Thread: Is Williams a lost cause?

Before you either pitch it or send it to the shower...
If you want to give it one last try you can run it through the grater and pack it in layers in the mug. This seemed to make it easier to load - giving it a fighting chance as a face lather (cool-cold water)
But move on before it makes you angry....shaving time should be happy time IMHO....

Smooth shaving...

Originally Posted by Haroldg48

I've lathered with a little bar of hotel soap and my fingers when I forot my gear while traveling, so I'm sure Williams can be used to make a lather. Like Razorfeld, I shave with barely warm water or cold most of the time and am a face latherer. I'd not throw it out, but instead try the glycerin, or using some Williams and some of another brand (Arko is the least expensive I use) and build a combo lather. Believe me, almost any shaving soap can be worked with enough patience.

I agree with Harold, Bob and Beluga. You can get a "shaveable" lather with Williams.

It takes a bit of time to face lather. I do not use glycerin but we do have softened water.

I use Williams as a pre lather on occasion but VDH is a much better choice. My main use for Williams is a lubricant for the DMTs.

Grating soap? Hummmmm.
I just find the need to cheese grate my soap before I use it to be rather.......odd!
The initial grater expense would cost more than the puck of soap, probably 3-4 pucks.
Kind of like the idea of buying cottage cheese and placing it under pressure, drawing out the moisture, and waiting for it to turn into cheddar cheese.
I've tried probably ten pucks of Williams over the last twenty years and have never enjoyed its qualities.

Originally Posted by Scareface

Grating soap? Hummmmm.
I just find the need to cheese grate my soap before I use it to be rather.......odd!
The initial grater expense would cost more than the puck of soap, probably 3-4 pucks.
Kind of like the idea of buying cottage cheese and placing it under pressure, drawing out the moisture, and waiting for it to turn into cheddar cheese.
I've tried probably ten pucks of Williams over the last twenty years and have never enjoyed its qualities.

Yea, I don't like grating soap pucks either. For Arko shave sticks I just mold them into a bowl, they are soft enough to do that, for home use. With the Palmolive shave stick I just slowly heated it a bit at a time till soft enough to mold into a bowl.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Yea, I don't like grating soap pucks either. For Arko shave sticks I just mold them into a bowl, they are soft enough to do that, for home use. With the Palmolive shave stick I just slowly heated it a bit at a time till soft enough to mold into a bowl.

Bob

I've read a couple of your quotes on Palmolive stick, along with a few other people's, and am finding it peeking my curiosity. I'll probably try it when I make a purchase from a vendor as a throw it in just to try. But, all I read about Arko just doesn't tempt me at all.

Sounds like too much water. You want a thick, creamy lather. Not a bubbly, watery one. a few drops of glycerin. add water sparingly and stir to the right lather. Williams works great as done right. Not hard at all, really.
YMMV

Vintage Williams is amazing but difficult to source and the unfortunately expensive. The stuff made in Cranford NJ is nothing short of amazing IMO.

Originally Posted by Scareface

I've read a couple of your quotes on Palmolive stick, along with a few other people's, and am finding it peeking my curiosity. I'll probably try it when I make a purchase from a vendor as a throw it in just to try. But, all I read about Arko just doesn't tempt me at all.

Oh I don't mind Arko and it's heavy citrusy/lemony scent at all and very good easily made lather.

Bob

+1 to the Palmolive stick - I often use it as my travel soap - amazing & consistant results.

Grating? You can use a frame or box grater (a few bucks and a handy kitchen tool) the note that you don't have one already means that you have been spared from Kitchen Gadget AD (KGAD) and you are lucky. I started grating with MWF to get it to fill the dish edge to edge.

But then I have KGAD and always need to use them.

Smooth shaving...

I have no problems making a great lather with Williams but if you can't do it why not toss it. Maybe it's not for everyone. I can also make a great lather from Dove, arko, VDH, mamma bear soaps, ect. The one thing I have yet to master is shaving with just water but why force things. Just do what works for you.