It's cheap. It's really really cheap. You can create a lather. It's not a good one, but it's a lather nonetheless. It's great if you're just starting and want to see if you're even interested. But, don't be discouraged if you don't get the thick, rich lather you see and hear about. It simply isn't a quality product. There's a reason it's around $1 for a bar. It's kind of like a boar brush. It will get the job done but it might not live up to your expectations.

Picked up at the local Marcs store for 99 cents the other day. I had been using some Marvy almond soap which gave a great shave, but I hated the scent and it made my eyes burn for some reason.



I lathered it up in a mug with a Tweezerman pure badger brush. My boar brush might have been a better choice, as it took kind of a while to create some later - but it was still under a minute.



The lather was pretty thin to the eye, but it really did a great job. I got an excellent shave from this stuff. I also liked the slight citrus scent.



Afterward I splashed on some Aqua Velva Ice. What a great combination that was. I got an excellent shave. I had zero razor burn, which is quite a feat for me. And the price of the soap, brush, aftershave and free mug from my bank was approximately $19 US.



I know there are nicer products than the ones mentioned, I even have some of them myself, but I was quite pleased with them and they won't break the bank.



Of course, YMMV

While I have to admit that it was my first time using this soap, or any soap for that manor, I can't say that I'm very impressed with it. I purchased it as it was available cheaply and easily at the grocery store, 99 cents if I remember correctly. The scent was not bad, though minimal. A benign sort of scent if you will. Lather was ok, but I was hoping for more. It could be my technique, so I shall try again to see where the fault lies. The lubrication was pretty good, compared to the canned goo I'm used to I guess. No slimey feel on my face afterward which was nice also. So, all in all, my first impression is that it does the job but you get what you pay for. I'm all for saving money, but there are times when you just have to pay a bit more.

Well, it's cheap, which is good. It smells, well, like hotel soap- and not the soap you'd find at a classy hotel either. More like the 79 bucks a night super 8 hotel. Lather- I hear it can lather. You have to soak it first to get anything that resembles lather. Well, I don't really consider it a lather- it's more like bubbles and less like cream and it dissipates quickly. Moisturizing? No. It's not. My irish spring is more moisturizing. Actually, I think I'd prefer to use Irish spring to this stuff. I'd like to give it a good review, I would love to give it a decent review, but I just can't. It's cheap and you get what you pay for.

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---I have to wait HOW long before I can leave work?

Couldn't resist picking up a puck of this in CVS the other night. I've shaved twice with it so this probably isn't the definitive review but a couple of observations. Williams just is what it is, a functional shaving soap at a reasonable price. It seemed to take a bit more water than I normally use but once the hydration level was there, the lather (lathering in a mug) was a snap. In fact I got copious quantities of lather. However, the lather didn't seem to be very good quality and seemed to dry out after a while on my face. The lather was actually more like suds than lather, very airy and very quick to dry out. I was also less than impressed about how this stuff covered. So quality of lather was not the issue quality was. On the good side, the smell was straight up old school something between lemon and ivory soap. It's cheap and available anywhere and despite its obvious shortcomings, seemed to provide adequate protection for a good three pass shave. IMHO, the next time I get a craving for drug store soap I think VDH Deluxe will probably get the nod.

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Lilac Vegetarian
GEMOCRAT
All Around Great Guy

"To make matters worse, this wretched poverty is most incongruously linked to expensive tastes." Sir Thomas More

Awful cultured for a Port Tampa redneck, huh?

Williams does what it's supposed to and little else. For a dollar something a puck, it's not bad. I get a good lather, a good shave, and I love the smell. It's synthetic as hell, but it's the cheapest soap you can get next to VDH, which I believe to be the better soap. But, for price, quality, and nostalgia, it can't be beat.

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Rob

I found this stuff to be simultaneously beneficial AND detrimental - sometimes it seemed to slip good, then another spot would be rough. The worst thing for me was the lack of moisturizing, again pretty rough. It's some really tough latherin' stuff, I think it may benefit from the full "old time" treatment - everything really hot, boar brush, etc. I did like the scent, very classic American, 'reminded me of the Murphy's Oil Soap my Grandma used to clean with. I won't buy it again, but I'll keep the puck I have for posterity - I really just wanted to try it because it's an old staple, and I hadn't gotten around to it yet.

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"I know nothing but the fact of my ignorance." -Socrates

This stuff sucks, try Van Der Hagen @ Wally World for $1.54 if you are a cheap bastid like me!

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-Bryan

Merkur 34c/HD, Edwin Jagger Best Badger, Derby Extra, Proraso Cream, Tabac Soap, Taylor's of Old Bond Street: Avocado Cream

its .99

I picked up a Williams bar the other day at my local grocery. I was in need of a refill for a puck soap and I hadn't tried Williams before.



I was strangely drawn to the classic box style and scent of the puck too.



Price: Excellent I suppose since it was only about $1.50.



Quality: I am going to use this to refer to the entire product. The packaging was decent enough with a nice old world charm. The puck had a nice embossing on it and was perfectly intact. Overall presentation was nice.



Scent: I personally love the scent. It has a very clean almost chemical smell but it smells like cleanliness and is refreshing.



Lather: The lather is OK. Not as good as Col Conks and it definitely does not have the slickness to it. I often find the lather fading and drying on my skin as I shave.



Efficacy: It just doesn't seem to last. The scent is very pleasant and lasted, but the lather didn't last on my face and there wasn't any moisturizing.



Moisturizing: Not terrible. It doesn't dry my skin out and I feel it has comparable slickness to Proraso creme on my face, but it really lacked the slickness of a cheap puck like Col Conks to glide that blade.

This is the one and only shave soap I have tried so far, but compared to Nivea and Bigelow gel creams or Proraso cream it fell way short for me.



Price: About $2 at the local grocery. Convenient to buy, and cheap.



Quality: 5 of 10.



Scent: Smells like lemon verbena or citronella. Not terrible, but a little strange and antiseptic-y



Lather: Does not lather particularly well at all



Efficacy: My biggest gripe is here - it offers very little protection from the blade and dries on the face too quickly. Also, it numbed my upper lip which I did not care for.



Moisturizing: Ok, but not excellent

I have used both VDH Deluxe, and Williams quite a bit. VDH performs well above it's price point, and will always deserve a spot in my rotation. I simply love it!!



Williams, just doesn't compare to the VDH. The Citronella scent is a bit off putting, and this is simply nowhere near as moisturizing as the VDH.



As always indicated, it is also lacking in the cushioning department.



VDH can be had for $1.49 locally, and Williams for $1.29. For a mere $.20 cents more, I will buy the VDH every time.



I have found the Williams to perform well, when Super-lathered with Kiss My Face unscented, but that still doesn't cover up the distracting smell.

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~~JOHN~~*Founding member of ALPHA Team*

I just couldn't get that thick of a cream from this. I like the smell, but it may have been that I was just too much of a noob. Part of it though is there seemed to be a lack of oil or fat in this soap - so I got much better results with the Col. Conk Almond that I bought right around the same time.

The price is right for it. I picked it up because if I liked it it was a good bang for my buck. The only thing was that I couldn't get a good lather from it. I tried about 5 times but couldn't get the right one. I ended up with extreme razor burn. Maybe one day in the future me and Billy will go at it again and see who it works out. Also my face felt dry after wards.

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Matt

Razors:Merkur HD
Blades:Persona
Brushes:Col. Conk Pure Badger
Soaps and Creams:VDH Select, Poraso, various samples
Aftershaves:Aqua Velva Classic

I repeat- awful.