Let the battle begin!
Arko shaving soap (stick) vs. Williams Mug Soap.
- Thread starter New2DEShaving_Montreal
- Start date
No competition, arko is much better. The only time Williams would beat it is if mixed with some shaving cream. But arko makes a much more thick lather, not so...airy, like williams. However, I must say that today I had the most amazing shave with Williams. One of the closest ever. Don't know why, the lather was not spectacular.
I still have a fondness for Williams since it was the 1st shaving soap I used, but Arko is must better. For the extra $.50, a much better deal.
I have a sample of Arko that I just haven't been able to bring myself to use yet. It just smells like an industrial cleaner.
Arko is better.
Norm
Norm
Something that is universally accepted as good, but cheap against
something that is universally accepted as average, but cheap.
What sort of battle did you have in mind?
I can't see any...
Let the battle begin:
Toyota Corolla against Porsche 911.
And the winner is......
I hated Arko, so I wouldn't say that it is "universally" thought of as a good soap.
Also, a Porsche 911 can cost 3 to 15X as much as a Corolla, so the analogy doesn't really work.
Really no battle at all.
You have Arko, which is widely regarded as performing well above it's price point, and Williams which is often debated with lots of people concluding it is 100% useless as a shaving soap.
Even those who claim it works for them admit the lather generated is not really comparable to that of a higher end tallow based soap.
In a battle between a product that is great, and one that is barely usable, there is really no contest whatsoever.
I've never used Arko so I don't have a bone in this fight. I almost ordered some but thought about the negative reviews concerning its scent I decided not to.
Like them both but IMO Arko is better.
No contest, Arko!
I'm from Germany and I'm a wet shaver (most of the time with a DE-razor) ever since.
I've got interested in the stuff my (and your) fathers and grandfathers used and I came across the “Williams Mug Shaving Soap (since 1840)”.
I found it interesting and so I ordered a puck.
You can't buy Williams in Germany - you have to order it by internet. Including the shipping charges I payed 8,00 € (that's about $12) for one puck.
But I was very keen to try it.
And I tried:
Usually I generate my lather in a bowl. So I did with this soap.
I used boar brushes, badger brushes, small brushes, big brushes – But it was no good.
The result was always pathetic.
All I got was a fair amount of airy foam. Dry, coarsely porous and it wouldn't stick to my face.
I tried to start almost dry and then adding water in small amounts.
I swirled till my arm was aching.
I just came from a very foamy to a runny lather (I seriously couldn't call it a lather)
I tried to lather directly onto my face.
But it simply didn't work.
By the way: the shaves I've got were not so bad.
But I got a few red spots. (I hate it when this happens!
)
I was very disappointed and I considered to use the rest of the puck for washing my hands.
Then I came across the shave wiki (http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php?title=Williams)
I've read this before, but I was contemptuous of it: I knew how to lather a soap and I never do it like this!
- I never fill my mug with the soap inside with hot water-
- I never place my brush in the same mug -
- I never lather directly on the puck in the mug -...
… I decided to give it a last try.
I filled my mug (with the puck inside) with hot water …....
After a few swirls I got what I was looking for. Lather: thick, moist and creamy.
I couldn't believe it.
I shaved. - No red spots, no nicks, no cuts.
When I rinsed my face between the passes I could feel the lubricating layer, that the soap had build.
The shave was very pleasant. It was a really close comfortable shave.
Unfortunately I had used a poor blade for this.
So next day I put a brand-new Derby blade into my razor and I went for a BBS.
– The same procedure as the day before:-
I tried hard, and it was a darn fine shave, but (sorry
) no BBS!
I was doubtful of my shaving technique, so I wanted a proof.
Next day I shaved with almost the same equipment (same razor, same blade) and with my cheapest, smallest and meanest boar brush, but with the Arko soap (from turkey).
This time I definitely got a BBS!
So I think Arko is superior to Williams.
In my opinion Williams is a well performing shaving soap ( If you know how to lather it)
But when you’re living in Europe, it's no deal.
You can get the Arko soap in a Turkish supermarket for about 75 cent when you're lucky and it's definitely a class above the Williams soap.
I've got interested in the stuff my (and your) fathers and grandfathers used and I came across the “Williams Mug Shaving Soap (since 1840)”.
I found it interesting and so I ordered a puck.
You can't buy Williams in Germany - you have to order it by internet. Including the shipping charges I payed 8,00 € (that's about $12) for one puck.
But I was very keen to try it.
And I tried:
Usually I generate my lather in a bowl. So I did with this soap.
I used boar brushes, badger brushes, small brushes, big brushes – But it was no good.
The result was always pathetic.
All I got was a fair amount of airy foam. Dry, coarsely porous and it wouldn't stick to my face.
I tried to start almost dry and then adding water in small amounts.
I swirled till my arm was aching.
I just came from a very foamy to a runny lather (I seriously couldn't call it a lather)
I tried to lather directly onto my face.
But it simply didn't work.
By the way: the shaves I've got were not so bad.
But I got a few red spots. (I hate it when this happens!
)I was very disappointed and I considered to use the rest of the puck for washing my hands.
Then I came across the shave wiki (http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php?title=Williams)
I've read this before, but I was contemptuous of it: I knew how to lather a soap and I never do it like this!
- I never fill my mug with the soap inside with hot water-
- I never place my brush in the same mug -
- I never lather directly on the puck in the mug -...
… I decided to give it a last try.
I filled my mug (with the puck inside) with hot water …....
After a few swirls I got what I was looking for. Lather: thick, moist and creamy.
I couldn't believe it.
I shaved. - No red spots, no nicks, no cuts. When I rinsed my face between the passes I could feel the lubricating layer, that the soap had build.
The shave was very pleasant. It was a really close comfortable shave.
Unfortunately I had used a poor blade for this.
So next day I put a brand-new Derby blade into my razor and I went for a BBS.
– The same procedure as the day before:-
I tried hard, and it was a darn fine shave, but (sorry
) no BBS!I was doubtful of my shaving technique, so I wanted a proof.
Next day I shaved with almost the same equipment (same razor, same blade) and with my cheapest, smallest and meanest boar brush, but with the Arko soap (from turkey).
This time I definitely got a BBS!
So I think Arko is superior to Williams.
In my opinion Williams is a well performing shaving soap ( If you know how to lather it)
But when you’re living in Europe, it's no deal.
You can get the Arko soap in a Turkish supermarket for about 75 cent when you're lucky and it's definitely a class above the Williams soap.
Last edited:
Both... Together...
The lather produced when you mix the two is phenominal! Thickness from Arko, and great razor glide from Williams. Best of both worlds, and the extra tallow from Arko keeps Williams in line.
The lather produced when you mix the two is phenominal! Thickness from Arko, and great razor glide from Williams. Best of both worlds, and the extra tallow from Arko keeps Williams in line.
Williams lather looks weak, but the performance is top-notch. 
I have both, and I like Williams better.
I have both, and I like Williams better.
Welcome Max Mütze and congrats on your first post! 
I think your conclusions are right; Arko is better and it is hard to get Williams in Europe. Still I like Williams very much (probably partly because it is so hard to come by here) and I haven't used a soap yet that outperforms Arko. One might dislike the scent but in performance a soap can't do a much better job. Some rave about Tabac and such but really, that one doesn't even come close except in ease of use.
Since you got your puck of Williams working now I would like to suggest you keep on using it from time to time. Not to replace Arko (heaven forbid) but to be in the company of those who mastered the skill of getting it to work; it is not given to everyone!!
I think your conclusions are right; Arko is better and it is hard to get Williams in Europe. Still I like Williams very much (probably partly because it is so hard to come by here) and I haven't used a soap yet that outperforms Arko. One might dislike the scent but in performance a soap can't do a much better job. Some rave about Tabac and such but really, that one doesn't even come close except in ease of use.
Since you got your puck of Williams working now I would like to suggest you keep on using it from time to time. Not to replace Arko (heaven forbid) but to be in the company of those who mastered the skill of getting it to work; it is not given to everyone!!
