Thread: Combe: We did not change Williams Mug Soap! (Case No. 490334)

My guess is that retailers won't carry it unless it's dirt cheap. If Williams made it the original way it would probably retail for $5 or $10 a puck, and a lot of long-time Williams customers remember when it was 19 cents a puck.

I'd pay full retail price for the original formulation because I have 4 late-19th Century to early 20th Century ads framed next to my strop and where I shave. I long for the connection to those ads because I'm a straight razor shaver.

I, too, can get modern Williams to work with some effort if I set my mind to it but that's not the point. The point is that this is not the Williams our forefathers used. It's an impostor. I don't know what my grandfathers used, but they passed away in the mid-1970s and if they used Williams, this isn't it.

A puck purchased today isn't what this gent used in 1903.

I'm also put off that major American corporations take over traditional products and reduce the quality and variety of them. The best things I use either come from overseas or a small business that wasn't around back in the day. I'm grateful to these people but at the same time disappointed that I can't replicate my ancestors' shaving experiences to the extent I want to.

On a lighter note, you can still buy vintage Williams on Ebay, and the new stuff works great as the main for Uberlather. But you never know, Coke went back to their original recipe after the new Coke went sour........
Also the "Prairie Creation Walters shaving soaps" uses the original Williams ingredients with Tallow, but i never tried it, Anybody?

Originally Posted by Martin103

Also the "Prairie Creation Walters shaving soaps" uses the original Williams ingredients with Tallow, but i never tried it, Anybody?

Yes, I'm the guy who gave her the idea on The Shave Nook forum. I tried mixing Arko sticks with Williams and coconut oil to try to recaputre the original. I showed her the ingredients on a vintage puck and with her soapmaking knowhow Krissy came up with a reasonable facsimile that works very well. Works great with hot water. Initially had a problem when I switched to cold water shaving but solved that easily by grating the puck in a cheese grater. She started making lemon and rose because those were the past scents Williams used and now she has branched out in various scents. Of course her soap is more expensive, which is probably why Williams won't admit that they have cheapened the formula.

Originally Posted by CaliforniaCajun

My guess is that retailers won't carry it unless it's dirt cheap. If Williams made it the original way it would probably retail for $5 or $10 a puck, and a lot of long-time Williams customers remember when it was 19 cents a puck.

I'd pay full retail price for the original formulation because I have 4 late-19th Century to early 20th Century ads framed next to my strop and where I shave. I long for the connection to those ads because I'm a straight razor shaver.

I, too, can get modern Williams to work with some effort if I set my mind to it but that's not the point. The point is that this is not the Williams our forefathers used. It's an impostor. I don't know what my grandfathers used, but they passed away in the mid-1970s and if they used Williams, this isn't it.

A puck purchased today isn't what this gent used in 1903.

I'm also put off that major American corporations take over traditional products and reduce the quality and variety of them. The best things I use either come from overseas or a small business that wasn't around back in the day. I'm grateful to these people but at the same time disappointed that I can't replicate my ancestors' shaving experiences to the extent I want to.

The biggest reason straight razor shaving appeals to me is the nostalgia of it, the ritual that countless men performed years and years before were ever thought of, and I can sympathize with you in this issue.

This is the third response I have received from Tamara. I only wrote Combe once regarding Williams. Her boss must be pestering her to write and further clarify the company's position on the formula change. I am not trying to give these people a hard time. I am a retro shaving fan that would delight in using a nostalgic product like this in its original form. Fortunately there are lots of great soaps out there that have filled the void.


Dear Mr. Ayers:
Thank you for contacting us regarding Williams Mug Soap. We welcome all comments about our products.
We appreciate your comments and will forward them to marketing. As we previously told you we would not be able to revert in the event that an ingredient is no longer available.
Thank you for contacting us.
Sincerely,
Tamara
Tamara
Consumer Resources Consultant
Case #490334
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Comment:
Look at the "Ingredients Timeline" http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Williams.
I have tried the pre-Combe Williams Mug Soap and it lathers easily. The current formulation is much harder to lather and does not perform as well. I'd become a permanent Williams customer if you changed back to the earlier formulations.