Customer Reviews

Williams Mug Shaving Soap - 1.75 oz

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

My dad introduced me to blade shaving using a mug and horse hair brush when I was 15... I am now almost 55 and for most if not all of those years, I have used Williams brand. It's great!
I am so glad to find it online at Amazon. I bought 20 cakes when the only store I knew of that carried it was closing it out. I wanted enough to get me through to retirement...I hope never to shave thereafter.

I started using Williams shaving soap when I began shaving at 15. My father used Williams, and so I followed suit. I've tried other shaving soaps, and none seem to do as well as Williams. For dedicated mug-and-brush shavers, this is the soap for you.

Don't waste your time with super fancy scented import soaps. The only way Williams will dry on your face is if it takes you fifteen minutes to make a single pass. However, if you do love smelling like a garden in spring this stuff is not for you. Warning though, after you use this shaving soap you will smell like a man. Sorry to those of you who prefer to smell like roses.

A world of difference from poor canned substitutes. Good, lasting lather that is complection friendly, non-drying, and no petro-chemical or alcohol (no-no's) ingredients. Only 4 out of five for no fancy-schmanzy sandal wood oil frangrance. At this price i'll take it.

I have used Williams soap almost exclusively since i made the transisiton from canned aerosol gels 5 years ago. The price savings and good results I have gotten from the soap has been satisfying for all this time. I even like the vaguely citrus scent that it leaves on my skin.

Even when I take the wonderful price out of the equation, I like this soap for its merits. I find that my shaves with this soap are markedly superior to any of the aerosol shave creams, even the well-marketed premium shave gels, that i have tried.

A couple of things:

1. I had trouble getting a lather built up with this soap in the past. Previously, I attributed it to the hard water in my area. I have since found that it was my technique that was flawed. This soap is very concentrated and thus needs to be mixed with a few dashes of water to develop a good lather. Once I knew that, I could build up a good dense lather that holds very well in about 30 seconds.
Here's how:
A. I soak the soap in hot water for 2 minutes prior to shaving and then drain the water just prior to my shave.
B. I apply some soap to the tip my brush and then start to build a lather by swirling the soap in my hand.
C. With the very tip of the brush, I dip it in the hot water and add a couple of drops from the sink into the lather on my hand and keep swirling to further mix it into the soap until the mixture gets very foamy and then apply it to my face.
D. I am now even more satisfied with this soap now that I can use it properly.

2. Some people complain about the drying effect that this soap has upon your face. I have not had a problem with it, but I also have oily skin. If your skin is sensitive or dry, you may want to look at pre-shave balms or other soaps that are glyerin-based. They will provide better lubrication.

All told, I like this product. I like what it does to my face, and for the price, it can't be beat.

At least, it's inexpensive when I buy at my local grocery or drug store. About $1.16 with tax for the soap itself, and no shipping cost. There are plenty of good shaving soaps, but this is one to use if you want to save money.

I can get a nice rich lather on my face using a low end badger brush. The secret seems to be getting the proportion of hot water just right.

Also, I like the smell, or rather, the comparative absence of a smell. Just smells like soap, and the aroma doesn't linger too much.

One other thing. Because of the small size, I can use a regular coffee mug as a shaving mug with this. Had one sitting around that I wasn't using which works perfectly.

I've used many mug soaps and those that come in a tube. Actually, I liked Noxema's tube soap best, but it was discontinued -- second best is Williams. There used to be plenty to choose from, not anymore. I'm glad one of the better ones, Williams, is still putting it out. Their are some cheaper soaps, they go fast, don't give your beard a good soak like Williams.

I have been using this brand of shaving soap for a good fifty years and was recently disappointed to find it was no longer stocked locally. The soap is relatively odor-free and has a nice non-greasy lather. Of all the soaps I've tried, this one is my favorite.

Like the other reviewers, I have the same likes. This is the only shaving soap I have used. Maybe it's the water in my area, but the only way I can get it to lather up is to boil water and put a teaspoon on the soap and let it sit. When I put it on my face, the lather disappears a bit quickly so I have to put more on. For a wet shave, it is dry to me, like shaving with water almost. Again all of this could be the water in my area. Shave is excellent, I really enjoy it. They've been making and people are still buying this shaving soap, so that says allot.

I say this is a gateway soap because it can quite possibly the most common soap found almost anywhere. I made the switch from aerosol to brush & mug a little over a month ago. It has an OK lather, not very dense, not altogether slick, but a descent lather none the less. It has a classic scent, I'd liken it to being very similar to IVORY soap, but with a hint of masculinity to it. It lathers fairly quickly, LOVES water, that's for sure, does well with a wet brush. Leaves my face feeling very clean, and refreshed. I can't say this contributes to the quality of the shave other than the fact that I am using a brush. I've yet to obtain my Merkur Classic 34C, but it's on the way, I can't wait to try it. I am using a mach 3 for the moment, but practicing technique early. I lather once, and go with the grain, then once again against. I have gotten the closest shave I have ever had doing it this way. The brush I use is a run of the mill boar brush which I prefer because of its exfoliating properties. Many people pinch their badger brushes when lathering onto the face, but you don't really need to do so w. a boar. The advantage is in water retention and softess, but if I am exfoliating, I wouldn't use rose petals. In all, it's a very nice soap, and for the price, it's a keeper. I saw this soap marked at $4 and change on amazon, and again for less than a buck. I'd say you're a fool if you pay more than $1.50 for a puck. Very good soap, very simple and subtle, and an excellent soap to begin the traditional wet shave. I have nothing to compare it to because I'm a newbie at the traditional ways, but I do know there's better out there. In the end, this soap won't disappoint. I have sensitive skin & this soap is not a negative factor in that regard. I gave it 4 stars out of respect for its longevity in the market and as a thank you for being out there as the last bastian of mug & brush shaving it seems.