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Arko and Williams Mug

I suppose I should premise this thread with the fact that I have a severe acquisition disorder. I buy all kinds of shaving stuff. I use it all in different combinations as I enjoy the hunt and a nice shave. Recently I picked up some Williams Mug Shave soap. It seemed familiar to me. I pulled Arko out of the shave den and it seems like they are very close to each other on scent and performance. Price points aren’t that far off either. Do others recognize the similarities or am I coming in from left field?


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FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
I suppose I should premise this thread with the fact that I have a severe acquisition disorder. I buy all kinds of shaving stuff. I use it all in different combinations as I enjoy the hunt and a nice shave. Recently I picked up some Williams Mug Shave soap. It seemed familiar to me. I pulled Arko out of the shave den and it seems like they are very close to each other on scent and performance. Price points aren’t that far off either. Do others recognize the similarities or am I coming in from left field?


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No, or we're both in left field. VERY close in performance and scent profiles to me...
 
Ok, Soooo,

I like Williams. But, if I want a foamy lather, it makes me work. Williams is also very slick. It's slick in a way that allows me to skip the foam if I choose. The scent reminds me of a citronella candle. That's not a bad thing. For me, it's a summer thing.

I like Arko. If I want a foamy lather, it doesn't make me work. Arko is also very slick. It's slick in a way that allows me to skip the foam if I choose. The scent reminds me of Williams. Maybe somehow, it's more in tune with European mosquitoes. The scent is an all-year-round thing for me. Arko is the soap I use if I need it NOW. Fast and to the point.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
Ok, Soooo,

I like Williams. But, if I want a foamy lather, it makes me work. Williams is also very slick. It's slick in a way that allows me to skip the foam if I choose. The scent reminds me of a citronella candle. That's not a bad thing. For me, it's a summer thing.

I like Arko. If I want a foamy lather, it doesn't make me work. Arko is also very slick. It's slick in a way that allows me to skip the foam if I choose. The scent reminds me of Williams. Maybe somehow, it's more in tune with European mosquitoes. The scent is an all-year-round thing for me. Arko is the soap I use if I need it NOW. Fast and to the point.
Perfectly stated. Only @Marco could have said it better!
 
Arko just works, Williams requires a bit of getting used to. They both smell similar, though Williams being a bit easier on the unsuspecting nose. Arko is an acquired taste :) I love em both.

To answer your question, I'd say they're in the same ballpark yes, but I wouldn't recommend them to the same people for the same needs.
 
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Interesting...I didn't find the scent similar at all.

Williams performs better for me, though my puck is vintage. Some day the modern isn't as good. Arko works well, too, it's just not as dense and the smell is a bit much
 
I've tried both and prefer Williams. It was the first shaving soap I used, the soap I learned to lather with, and the soap I've used the most.

The scent reminds me of a citronella candle on the patio on a summer night rather than the men's room at a highway rest stop.

More importantly, I find it a bit slicker than Arko, and for me at least, that's everything.
 

Messygoon

Abandoned By Gypsies.
I love the diversity in opinions! Like @Owen Bawn, I was a blissful Williams-only guy for 20+ years. Then B&B brothers prompted me to branch out. As Robert Frost would say, "I took the one less traveled by, and it has made all the difference."

Variety opened my eyes. I now value slippery over foam. Performance over fragrance. Arko stick over Williams Mug. Old Tabac over new. iOS over Android. Pfizer over Moderna.

While my wallet may wish I never left Williams, my daily shaves are better for it, and that has made all the difference.

road-less-travelled-lg.jpg
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
I love the diversity in opinions! Like @Owen Bawn, I was a blissful Williams-only guy for 20+ years. Then B&B brothers prompted me to branch out. As Robert Frost would say, "I took the one less traveled by, and it has made all the difference."

Variety opened my eyes. I now value slippery over foam. Performance over fragrance. Arko stick over Williams Mug. Old Tabac over new. iOS over Android. Pfizer over Moderna.

While my wallet may wish I never left Williams, my daily shaves are better for it, and that has made all the difference.

View attachment 1326504
Robert Frost was a frugal New Hampshire Yankee... he would have advised you never to stray from the Williams.
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
I was just at a craft fair at the Robert Frost Farm in Derry, NH. The soapmaking artisan‘s next batch of shave soap is still curing. Based on that, I’d believe ARKO! would be the proper soap.

Also, apple pie preserves are delicious.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
For me, the scent is not the same. Williams smells more like a citronella candle than a urinal puck. Arko dries out my skin and Williams does not and also has much more slickness. There, I said it.
Well said! Since I either lather on the puck, or rub the puck on my face, I think Williams is easy to use. But it DEFINITELY isn't as polarizing as Arko. And Arko does make my face drier feeling, sometimes. Williams NEVER has.
I think I'm gonna (okay, probably not, as I'm lazy) grate up some Williams and turn it into a stick.
 
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