That pretty much sums it up Now if forced to choose between Williams and canned goo, I'd take the Williams.
I haven't seen a puck of Williams available here in the Netherlands, but then I looked in my under the sink attic and found a tube of Williams cream I once bought on holiday in France. So, I sort of joined the theme week. selfmixed preshave Williams cream, I got a pretty good lather, missed some cushion Ikon OSS loaded with a Viking's Sword (2) alum Arko Moist aftershave balm
Wednesday Covered the puck with water while I showered. Drained it then used my well soaked Silvertip brush to work the puck while holding the mug at an angle so all the gloop ran out. I was sure I had a heavily loaded brush. Proceeded to face lather and got a decent lather, not great but decent. The lather didn't last though, and the third pass lather was pretty poor. After 4 uses, I'm going to call it quits on Williams. I have other soaps that lather better, smell better, feel better and are more moisturizing. They cost more, but are well worth the extra few cents per shave. Maybe next year I'll buy another puck and try again, but my current puck is going in the trash.
Yes, I'm weak. Weak, weak, weak, I tell ya. Couldn't take another day of the Williams. Had to break out a "real" soap - Queen Charlotte Celestial Woods gave me a lather much more to my liking!
Do what I do - save the buck-and-a-half and just toss what you have into a ziplock bag and throw into the back of the cabinet until next year.
Good idea. As cluttered as my cabinets and drawers are, I'll probably never find it again and I'll have a good excuse not to participate next year.
William's Week dropout - stuck the Williams back in the box I found still in the trash can and used Cella this morning. The real benefit of participating in William's Week was it made me appreciate a good soap more. The Cella lathered easier, made a better feeling and longer lasting lather, and smelled much better.
No crickets, but I also don't love it. A few of you may remember I was disappointed in my first shaves a few weeks ago as I had decided to make Williams my first puck to try with my new razor and brush. However I listened to instructions here and around the web and found out how to get a workable lather with it. Workable is not what I was looking for however so I was still pretty disappointed. So for a few days I went back to my goop, but I hate to waste ANYTHING, thrifty, after all is part of the Scout Law. Any way I decided to shoot a small squirt of my Nivea Sensitive Shaving Gel (Best goop money can buy BTW if your ever or still using the stuff) The end product is pretty wonderful. I will finish up the goop and the puck that way, but really I am better of buying something that just works without all the "rigging up" It would just be more practical. Really I haven't heard of too many guys who are able to really make a satisfying experience without "adding" something to it. So I am will you for this year, but can honestly say by next year I certainly hope to have found something that I am happy with without all the combining of things that I wouldn't normally use as a stand alone lather.
For all those who are struggling with this great soap, try grating the Williams puck into a container and tamping it down with just a touch of water. I do this and it gives a greater surface area to build lather on. Works for me as I get wonderful lather with Williams doing this and the resulting shaves are very nice indeed.
I don't hate Williams. I won't drop out like anyone else, it's no a terrible soap. It's just a lackluster soap.
I'm having fun with it. face lathered today and used my Merkur 23c with a new Wilkie blade. BBS shave.