Arko is so underappreciated

[VT_Hokie]

Seriously.

It's so slick. It's so protective. It's so moisturizing. It's so cheap.

Slickness: I've tried a lot of soaps and creams. I've never experienced anything so luxuriously slick. This stuff provides effortless glide. It's like Rain-X for your razor. If anyone knows of a soap that is as slick as Arko, please let me know. I'm into super slick lather, not gobs of thick airy whipped topping.

Protectiveness: I partially want to give most of the credit here to the slickness of the soap. Because it's so slick, yet still creamy and dense, the razor glide allows you to go in any direction without fear of razor burn or ingrowns.

Moisture: It must be whatever ingredient that makes this stuff so slick, but my face always comes out feeling amazing. Soft, smooth, supple. Niiice. This must be what all the people who rant and rave about MWF (which dries my face out like crazy BTW) feel like.

Price: Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem spending money on good products. I've got plenty of AoS, Trufitt, Trumpers, etc. I would feel bad if I didn't say that the performance of Arko is every bit as good, if not better than all of them. This soap is in the same price range as Palmolive BTW. Another excellent soap, but falls short of Arko in terms of slickness and moisture.

While some people may be opposed to the scent, It's just soapy and Lemon to me. Smells like the AoS Lemon to me which nobody seems to have a problem with.

I don't get the comparisons to William's at all. Nasty chemical lemon and citronella. Pure urinal cake.

So I say give it a try. It's so cheap you can't afford to not give it a chance.

 

[talibeard]

I don't really know if it is underappreciated; plenty of reviews and most are positive about Arko. For the rest I am with you; I tried a lot of soaps and creams but Arko is just great everytime I use it. If I could just pick one soap for the rest of my life Arko probably has the best chances. At the moment I have over 30 sticks but when I come across a good deal in town I wouldn't hesitate to get me another box.

As for Williams; I like that scent too and while it is not the same at all I do understand the comparison since both are in the 'lemonish' scents.

 

[VT_Hokie]

I don't really know if it is underappreciated; plenty of reviews and most are positive about Arko.

Yeah, a lot of positive reviews for performance, not so much for the scent though. I just say it's underappreciated in the sense that everyone knows it's good, but it hardly ever gets mentioned in anyone's top 3 lists or anything

 

[christhach]

All said is true....if anyone ever thinks of a good way to de-stinkify Arko sticks, B&B should invent a trophy for them.

BTW - honest to god the best lather I've ever created was by combining Arko with a smidgen of Cremo Cream. Super cushion, super slick...better than Tabac, proraso, Cade, and even MWF...able to leap tall buildings in a single bound...

 

[VT_Hokie]

All said is true....if anyone ever thinks of a good way to de-stinkify Arko sticks, B&B should invent a trophy for them.

BTW - honest to god the best lather I've ever created was by combining Arko with a smidgen of Cremo Cream. Super cushion, super slick...better than Tabac, proraso, Cade, and even MWF...able to leap tall buildings in a single bound...

What I did with one of my sticks was push it down into a mug. It's soft enough that you don't need to grate it or anything. Leaving it uncovered really took the scent down a lot.

 

[Perished]

Yeah, a lot of positive reviews for performance, not so much for the scent though. I just say it's underappreciated in the sense that everyone knows it's good, but it hardly ever gets mentioned in anyone's top 3 lists or anything

Too true. Great soap.

 

[Bestarrkin]

All said is true....if anyone ever thinks of a good way to de-stinkify Arko sticks, B&B should invent a trophy for them.

BTW - honest to god the best lather I've ever created was by combining Arko with a smidgen of Cremo Cream. Super cushion, super slick...better than Tabac, proraso, Cade, and even MWF...able to leap tall buildings in a single bound...

There is a "re-scentify" method which mine smells like bay rum now. I want to share it but I am afraid to other brands sells will be declined.

 

[pauls51]

Mainly unappreciated due to the scent as has already been stated. Having said that though, I love it!

 

[Barber-Eile]

There is a "re-scentify" method which mine smells like bay rum now. I want to share it but I am afraid to other brands sells will be declined.

Oooooo share with us you tease!
I don't mind the smell of Arko but having the option of a bay rum stick of it sounds nice.

I also find if you leave the top unwrapped the scent fades a huge amount.

In terms of cushion and slickness I think QCS soaps and Gentlemen's best signature series soap/cream matches it well. Also Cella is very slick and cushiony.

 

[kg4ghn]

I just leave it unwrapped and the smell went way down.

I love Arko, and the smell doesn't bother me anyway.

 

[VT_Hokie]

Oooooo share with us you tease!
I don't mind the smell of Arko but having the option of a bay rum stick of it sounds nice.

I also find if you leave the top unwrapped the scent fades a huge amount.

In terms of cushion and slickness I think QCS soaps and Gentlemen's best signature series soap/cream matches it well. Also Cella is very slick and cushiony.

I really enjoyed the quality of lather I got from Matthew's cream. I really want to get my hands on some Vostok. GB signature gets rave reviews for it's scent but is made by SCS and I have neither, something else I'd like to acquire.

Cella on the other hand does nothing for me. Not a huge fan of the scent and find the lather it produces extremely underwhelming. I know I'm the minority on that and MWF

 

[Bestarrkin]

I know I'm the minority on that and MWF

No, you are not alone, I mean sort of. I got a new puck of MWF two weeks ago. I used it when it came and my face was dried after the shave. Then I used it again after 2-3 days, there is no dryness beside I had BBS.

I will be posting the method with pictures asap.

 

[VT_Hokie]

No, you are not alone, I mean sort of. I got a new puck of MWF two weeks ago. I used it when it came and my face was dried after the shave. Then I used it again after 2-3 days, there is no dryness beside I had BBS.

I will be posting the method with pictures asap.

I'd be interested in seeing it.

Although the other part of me is disgruntled and wants to talk about how far down the ingredient list lanolin even is, and about how I shouldn't have to sit through seminars and get a minor slapped onto my undergrad just to be able to lather it.

 

[mdevine]

I think the low price of Arko works against it in some ways. I honestly think that if it sold for $10 a stick, it would make more peoples' top three lists. I like the scent and also find it to be a great performer.

 

[drumana]

Arko performs great for me for the same reasons that the OP stated. I can't get over the scent though.

 

[Islander]

I think the low price of Arko works against it in some ways. I honestly think that if it sold for $10 a stick, it would make more peoples' top three lists. I like the scent and also find it to be a great performer.

10$ a stick with that smell and you really think many would buy?
I am not one looking for great smeling soaps as a priority, in fact I rather enjoy as unscentend as possible and never discarded a product because of smell(nice smell is a bonus, not a decider) but Arko is really vile stuff....It´s sitting opened in hope that the smell fades a bit. I will be giving it a chance later again but I really hope its smell fades a bit!

 

[Topgumby]

Arko is a great performer, and the scent...

Well, let's just say that if you had to neutralize the funk that would be created by a week long binge of spendy booze, grilled meat, primo cigars and epic all nighters with platoons of supermodels, Arko would do the trick.

 

[Jcof3474]

I really wanted to like Arko, but I just couldn't. I let my stick air out for a couple of months, but it smelled so bad and fake! It gave a great shave and the price is ridiculous, but I just could not get past the smell, it seriously made me feel like I was just wiping bad chemicals on my face.

Glad other like it though because it does perform well.

J.

 

[djh]

I love Arko and I think that it's performance is as good as any soap that I have tried. Sadly, it is not cheap here in Zürich (even in the little Turkish supermarket where I have found it) but at least we have cheap Palmolive and Wilkinson Sword sticks for my travel needs.

 

[Shave A Buck]

Very popular worldwide. The sorry thing about it is the shape. I believe a puck would do well also as some out there might not be as adept to shaving it down or molding it on their own.