starter
- #4
thanks for the input, that makes sence so the next question is wich do you prefer?
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I've used both with good results. Personally I like the Williams better. Not as easily lathered as the VDH but gives a better quality lather overall IMO. Plus it's tallow-based.. Always a plus in my book!
- Thread starter
- #6
well thank you for helping me
Using a boars hair brush, you should get a good result from either.
I like them both myself.
I like them both myself.
Williams is a tallow-based soap, that is way better than it has any right to be at its price. You need to be slightly more patient in lathering it up, but once you get the hang of it it will (IMHO) give you a much better shave.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
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- Thread starter
- #9
well thank you all i think that ill go with using the williams for special ocasions... (only have one puck at the moment.) and will use the VDH for normal days.(why wast?) but from then (when the VDH runs out) i will just buy the williams... once again thank you all for helping 
Welcome aboard Flight 567! Experience will guide you as you progress in your wetshaving and you will most likely keep a puck of both VDH and Williams around. They're both good shave soaps at a very reasonable price which is why so many of us use them but each have different qualities and require slightly different techniques.
As already mentioned Williams takes just a little more effort to whip up but if you keep at it a few seconds longer it'll reward you with a very nice thick creamy lather that is more than adequate for the task.
VDH whips up faster but because it's softer and of a different base a puck won't last you as long as a puck of Williams especially if you use very hot water as I do.
Very hot water (from the microwave in my case) makes VDH disappear very quickly but does not harm the Williams which is why I switched to almost exclusively using the Williams a couple months ago. I had been using VDH for a couple years but in my quest for a hotter lather it just started disappearing too quickly because of the very hot water I began using lately.
But the puck of Willams I'm on now is at least three weeks old and looks to have another week or two in it. don't know how it puts out so much lather and lasts that long but it does and I use a large Omega 10049 professional Boar brush too.
As already mentioned Williams takes just a little more effort to whip up but if you keep at it a few seconds longer it'll reward you with a very nice thick creamy lather that is more than adequate for the task.
VDH whips up faster but because it's softer and of a different base a puck won't last you as long as a puck of Williams especially if you use very hot water as I do.
Very hot water (from the microwave in my case) makes VDH disappear very quickly but does not harm the Williams which is why I switched to almost exclusively using the Williams a couple months ago. I had been using VDH for a couple years but in my quest for a hotter lather it just started disappearing too quickly because of the very hot water I began using lately.
But the puck of Willams I'm on now is at least three weeks old and looks to have another week or two in it. don't know how it puts out so much lather and lasts that long but it does and I use a large Omega 10049 professional Boar brush too.
+1
The inclusion of tallow as an ingredient makes a big difference in how well it performs ... I've experimented with enough different soaps and creams to know that some work better than others, but I keep coming back to the tallow-based soaps to get the best shave.
Besides, apart from the closeness of the shave ... Williams smells better than VdH. (I know there are some that will disagree on that point.)
They are both inexpensive enough, why not keep a few pucks of each on hand?
I'm not super-keen on the smell of VDH, but it provides an undeniably decent lather with minimal effort. I like to use it once in a while 'for variety'. The plastic package also makes it easy to travel with.
I tried williams a few times and the lather always seemed rather 'airy' to me, but perhaps that was my fault. Anyways, I gave up on Williams since there is something in it that stings my face like the dickens.
I tried williams a few times and the lather always seemed rather 'airy' to me, but perhaps that was my fault. Anyways, I gave up on Williams since there is something in it that stings my face like the dickens.
I like the smell and performance of Williams better over VDH.
For those having lather issues, try storing Williams like I do between shaves by covering the still wet puck in the mug. It will lather much more easily and better the next day, or several days down the road.
For those having lather issues, try storing Williams like I do between shaves by covering the still wet puck in the mug. It will lather much more easily and better the next day, or several days down the road.
I finally got a great shave from Williams following the advice in this thread!!
The soap is very thirsty and soaked up lots of water before it got soft enough to really use, then it worked great.
I like VDH and Williams about equal. VDH is more user friendly, but I like the scent better on the Williams.
The soap is very thirsty and soaked up lots of water before it got soft enough to really use, then it worked great.
I like VDH and Williams about equal. VDH is more user friendly, but I like the scent better on the Williams.
- Thread starter
- #16
realy, i am using a realy old puck at the moment, not sur if that does anything but it seems to me the the less water (to a point) i use the better the lather i do put considerable force into it though idk why all of you say that it takes a while, it actualy takes me longer to get a good lather but it makes a super thick and hydrated lather but i also use the VDH to hydrate the hair (glycerine seems to do that right?)
VDH works better for me, though I prefer the scent of Williams. As someone already noted, you really need to keep the Williams hydrated. If you let it dry out, it's nearly impossible to get a good lather.
H
Hanzo
Williams is one of the soaps I have just chucked in the garbage. It took too much effort to get a bad dry lather from it. Just was not worth it to me.
VDH , whether glycerin, select or deluxe is excellent. Clubman Rob suggested melting two different pucks of VDH together in one mug and again he is right, it makes a better soap that way.
Arko soap stick milled into a mug is even better than Williams or VDH, IMHO.
VDH , whether glycerin, select or deluxe is excellent. Clubman Rob suggested melting two different pucks of VDH together in one mug and again he is right, it makes a better soap that way.
Arko soap stick milled into a mug is even better than Williams or VDH, IMHO.
I really like Williams...for me it makes a great smooth lather with very little trouble.
I just got a puck of VDH deluxe...I will try it tomorrow, but Williams will always be a staple for me.
I just got a puck of VDH deluxe...I will try it tomorrow, but Williams will always be a staple for me.
Of the two, I probably prefer VDH. Williams is still very good and a great value for the price but does tend to be a bit quirky. VDH is a no-brainer, a ton of lather (very thick and slick) with minimal effort. IMHO, VDH is the perfect beginner soap. Glycerin and Deluxe both have permanent spots in my rotation. Great quality shaves and it makes the pricier boutique stuff last longer.
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