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Williams: what am I missing?

Despite my best efforts, using Williams has been a bust. Even the Marco Method hasn't helped.

Has anyone had success with this soap? It can be found just about anywhere, so someone out there is doing well with it.


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If you grate it, and press it into a container, it can be easier to lather. Williams takes more time, effort, and water than many soaps. Don't give up, it's only soap! :thumbup1:
 
Williams is my daily driver. It likes to be worked more than most other soaps and lots of water. Pre-soaking the puck helps with the load. When building your lather fold the cream and use fast paint strokes. pay attention when building your lather it will be foamy as you build then become noticeably thick and dense.


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Do a search for WILLIAMS
a Very polarizing soap.
Check into W.I.S.E. in the clubs forum...
I'm still learning it but it's worth the effort IMHO>
 
Despite my best efforts, using Williams has been a bust. Even the Marco Method hasn't helped.

Has anyone had success with this soap? It can be found just about anywhere, so someone out there is doing well with it.

I had the same experience. Lots of gents here like Williams so more power to them. For me, there are plenty of other options that work great and are easier to use, so Williams is on my "never buy" list. YMMV.
 
I remember back in the early eighties when Williams still lathered like the vintage stuff. It even came in a puck that had menthol in it. I may have to use it today. I grated mine and added Ice Blue AV, and glycerine to it. It lathers pretty well actually.

Clayton

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I use new Williams everyday when I shave my head in the shower. Williams likes extremely hot water and synthetic brushes. If you're using a super soft badger brush with no backbone you will not get a good lather. I've also found that boar brushes tend to not want to let go of the soap on to the skin.
 
I use new Williams everyday when I shave my head in the shower. Williams likes extremely hot water and synthetic brushes. If you're using a super soft badger brush with no backbone you will not get a good lather. I've also found that boar brushes tend to not want to let go of the soap on to the skin.
Intersting - I've tried a silvertip Badger and didn't get a good lather with Williams and When I tried my Boar brush I thought it was a good lather but it seemed thin when I applied it to my face. I didn't have a synthetic Brush at the time when I tried the soap but what you say seems to make sense with what I have experienced as well.

Regardless I'm not going to give it another shot - I gave the soap a several attempts and was not happy and didn't really care for the smell much as a shaving soap. It's since found it's way into my shower and made an excellent shower soap for my head and face and is now all gone.
 
I've tried boar, badger and synthetic side by side and the synthetic brush works best. Pretty wet brush, load for a minute+ and work the lather until you get dense stable lather. This method worked so well I picked up another 6 pucks.
 
Williams is a very good soap and it definitely give incredible bang for the buck. I only have two Omega boar brushes and I know of several members who use badger bushes, either should work equally well just don't abuse your brush. When I shave I use only cold water and have no issues getting a great lather from modern Williams. When loading the brush I use a damp brush and hold the puck in my free hand, total time is about 40 seconds flipping the puck every 10 seconds. I tend to bowl lather, but you can face lather as well.

I do recommend navigating over to the W.I.S.E. thread and look at the theVez2's videos they should help.
 
I've been using my WD Synthetic on my Modern Williams and have gone through the puck.
Now I've ordered a Silvertip Badger from Larry and will whack my next puck of Williams with that one to see how it compares as a lathering tool.
I figure it's going to take some practice learning how to create those frothy creamy lathers I see from The Vez and others..so i have about 36 pucks of Modern and 6 or 7 Vintage to practice with. I'm not touching the vintage until I can consistently work the Modern..
 
Wet brush, puck in mug. Attack. Keep attacking, gets pasty add water, gets foamy keep attacking. About 90 seconds mounds of lather.
 
I just picked up a puck of Williams on a whim and was pretty shocked how well it lathered. Soak the puck for 10-20 minutes in hot water in a small glass. Williams is a very thirsty soap add water and then add more water. I had really good luck with a stiff synthetic brush, in which I had to press/pulverize the fine bubbles out for at least a full minute. Lathering on the puck for the full minute works well.

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I did a video of how I tamed modern Williams. This puck is was grated and pressed into the dish but I got the same results from a brand new puck just to see if there was a difference.

 
Can't speak to the vintage stuff, but I used up my modern Williams puck in the shower. Best Williams experience I've ever had. [emoji16]

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To me it smells like Ivory. I can get a thick lather that's got cushion. For slickness I add 7 drops of glycerine to my lather bowl. You gotta soak the puck while your brush is soaking. I dump the water off the soap and then load my squeezed out damp brush on the soap. I then lather in my bowl adding drops of water until my lather is thick with peaks. It doesn't take long and the lather won't dry up. I admit I do have soft water.

Clayton

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The new formulation does work, but with the resurgence of traditional wetshaving the Combe company would be money ahead if they brought back the vintage formulation. That goes for the original Aqua Velva aftershave also.

Clayton

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The new formulation does work, but with the resurgence of traditional wetshaving the Combe company would be money ahead if they brought back the vintage formulation. That goes for the original Aqua Velva aftershave also.

Clayton

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When you contact them they say they haven't changed it which we all know isn't true.
 
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