Williams is good stuff and I enjoy using it. I face lather with either a boar or badger brush, and I shake most of the water our before I load the brush, so the first application on my face is pretty dry, but then I place the brush under the running water a few times as I continue to work the soap on my face, and in no time I have a wonderful, thick, slick, and creamy lather. Seems I always get a good shave with Williams. Before I ditched the cartridges, Williams was the only soap I used for about 10 years after inheriting my dad's boar brush. Didn't really know there was anything else.