Williams...slick but dry. Right?

[dfresh]

Been shaving with williams for the past 2 weeks and I can't figure this stuff out. I've even just tried lathering it without shaving...just to try to see if I could perfect it. Nada. This stuff...although slick, seems to dry within 30 seconds or so. It's slick none the less but just REALLY dry. Once I build a decent lather...slick and mildly cushiony, I'll apply, and if I don't shave right away it's pretty much vanished. If I add any more water it turns into a sudsy joke.

Any thoughts or ideas?

 

[Alacrity59]

According to the box Williams is "Famous for its lather" although that might just be the Canadian box. It foams up very quickly but that quick bit is just foam. You really need to keep loading your brush for a good while. Once you do this Williams becomes a thing of beauty. Finish lathering on your face or in a bowl.

 

[faster_than_u]

Use lots of soap and use lots of water

 

[Schwert]

More soap. Also try a boar brush if you have one....load and load the soap, then when you think you have enough, load some more.

Getting Williams to lather like everyone desires takes an effort, but once you have enough soap you should get good non-disappearing lather.

Face lathering seems to work very well for me.

 

[BroJohn]

Williams produces a fine lather, lubes well, gives a good shave. I find it drying post shave. It's like it cleaned away all my facial oils and is very drying for the skin. I normally don't use a moisturizer, but would recommend one following a 'Williams Shave'.

Regarding the lather drying out, it sounds like you need to add more water and/or work the lather longer with your brush.

-- John Gehman

 

[SliceOfLife]

I bought a puck of it today, get home and my PIF soap is in the mail, so minimum 2 days to use it. I figured what the hell, It cost $1.39. I'll just test lather. I soaked the puck (under water) drained it and went at it with a shook out badger. Once it was well-loaded I put it in the scuttle and lathered. The soap lathered fine. Better than Kells or VDH. Not as good as Tabac. The lather felt plenty moist and slick in my hand. But I didn't shave with it.

 

[Saltchuck]

Been shaving with williams for the past 2 weeks and I can't figure this stuff out. ... This stuff...although slick, seems to dry within 30 seconds or so....
Any thoughts or ideas?

If that's the kind of lather you are getting, then you are not doing it right. Check the archives of the Shaving Soaps forum for lots of advice on how to lather with Williams. There were a lot of posts about Williams a few weeks ago.

 

[The Nid Hog]

And once you crack the code, check out the Aqua Velva+Williams thread.

 

[Deltaboy]

I'm loving shaving with Williams.

 

[FlatFork]

I used Williams for a solid month and this is what I came up with in a nutshell. I gated mine and let it soak up all the water it would hold after I pressed it. Keep using it the softer it gets the better, don't be scared to load the hell out of your brush and use water. I've lathered with pure badger all the way to a floppy vulfix and get nice lather that won't disappear, I also face lather with it.

 

[Seraphim]

Been shaving with williams for the past 2 weeks and I can't figure this stuff out. I've even just tried lathering it without shaving...just to try to see if I could perfect it. Nada. This stuff...although slick, seems to dry within 30 seconds or so. It's slick none the less but just REALLY dry. Once I build a decent lather...slick and mildly cushiony, I'll apply, and if I don't shave right away it's pretty much vanished. If I add any more water it turns into a sudsy joke.

Any thoughts or ideas?

That is exactly what a Williams shave is all about!

 

[Chevyguy]

I bought a puck of it today, get home and my PIF soap is in the mail, so minimum 2 days to use it. I figured what the hell, It cost $1.39. I'll just test lather. I soaked the puck (under water) drained it and went at it with a shook out badger. Once it was well-loaded I put it in the scuttle and lathered. The soap lathered fine. Better than Kells or VDH. Not as good as Tabac. The lather felt plenty moist and slick in my hand. But I didn't shave with it.

Lather it up with a boar brush and you will build some really thick lather. Williams likes a brush with a backbone to it.

Clayton

 

[Moe]

That is exactly what a Williams shave is all about!

...for those who don't know how to use it. This time of year, if your house is significantly below about 40% humidity, even Tabac and MWF can dry on the face, and the neck and chin can benefit from relathering after shaving the cheeks and 'stache area.

It sounds like the OP's drying problem is from not loading the brush up sufficiently. The clue is that adding a few drops of water makes it thin and sudsy. As said above, a boar bristle brush like the cheap VDH, while not as comfortable on the face, will generate mounds of creamy, soft lather from Williams--because it loads easily.

 

[guitarslinger]

I've heard every trick in the book. I've tried every trick in the book.

I've soaked in water for 30 minutes, one hour, all night, etc.

1. If it sucks with YOUR water, it sucks.

2. If it works with YOUR water, it works.

3. With all night soaking, and a discarding of the fluffy/airey stuff, and extra extra brush working for the dense lather, I acheived about 75% of what a consider an average shave. This whole process used about 30% of the puck to get a below-average shave. Even though I made it to the rich lather stage, it still started to disappear before I finished the 1st pass. I ran into an ugly knick on my lip, which NEVER happens.

Not worth it for me. Sorry, all of you fanboys. It's not that good.

 

[Moe]

I've heard every trick in the book. I've tried every trick in the book.
...
1. If it sucks with YOUR water, it sucks.

2. If it works with YOUR water, it works.

So which trick in the book led you to that conclusion? Shaving with distilled water?

Did you try a real brush? One better suited to soap than cream?

 

[52tele]

I couldn't get it to lather. Tabac lathers just by looking at it so I figure why bother fighting the Williams.

 

[guitarslinger]

So which trick in the book led you to that conclusion? Shaving with distilled water?

Did you try a real brush? One better suited to soap than cream?

I have not tried it with distilled water.

I use a TBS synthetic brush, and I grind that sucker into it as hard as I can.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Lather it up with a boar brush and you will build some really thick lather. Williams likes a brush with a backbone to it.

Clayton

My Rex badger has almost as much backbone as my VDH boar. Just much softer on the face. I really like the knot on the badger, may eventually pull it and reaffix it to a better handle.

 

[Moe]

I bought the Pure Badger version of the 3/1 Rooney, which typically has a thicker, shorter knot, both characteristically better on soap. And it works pretty well with Williams.

My wife picked me up a green VDH boar brush for travel, etc (it matches the green ring on Palmolive stick soap ). Instead of shampooing it, I decided to wash it in Williams. I couldn't believe how the lather literally exploded off the puck--much more so than with the short, stiff, pure badger brush. So I believe the brush is certainly a factor with Williams.

 

[_JP_]

More soap, more water, and more stirring. Williams takes a little more effort than other soaps.