Quote Originally Posted by AfterShaver View Post
Williams is great if it's used right otherwise it's a huge disapointment. Soak the soap and brush in hot water for at least two minutes then pour off the liquid, shake out the brush and lather. Keep spinning and add water if it's too dry. Better to add water than have the lather too moist and bubbly. It should be slick and rich, bubbly will dry out too quick. Many hate Williams but really it's great and they're just snobby about fancy english creams. It also helps if the puck fits properly and does'nt slip around. You can mill it into a container with a cheese grater and pack it tight with wax paper if need be. Milling also helps soften it and lets the moisture into the soap which is really important in getting it to lather right.
This is exactly why some people go through their soap so quickly. If you follow this regimen, most of your soap will go down the drain without ever touching your face. This waste is unnecessary. You can either build the lather in the mug containing the soap, in a separate lathering bowl, or on your face. In any case, there is no need to pour soap down the drain.

Yes, put a small amount of water on top of the puck to soak for a while. Soak the brush in water as well. If you are building in the soap mug, leave the water on the puck and start swirling. If you are building on your face, after you've swirled on the soap for a while, switch to building on your face. If you are building in another mug, pour the soapy water into the lathering bowl, swirl the brush in the soap bowl for a few seconds to load the brush, then build the lather in the lathering bowl.

Williams shave soap is not fancy but I used it for years and it works just fine. Just like with any other soap, you have to make adjustments as you build the lather and the key is to know how much water to add without adding too much. You accomplish this by adding small amounts a little at a time. Mantic59 on YouTube has a great video on the nuances of building lather. If you pay attention to that video, you can build good lather with Williams.

How to build and apply traditional shaving lather.