Thread: New Appreciation for Arko

I finally tried my Arko, put in one of the tube dispensers that i found on Amazon, and rubbed it on my wet face and lathered it up. I was amazed. It is now my "go-to" travel soap, or for use when I'm in a hurry and going to use a DE. I like the smell...it reminds me of a bar soap from my childhood, and many is it reasonably priced when compared to my assortment of 10-30 buck soaps and creams.

I had a similar experience...

Seeing all the Arko hubbub, I bought a stick. Being at that time three months into traditional wet shaving, I was deeply focused on learning how to build a lather in a mug. So, I tried loading my brush directly from the Arko stick, which was messy, annoying, and not terribly successful. Then I tried micro-planing some Arko off the stick into the mug, and lathering with that in the mug. My lather was good, not great, but there was something annoying about the scent. So, I relegated myself to the camp which says Arko lathers well, particularly for the money, but that scent is just a bit... off.

Then, I put it down for months, during which time I built my mug lathering skills. Then I got my first badger brush as a gift. It's small, but soft, and after a few mug lathers, I realized that maybe I should try face lathering with it. Wow! Finally, 11 months after I'd started with a focus on mug lathering, I succumbed to the heretofore muffled siren song of face lathering. I realized a couple of my brushes and several soaps really were at their best in face lathering.

Now it was time to return to the sticks. First the Speik: wow. Then the Palmolive: another wow. Both lathered and performed significantly better when rubbed on the beard then face lathered than they had loading the brush (or shaving the stick) and mug lathering. But, both I also liked before. Then the Arko: eureka! For me, Arko's performance and particularly its aroma reach their height in face lathering. The lather is richer, thicker, more protective, and the aroma finally smells right. Maybe I just never really got a decent mug lather off a stick, and wouldn't have had these issues from the Arko in the tub.

Nonetheless, it's one of the highest value (performance & pleasure/cost) soaps. A soap which you can get for as little as $1.50/stick is comparable to pucks selling for $10. Do I prefer the Speik? Often, yes, but it is about triple the price. Particularly for those, like me, who are wet-shaving missionary minded, and eager to give as many the experience as possible, for those gifts I'm very price sensitive. And Arko is ideal as a traditional wet shaving super-cost effective start-up gift soap.

I like arko too.

I like how its a bit soft. Even if I don't have a lot of
Stubble..the arko rubs off easily on my face.

Palmolive stick is harder to rub soap on my face when
I have limited stubble. It works better on two day growth.

That being said I do prefer Palmolive but
I do use arko more since its easier.

I do feel a bit wasteful when I use $2 arko


That sits next to $65 MdC.


Makes me wonder about priorities a little.

Yea, you really have to wonder if MdC, arguable the best soap ever by many a knowledgeable forum member, is actually worth the $63 difference.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Yea, you really have to wonder if MdC, arguable the best soap ever by many a knowledgeable forum member, is actually worth the $63 difference.

Bob

It definitely is

Originally Posted by Catrentshaving

It definitely is

Somehow that does not quite convince me, no offense. I will keep wondering if it is worth the difference till I can make a determination for myself sort of a just call me from Missouri sorta thing. I will admit to believing it is pretty darn good given almost universal praise for it.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Somehow that does not quite convince me, no offense. I will keep wondering if it is worth the difference till I can make a determination for myself sort of a just call me from Missouri sorta thing. I will admit to believing it is pretty darn good given almost universal praise for it.

Bob

No offence taken, I wondered the same myself until I actually tried it. Then I ordered both the regular scent and the fougere...lol.

I just started using SR and i'm stationed in Turkey at the moment. Went to a Turkish barber supply store earlier today and I paid .50 cents or 1 TL for a stick of Arko not knowing it was really good soap. Now that i know this i am going to stock pile before i leave come April.

Originally Posted by 562s13

I just started using SR and i'm stationed in Turkey at the moment. Went to a Turkish barber supply store earlier today and I paid .50 cents or 1 TL for a stick of Arko not knowing it was really good soap. Now that i know this i am going to stock pile before i leave come April.

I worked in Turkey as a diving instructor for a couple of seasons several years ago. Some of my job was encouraging the guests to go for a turkish bath and visit the local barber. I was always the Guinea pig and they treated me rough in the massages at the turkish bath and made a spectacle with the flaming torches used to remove the nose and ear hair (not sure I had any then really) and the spine cracking they gave me after the hair cut. …. One thing I remember is the smell of the soap they used to shave me with. I had forgotten until I discovered straight shaving myself and Arko. It was like going back in time.

Go to the barber and have a hair cut and a shave then go for a turkish bath / massage. Its an experience you will never forget, you'll walk down the street after feeling a million dollars, yet only having spent a few. The Arko will remind you of this every time you use it.

Happy days indeed.

20 dollars goes a Long way here. Haircut, massage, shave, they wash your hair and give you tea or beer. I only say 20 bucks because most of the time they say give them whatever you want but i usually give 20 because that's what i'm used to seeing people give them. Although that flame next to your ear was a bit scary at first. I damn nearly jumped out of the chair and yelled at him Haha. But yes, they make you feel like royalty.