Thread: williams for starters?

If you want cheap locally available soap, buy a puck of VDH from Walgreens. If you want, you can grab a stick of Arko for pretty cheap, as well. Every one should try Williams at some point, but that point should not be learning to shave, IMO.

I use Williams - it works fine for me; I get great shaves with it. Whether or not you'll like it or learn to use it is another thing entirely. No one should say it won't work for you.. except you.

Originally Posted by Sargon

If you want cheap locally available soap, buy a puck of VDH from Walgreens. If you want, you can grab a stick of Arko for pretty cheap, as well. Every one should try Williams at some point, but that point should not be learning to shave, IMO.

+1. VDH for beginners, Williams can be useful for various purposes but as a beginner's soap I wouldn't recommend it.

I've always found that softer brushes are great for soaps. They seem to generate lather better, ime, ymmv. Now, You have to give credit when it's due. Williams has been around a long time. It even has tallow in it, "Sodium Tallowate". If your new to this, I'd recommend face lathering with it. Throw a puck in mug, add some water, and whip away. Your patience will be rewarded. Before I ever picked up a straight razor, I used Williams religously. I never thought it was a bad soap.

Also, As previously mentioned, If you really don't like, you can use it in the shower. I've done that myself with some soaps. For the price, you have nothing to loose.

Think the problem with Williams soap is that it may be too cheap, and therefore people think it is made cheaply, and as I said I have never had a problem with it. And as zib has said it's been around for a long long time.

Gentlemen,

I used a puck of Williams a long time ago. I used a puck of Van der Hagen a long time ago. I not only did not know any better, but quality soaps were not readily available.

Years later, if I had to do it all over again, with all the great soaps available today, I would shrug off Williams and Van der Hagen and start with a good soap: Provence Sante, L'Occitane, Tabac, Mitchell's Wool Fat, Mama Bear, eShave, Valobra, D.R. Harris, Geo F Trumper, Taylor of Old Bond Street, and the list goes on. Then there's Martin de Candre, but that's dessert.

If I were starting out today, I would start with a high quality soap — and experience what it can do.

Williams was the first soap I used. That and Colgate were the only ones I used for many years. It's fine for a beginner. Actually it's fine for an old timer too. I still always have some around. There are soaps that smell better and moisturize. But you can also spend lots more money and end up with a shave no better than Williams provides.

Having said it's fine, I now must admit, after shaed earler today with one of the soaps from classicshaving.com, (I don't have it on hand, but you get the idea) I had a much more comfortable shave with it.

This is timely. I just finished shaving using the Williams. The way I made good and long lasting lather was to a hot water soak while I showered, then a moist brush with lots of stirring. Got the brush *really* thick - then applied. Smells good, thick, solid lather. I've been straight shaving for about a month and have been lucky to have a wide variety of soaps to try.