Williams revisited

[Blondie]

So I used Williams today. I know, I joined the Anti-Social Williams group, just to be Anti-Social, but I figured, I needed to try it again. I used it in the eighties for the first time, and figured I did not really know all that I do now, so I should give it another chance. I played around for a few days, always getting a good lather, but not shaving with it. Just test lathers, like we all do.

Today though, I decided to give it a go. Soaked the puck while I showered. Drained off the liquid into my warm lather bowl, and loaded up an Omega boar with lot's of soap. Moved over to the lather bowl, and proceeded to produce copious amounts of lather. Lathered up, and it did not disappear. Had enough lather to do four passes. I did have to stir the brew between passes, but that is no big deal. The final verdict:

Williams is a serviceable soap. Certainly not great, but not deserving of the vitriol spewed at it here on the site.

Now here is the part that is going to get me flamed, and it is just IMHO, and your mileage will vary, but I found the shave to be exactly like my experience with Tabac. To me, they are the same soap. The one drawback with both for me is in the area of razor glide.

So there you have it. Williams is the Tabac of America!

 

[Little Joe from Mexico]

I've been wanting to revisit "Williams". I tried it once about 4 years ago and hated it. Tried it again a couple years ago. Same thing. I didn't, however, soak the puck thoroughly before using it. That's the reason I've been wanting to try it again. I've recently seen posts on ways to use it successfully. I'm gonna end up revisiting it..... pretty soon....

 

[shmeegs]

The key to using Williams is the process of how you use it (most of the time is different than what you may be used to)

#1 Soak the entire puck while you shower in hot water.
#2 Some people say that a boar brush is better but I have the same result if I use either
#3 Create the lather on the puck itself. It will take more soap than normal.
#4 When I have created a good enough lather, I squeeze out most of the lather and then give a couple of seconds swirl over the richer lather.

#5 Brush on and shave.


I keep Williams in my rotation of soaps. It takes practice to get Williams into a usable lather but IMO i's worth the wait. I love the smell and the feel of the lather.

 

[coolbluewater]

I just may have to re-visit it soon too.

I'm planning on going trout fishing and I'll need something to make those pesky mosquitoes stand off. I figure 4-5 pucks placed 3' apart in a semi-circle should do it.

 

[Blondie]

The key to using Williams is the process of how you use it (most of the time is different than what you may be used to)

#1 Soak the entire puck while you shower in hot water.
#2 Some people say that a boar brush is better but I have the same result if I use either
#3 Create the lather on the puck itself. It will take more soap than normal.
#4 When I have created a good enough lather, I squeeze out most of the lather and then give a couple of seconds swirl over the richer lather.

#5 Brush on and shave.


I keep Williams in my rotation of soaps. It takes practice to get Williams into a usable lather but IMO i's worth the wait. I love the smell and the feel of the lather.

So I have my Williams in one of those Gladware small containers, right, and when I was making test lathers, I would always soak the puck in that container. Therefore, there was water all around it. Last night, when I opened it up, it was soft enough that I just mashed it into the bowl up to the sides. It loaded really well.

 

[luvmysuper]

So I have my Williams in one of those Gladware small containers, right, and when I was making test lathers, I would always soak the puck in that container. Therefore, there was water all around it. Last night, when I opened it up, it was soft enough that I just mashed it into the bowl up to the sides. It loaded really well.

You mean like this???

.

 

[Topgumby]

...
Now here is the part that is going to get me flamed, and it is just IMHO, and your mileage will vary, but I found the shave to be exactly like my experience with Tabac. To me, they are the same soap.

So there you have it. Williams is the Tabac of America!

Phil, you better get a better life insurance policy...I hear the Tabacanistas are even more brainwashed than the Williams zombies.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Williams breaks in imho.

With my puck the first 5-10 lathers it was work.
I've got a puck about 1/4 gone now and it lathers with no problems.

Go figure.

 

[MrGuy]

Williams can be a little deceptive, in my experience. When you hit it with a brush it starts spilling all kinds of foam, giving the illusion that the brush is loading with soap. The usual pumps and grinds produce more foam, making you think even more soap has been loaded. What I find is that a lighter touch, taking care to keep all excess foam on the puck, tends to load the brush better and make a thicker, longer lasting lather. Of course you don't have my water and don't use my brushes, so maybe that's the wrong way for you to get good results with Williams I think it's a fine soap, but requires a technique all of it's own.

 

[Blondie]

You mean like this???

.

Kind of!!But more Williamsy!

 

[mblakele]

Williams breaks in imho.

With my puck the first 5-10 lathers it was work.
I've got a puck about 1/4 gone now and it lathers with no problems.

I think that's a big part of it. Like MWF, it wants to get wet and stay wet. Ambient humidity probably helps too. I'm in a moderately humid environment, and I never had to soak the puck to get decent lather.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Ambient humidity would certainly explain why it works so well for me and guys like Seraph want to burn the factory down.

My bathroom is TINY and my roommate takes hour long showers.

 

[in the know]

I like Williams so much that I have been trading sticks of Palmolive to get it.

Great stuff. Nice smell too.

 

[otherstar]

I used it this morning and had a great, slick shave. I live in a humid environment so I don't soak the puck. I've recently cut down on the amount of water I use with Williams and my lather has gotten thicker, creamier, and as slick as can be...to the point that it feels like I have lotion on my face when I rub my hand over my face between passes to find the spots that need more work. Of course, using less water means I have to work the brush on top of the puck longer, and I don't get as much lather at first (unless I add a few drops, which I usually do) but I do get a thicker and slicker lather.

 

[Seraphim]

I refuse to be baited like this!!!

 

[SliceOfLife]

Come play with Williams, Seraphim. For ever and ever and ever and ever.

 

[Gymea]

#1 Soak the entire puck while you shower in hot water.

Actually, I've found Williams to work extremely well even when I take luke-warm showers. Don't like taking hot showers in the summer, after all. And I haven't had to take cold showers ever since I discovered...

...but this isn't that kind of forum, so nevermind.



(just joking, shmeegs -- I know what you meant!)

Jimmy.

 

[K.T.]

I picked up my first puck of Williams today!

I finally did it. I kinda avoided the stuff because of all the negative love I've been reading. But I did it. It felt like getting something out of the way... like there was something that needed to be done sooner or later, and I just did it and got it out of the way.

Anyhow, after reading the lathering suggestions here, I soaked my brush and wetted up the Williams and gave it a try.

Wow, maybe it's beginners luck, but I was able to hand lather the densest, most voluminous lather I've ever made. It was thick and stuck to my brush and hand. Literally clumps nearly an inch thick at some spots just clinging in big mounds to my hand.

OK, I face lather. I pumped and swirled more than I would be comfortable doing on my face, but holy moly, I wasn't expecting this amount or density of lather.

Next is an actual shave with it. That will be tomorrow. I was using an Omega 49 boar brush. I'm really excited that this cheap, readily available, but often maligned soap may actually work really well for me. We'll see.

Best,
K.T.

P.S. - The first part of the swirling gave a thin lather with relatively large bubbles. I was able to get the nice, dense, big lather after working it for a little bit.

 

[Omnichron]

I'm revisiting it tonight. I bought a puck at Stater Bros.

 

[kzoo1]

Yet more fellows join the fold...

All part of our master plan!!!!

[evil laugh]ha ha ha ha ha ha ha![\evil laugh]