First shave with modern williams

**Quintar** · 05-25-2011, 09:41 AM

A couple of months ago I picked up a puck of williams at CVS. I figured I'd give it a shot and see how awful it was first hand. Well last night I was bored so I thought I'd try it out.

I wanted to give it a fair test so I treated it just like any other of my soaps. I splashed a little water on top of the puck and let my brush soak while I showered. After the shower I shook out my brush pretty well and poured the few drops of water that hadn't soaked into the puck into my bowl. I swirled the brush on the puck until it looked well loaded, probably 30-45 seconds of scrubbing. I went to the bowl and started building lather.

At first I thought, Oh I see what everyone is talking about...the lather was weird, kinda dry and it would fade away as I stopped swirling. I kept adding water to get it to the right consistency and it just kept taking water. I must have added maybe 30ml of water and it wanted more. The lather was overflowing from my bowl (which is pretty big) so I had to scoop some out and toss it so I could add more water. Finally I got it to the nice loose peaks consistency I like and went for the shave...

The lather went on ok. not as rich and creamy as most soaps but it had cushion and I couldn't see my skin under it. It seemed like the bibble structure was a bit bigger than other soaps but in the same realm as most vegetable soaps. The lather was not very slick but it was acceptable, after the blade went over an area my skin was dry and tacky, which was not so nice. However, I did a full 3 pass WTG, XTG, ATG shave with touch-ups and got a mostly BBS shave (progress with red personna).

So, my verdict. It's not awful! for $1.99 it gave a $5.00 performace

It was not hard to lather at all, took a lot of water but I usually consider that a good thing. Am I going to toss my other soaps and start using williams exclusively? no way. Is it better than arko for the same price? no arko is way better. If I wasn't into ordering soaps online and just wanted to pick up a soap at CVS then yes using williams would be acceptable (VDH deluxe is not a soap and is therefore a cheater in my book

) Plus if I ever need to shave while camping I think it might double as a mosquito repellant.

**Deltaboy** · 05-25-2011, 10:00 AM

Yep it will still work but for us older guys who got to use the good stuff when we were young men, well we mourn it's change.

**jwcarlson** · 05-25-2011, 10:16 AM

I honestly think these guys who consantly bash Williams are just doing it for show... which is fine, but it does turn off some folks who could get a perfectly good shaving product within three miles of home for probably the majority of people in the US.

I much perfer Arko... but I've taken Williams with me when flying and it works just fine.

**michiganlover** · 05-25-2011, 10:16 AM

Darn, I opened this thread hoping to find a hate filled post about how horrifically awful this soap is. Instead I found a tale of mediocrity.

How utterly, and totally disappointing.

**Quintar** · 05-25-2011, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by Deltaboy

Yep it will still work but for us older guys who got to use the good stuff when we were young men, well we mourn it's change.

true, I haven't tried vintage yet, and i'm sure it's way worse than it used to be, and it sucks they went and changed the recipe, but looking at it like it's a brand new soap with no comparison to it's old days....it's an average shaving soap.

Originally Posted by jwcarlson

I honestly think these guys who consantly bash Williams are just doing it for show... which is fine, but it does turn off some folks who could get a perfectly good shaving product within three miles of home for probably the majority of people in the US.

yes I steered clear of it because of all the bashing, but really I can see how people who support it can use it every day and be happy. and for those on a budget who don't want to order stuff from the internet it is a viable option.

Originally Posted by michiganlover

Darn, I opened this thread hoping to find a hate filled post about how horrifically awful this soap is. Instead I found a tale of mediocrity.

How utterly, and totally disappointing.

oh sorry, I forgot, we can't be reasonable about williams...

Williams is the devil! boycott them for reformulating! it will give you cancer!

that better?

**BlackBard** · 05-25-2011, 12:51 PM

As a proud member of the Anti-Social Williams Group, I salute you, sir. Well done!

**Seraphim** · 05-25-2011, 01:07 PM

Yet another lackluster shave, courtesy of modern Williams.

**kingfisher** · 05-25-2011, 01:09 PM

Dang it!

Both Michiganlover AND Seraphim in the thread before me!

**goby** · 05-25-2011, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by jwcarlson

I honestly think these guys who consantly bash Williams are just doing it for show...

No, we are quite serious. In fact, it's my raison d'être .

**Mr5x5** · 05-25-2011, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by Quintar

...VDH deluxe is not a soap and is therefore a cheater in my book

...

It isn't?

What is it then?

**michiganlover** · 05-25-2011, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by Mr5x5

It isn't?

What is it then?

I think he is referring to the fact that VDH Deluxe contains detergents/ lather boosting agents, and is thus not a pure soap.

**kitsrock** · 05-25-2011, 07:21 PM

I had a similar experience today with a puck I picked up yesterday.

But I wouldn't be getting another one anytime soon.

The cost is comparable to Proraso I can get "locally" (I say "locally" because it's about 40 min subway/bus). $2 for 49g of Williams vs $6.29 tub of Proraso 150g. With the quality factored in, it's no match for Proraso for the value.

**Quintar** · 05-25-2011, 07:43 PM

Originally Posted by michiganlover

I think he is referring to the fact that VDH Deluxe contains detergents/ lather boosting agents, and is thus not a pure soap.

yes that's what I am referring to. Look at the ingredients:

Deluxe Shave Soap: Propylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Water, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Myristate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe Vera), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Fragrance, Titanium Dioxide, Triethanolamine, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Red #40.

it has more propylene glycol and sorbitol than anything else and i'm sure most of it's latherability comes from the SLS. It does have Sodium Stearate, Sodium Myristate and Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate but i think they just added a dash of those so it would technically qualify as a soap

**Topgumby** · 05-25-2011, 10:28 PM

The OP shaved with modern Williams. He posted about it here.

Is it the most luxurious, the easiest to use? Does it posses the finest scent, or the air of refinement?

No. It does not.

Yet, it moves many of those who use it to reach out to others, and tell the story of the shave they got with Williams. For some, it's a tale of surprising success. For others, bitter disappointment. For many, the results are mixed.

But there is something there that drives the man who takes his measure against this humble soap to share his story...and that is a large part of what makes Williams great.

Like it or hate it, Williams inspires. Every sling and arrow flung at this humble shaving tradition, every word of praise, is testimony to the power of that citronella puck. It is a bridge between us, a common starting point that lets us all connect through a shared experience and highlights the diversity that is our strength.

Not bad for less than two bucks.

**Jooky** · 05-25-2011, 11:40 PM

I use Williams from time to time. It is only 99 cents a puck at my local grocery store.

**BrianK** · 05-26-2011, 12:06 AM

I kinda chuckle every time I read of folks thinking they should expect a luxurious experience from an inexpensive soap.

Williams works, it isn't luxurious, it is inexpensive.

Now for mental comparisons I suggest it should be compared to Arko since they are so similar in scent and price. I use both and other soaps. Of Williams compared to Arko I give the nod to Arko. I think it's the stick application that does it for Arko, but I can use either as the whim strikes me.

**Seraphim** · 05-26-2011, 03:10 AM

Originally Posted by Topgumby

The OP shaved with modern Williams. He posted about it here.

Is it the most luxurious, the easiest to use? Does it posses the finest scent, or the air of refinement?

No. It does not.

Yet, it moves many of those who use it to reach out to others, and tell the story of the shave they got with Williams. For some, it's a tale of surprising success. For others, bitter disappointment. For many, the results are mixed.

But there is something there that drives the man who takes his measure against this humble soap to share his story...and that is a large part of what makes Williams great.

Like it or hate it, Williams inspires. Every sling and arrow flung at this humble shaving tradition, every word of praise, is testimony to the power of that citronella puck. It is a bridge between us, a common starting point that lets us all connect through a shared experience and highlights the diversity that is our strength.

Not bad for less than two bucks.

You've been drinking again, haven't you?

**Topgumby** · 05-26-2011, 05:29 AM

Originally Posted by Seraphim

You've been drinking again, haven't you?

Nope, but I have been hitting the Aqua Velva pretty hard lately.

**oc_in_fw** · 05-26-2011, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by BlackBard

As a proud member of the Anti-Social Williams Group, I salute you, sir. Well done!

I forgot- is the Anti-Social Williams Group made up of Williams users who are shunned by the masses, or are they the masses that shun the Williams users?