Thread: IMO, Williams

Gentlemen,

Into each life Williams shaving soap must fall — once. I think the soap was the right of passage for many of us old timers. Then we moved on, because in time many fine soaps popped up in the market. I'm not even sure I ever finished my first puck of Williams.

I loved Williams' fragrance: clean and soapy. The performance overall was mediocre. I never tried Williams again. I've read that the new Williams does not measure up to the old version. I wouldn't know. For me, Williams stays just a memory from my youth.

Have tried the modern stuff several times and it’s just ok.......should not have to work hard on any soap to get a good lather so for me there’s better out there you don’t have to put much work into to get a great lather and it’s not much more costly

My main opinion is the new Williams is not for someone new to this way of shaving. So many better options available that work much better.

Is it a completely different formula or did an ingredient(s) get substituted?

I’m under the impression that it’s a different formula, keeping in mind that most soaps have common ingredients but the amounts vary, accounting for wide differences in performance. When Coombe bought the company in the ‘80s, they reduced tallow and increased palm oil, apparently as did the English 3Ts and with similar results. It’s not the same soap as vintage Williams.

After using Williams 3 times now by itself, No additives, and I have come to the conclusion that it is a decent shave soap. "Far from the best". I wouldn't put it in Obie's second tier but it's not a bottom of the barrel soap. If I had to travel and wanted to take a puck to hand lather with and throw away on the trip back I'd be ok with grabbing a puck of this. As always YMMV, but now I feel like I know Williams well enough and I have not missed out on trying one of the low-cost pucks of soap being sold nowadays.

So i was at my neighborhood grocery store the other day and while grabbing some bath supplies i saw the Williams Shave puck on sale for $1.09... Since i remembered reading this post of Jerry's and not used Williams in a long time i picked one up .. I used the Williams for 3 days straight ... My conclusion? Im pretty f@$%ing good at this straight razor shaving!! And that the soap/cream used no matter how expensive or great compared to other brands that your soap/cream is the least important in getting a good shave... The sharpness and quality of blade edge, pre-shave of skin, skin stretching and proper technique... Repeating that last one over many times!! I am not dissing on any soaps or creams that us as shavers use because i have a cabinet full of not pricey to expensive soaps that i use and enjoy almost all.... But i got a fine shave out of the Williams with zero problem.. Up there with what i consider my top brands? Nope. Good for $1.09? For sure..! And i have added Cremo to my soaps before and didnt feel any less of a SR shaver or have to explain myself for doing it.. Better than throwing it in the garbage