Williams: what am I missing?

[mikelz777]

I just gave up on Williams today! I had 2 pucks grated and pressed into a cup. I finally got to the point of getting good lathers out of it consistently but lately I looked at the puck and was thinking that it was going to last me forever since I only needed a 15 second load time to get more lather than I needed. Also, while I was shaving with it I started asking myself why I was using Williams when I liked everything about my other soaps (Prorasos red, green & white and a jar of Biotique Bio Palmyra) better and all of them were easier to lather than Williams. The only thing Williams had over my other soaps was that it was much cheaper. I had my "life is too short" moment then I plopped the puck out of the cup and assigned it to the shower where it will be my body bar of soap until it's gone. I had been using Williams exclusively for around a month and a half and I'm looking forward to getting back to the Prorasos and Biotique.

 

[Komboloi]

Despite our natural affection for vintage things, improvements are made over time. A 1957 T-Bird is an awesome car, but it's not a 2017 Acura in terms of "quality". We drive the two cars for different reasons, both of the them valid.

 

[Badgerstate36]

Its probably one of the biggest YMMV soaps out there. I find that you need to bloom it with scalding hot water and load your brush for about 60 seconds because of how hard it is.

 

[Snurgblat]

 

[TheVez2]

I do recommend navigating over to the W.I.S.E. thread and look at the theVez2's videos they should help.

I endorse this recommendation..... Williams is one of my favorite soaps!

 

[honeybadger79]

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.

This method worked for me after copying it.

 

[Chevyguy]

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

Combe probably didn't. I believe the reformulation happened shortly after Nabisco sold out to a pharmaceutical company that I cannot remember the name of. That would have been around the mid to late seventies.

Clayton

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[ccpastork]

Wet brush, puck in mug. Attack. Keep attacking, gets pasty add water, gets foamy keep attacking. About 90 seconds mounds of lather.

Definitely this ...puck in the mug soaked in water while I showered, Poe off water, wet brush...90 seconds...mounds of creamy lather.

 

[BigJ]

View attachment 801854

Wonderful!

 

[steveclarkus]

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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It’s a Darwinian thing. Survivors can do it. Those who can’t are cut from the herd. Nothing personal, just sayin’.

 

[steveclarkus]

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 keep reading about synthetic brushes doing well with Williams so I ordered a Razorrock synthetic. I haven’t had all that much trouble with WMG but sounded like a good excuse to buy a synthetic.

 

[G-Dogg]

As with all soaps (IMHO), the magic should happen on the face, not in the bowl. Use a pre-soaked brush, squeezed out so it's just damp. Swirl to pick up soap on the brush, no lather in the bowl; you should have a thick paste that you then paint on your face. Dip the tips of your brush into hot water and apply to the face in a circular motion; repeat until you have developed the consistency of lather you require.

This method works for me with any soap, Williams included.

 

[TheVez2]

I keep reading about synthetic brushes doing well with Williams

I've used Badger, Boar, and Synthetic with Williams. Never noticed a difference.

 

[steveclarkus]

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..

36 pucks! A few of those will be vintage before you finish ‘em. Way to go.

 

[John Rose]

Stickify it!

1. Grate Williams
   
2. Add water (and/or a bit of your favourite aftershave splash, if you're so inclined)
   
3. Mash it into an empty jumbo-sized glue stick or deodorant stick container.
4. Rub on face and lather with brush
5. Keep cap on between uses

I think one of the key features of this method is that it is slow to dry out even if you put it in rotation with many other soaps.
It does not produce pr0n-type lather for me, but it certainly has lots of residual slickness.
Sometimes I'll even rub some on for a base coat and brush on a bowl-lathered soap on top of it.

 

[Guitar10]

I've used Badger, Boar, and Synthetic with Williams. Never noticed a difference.

same here I get same results even whit a badger so to my opinion is Williams needs to be hydrated, after that the results will be more than satisfactory.

 

[steveclarkus]

same here I get same results even whit a badger so to my opinion is Williams needs to be hydrated, after that the results will be more than satisfactory.

I used a synthetic brush on WMS yesterday and it performed well but I believe hydration is the most important factor in lathering. I didn’t experience the disapation problem so perhaps the brush had some impact there.