Williams Week 9/16 - 9/22

Nooooooooo! Williams Week already?!?!

Yep, another Theme Week, and for this week it's time to pull out the Williams Mug Soap.
Now I know some of you love this stuff, and more power to ya.
Me, I can't stand the skeeter-be-gone smell, and I find it hard to get a decent lather every time. Sure, it happens every now and then, but I want something consistent. But that's me. All the more for you Williams lovers.

Justin Linker created a tutorial for lathering Williams. Hope it works for you as well as it does for him.

And as much as I dislike this stuff, I will be using it two, maybe three, times this week. But know this, it will be getting help from some unscented KMF to help boost the lather, and some M Bomb to help kill the scent. Hey, just my way of supporting these Theme Weeks!




Ya know, thinking about it, I really should move this week to a more appropriate time of the year - skeeter season.

 

I hate to miss a theme week but I'm going to have to pass on this one. Maybe next year I'll give Williams another try but I'm starting a new job this week and really don't want to show up razor burned and smelling like a citronella candle.

 

Swarden43, you're going to have some frustrated people on your hands this week. lol

 

Sunday

I like to start the theme week on Sunday, since I have more time on Sunday mornings, so here's my setup for Williams Week.


I had no trouble lathering the Williams, but I wasn't impressed with the quality of the lather. It just didn't have a good feel to it. I guess I have 6 more days to work on it.

I'm also breaking in a new boar knot. I'll probably try my Omega 49 next and see if that improves it.

 

Howdy! I have found that adding a few drops of glycerin to your lather scuttle works wonders for Williams Mug Soap. It lathers up great for me. Always, Gene

 

Williams... A final frontier?
This soap is hardly a household item in my part of the world. But given all the "press" it gets on various forums, and not to mention this theme week, I just have to try it.
In the past I have always been held back by some rather steep shipping fees on the bay. From $29.90 to $129.90, if not more.
But now I found a seller charging me one dollar for the soap and a fiver for shipping it to Norway.
The downside is that (s)he has received 18 negatives in the last month alone. But as long as I get it in time for next years Williams Week, I'll be satisfied

Now I only need to find me a decent VDH seller

 

And if you don't add the glycerin? Hmmmmm?

 

Howdy! It works for me. YMMV! Always, Gene

 

Thanks for the tip Mr. Foster
But I have already purchased a few pucks from the bay, so (hopefully) I'm good

 

So my Williams had been sitting in a vintage shaving mug that had been through the dishwasher (not mine, the mug came with a brush I wanted) way too often - the only thing left was a trace of gold leaf painting around the top. Now I prefer a little bit more room to whip up a lather than this mug provided, so last night I took the puck and grated it into a small bowl. I noticed the Williams is a pretty hard puck and when grated produced almost a powder, but adding a few drops of water helped me pack it down pretty good. All set for Monday and the start of Williams Week.

After a hot shower, I grabbed the Williams and my Dridecker brush and proceeded to whip up a lather. More room to play with the brush helped and I got a pretty decent looking lather. But looks don't shave the face. Although the lather was pretty thick, it began to do its infamous disappearing act once I got it on my face.

All said and done, the shave was pretty darn near BBS. Yes, Williams is a usable soap. There, I said it. It has enough going for it that I didn't wind up with razor burn. That, and the cost ($1.09 at ShopRite), is no doubt why this soap has endured the test of time as long as it has.

One day down, six to go.

 

2nd day with Williams

The lather this morning was too airy. I guess I'll see what tomorrow brings, but so far I'm not impressed.

 

Made a couple of practice lathers with the Williams this evening, the lather turned out better than my first two. I'll see how it goes tomorrow morning.

 

3rd day with Williams

Lather wasn't very good in the bowl, added a dollop of CO Bigelow and it turned out OK.

 

I find that you have to add a little hot water on the puck while u prep, and add a bit more as you lather. Williams is like a sponge IMO.

 

Because of yesterday's disappearing act, I added some KMF Cool Mint.

I've been lathering soaps for long enough to know what looks good in the mug. This morning, it looked real good. But like I said, looks don't shave the face. Even with the dollop of KMF this stuff started its disappearing act during the shave. I could even notice it disappearing in the mug.

And just like Erik, it turned out OK. Not great, or even good, but OK.

 

Williams week it is. I'll shave with it all week. No problemo. It's a stubborn soap, definitely. However, using the techniques from my video I will have a reasonable lather and decent shaves. My biggest problem with Williams is not the lather but the lack of that VDH/MWF moisturizing feel while and after its applied. It's like the protection is almost absent, but still enough to get the job done.

 

I never had any problems with Williams... You just have to take your time and the lather will be ready when it is ready. It's not my favorite soap, but for the price is a good value.

Since early July, I have only been using Rose scented Walter's Shave Soap. It is PC's take on vintage Williams and it is pretty nice soap.

 

So if one adds enough supplemental ingredients to help the lather (other creams, glycerin) and aroma oils to kill the scent, then Williams is a decent soap...maybe.
Still have my puck, dry & safe within an unopened box.