The 2nd Annual Williams Mug Soap 3017 Challenge!

[dkeester]

Why limit our selves to just part of the month? I think we should celebrate the whole birth month of JB Williams!

Yup, I started early too.

 

[OpusX]

After today, I propose that this not be called the "Williams Challenge" but the "Williams Vacation". Wowwie wow wow, vintage Williams is the bomb! Overnight I left the smallest amount of water on top (basically filled in the logo area up to the soap rim) and this old puck exploded in awesomeness. Thick, heavy, lofty, lather did not quit and provided for an awesome shave. Coming off of a mediocre puck of vintage Shulton to this is a welcome change. It isn't as if I wasn't looking out for vintage Williams before, but now I will hunt it.

This month of shaves is going to rule. Thanks @Spider for this one.

--Roll that beautiful lather footage--

 

[woodpusher]

Vintage is indeed an AWESOME soap!

 

[OpusX]

Vintage is indeed an AWESOME soap!

It makes me jealous of the fact that this used to just be a common, everyday, drugstore buy. What happened to the world?

 

[Quijote]

First shave with Williams today. The lather was still a little more airy than I am used to, but it performed very well. Was more than slick enough and it had enough protection for no nicks or weepers. Can't wait to see what this stuff can become with a little more refinement.

 

[EMG06]

February 2, 2022
Happy birthday to Mr. Williams.

First time out with two classic products for me: Williams Mug Soap and Aqua Velva aftershave.

I pressed the puck into a Captain’s Choice ceramic bowl.


As per @Spider advice, I let the puck soak overnight. With one blade challenge running this is going to be my kit for the time being
Seygus Zeppelin V2, Nacet blade (2), SOC Boar brush


This morning I let the brush and soap soak in the same water while I showered


Poured off most of the bloom water and here is the look after loading for 60 seconds.

Lots of big bubbles had me nervous. Scent was a very light citronella which always reminds me of the candles we light in the summer to keep bugs away, so a very positive and pleasant memory for a so-so scent. Went to my face to finish building the lather there and got a pretty good lather with a little bit of work.

Soap was very slick. 2 passes and I’m very nearly BBS. Overall very happy with the first outing.
Puck after 1 use:

 

[Fightingillini22]

I too started a day early yesterday. Always takes me a couple shaves to re-dial in the Williams to its potential. Yesterday was a little less yogurt-y than I know from experience it can get to, this morning's shave closer to what I remembered. Looking forward to a great 3017!

 

[heysi]

Nice tip! Any other advice for a first timer user?

One tip I can offer is to build your lather in a separate bowl. And pump some air into the lather. Basically push the brush up and down in the bottom of the bowl every so often to force a bit of air into the lather. I find it turns the airy, light lather into a thick puff of heavenly, slick foam in no time. But this isn't a swirl-twice-and-go soap...you have to put in a few minutes of work. Like KJ said, 60 seconds would be if I was in a hurry. Keep in mind, this soap was around for two world wars and our grandfathers (and great grandfathers) used it without hot water and in terrible conditions and still looked like chiseled statues of heroic proportions.

 

[Spider]

Happy Birthday Mr. JB Williams! And thank you for your amazing soap!

 

[woodpusher]

 

[bosch]

2.2.2022

 

[SteveChuckFrank]

Second shave with the Williams today (yes I started early too). I still hate this soap...

 

[woodpusher]

I'm not a "hate" but not in the love" group either; more of the "tolerate" section myself.

 

[Soap Thing]

Day 1: Lathered this Brut Willy for the first time. I got a better consistency than I thought I would. I did have to load the devil out of it to get anywhere. Normally I super duper hate lathering directly onto a puck or into a tub but this stuff was so inexpensive, I don’t have to care. Personally, I don’t get what the fuss is about with Williams. With my lathering habits Williams Mug performs perfectly fine. Nice and slick. But they don’t call me the Soap Thing for my dashing good looks so, I don’t know. It’s all in how you use it I guess. Scent strength is a wild 5 out of 5, definitely a Brut baseball bat to the face. I was pretty liberal with the aftershave mixture even after screwing it up the first time. Today I used the Merkur Progress on 2.5 with Gillette 365 blade, a 22mm Super Badger from Farvour Turncraft, and finished the shave with regular pharmacy Brut. It was a fairly average shave, nothing to write home about.

So far so good.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LW12]

I’m trying to do the Clubman Williams Soap but I honestly can’t seem to get a puck of Williams. It seems not a single pharmacy near me has any available. You used to be able to get those pick everywhere.

 

[EMG06]

3 February 2022
Williams Challenge Day 2

Made some adjustments based on advice. Doubled my load time from a count of 60 to 120. Built a face lather from that and it was ok, about the same as yesterday. Before the second pass tried to hand lather what still in the brush, adding drips of water from the faucet, with a few of the “air pumps” thrown in and boy what a difference. More water and some working on the lather made it much denser and nicer for the second pass. Will have to keep experimenting.

After Day 2:

 

[Jaro1069]

I’m trying to do the Clubman Williams Soap but I honestly can’t seem to get a puck of Williams. It seems not a single pharmacy near me has any available. You used to be able to get those pick everywhere.

Try grocery stores too. I know several of our local grocery stores usually have it.

 

[LW12]

Try grocery stores too. I know several of our local grocery stores usually have it.

I forgot about that, I’ll give it a try, thanks.

 

[heysi]

with a few of the “air pumps” thrown in and boy what a difference.

Told you. It only gets better from here.

 

[woodpusher]

Let's just say that I'm not overly enjoying this month's shaves.