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Arko isn't even close to as bad as people made out

Arko is great.
Excellent tallow lather, acceptable, tangy scent.
It gets bashed from shaving and "artisinal" elitists!!

arko simpson wee scot feather royall musk february 2 2019.jpg
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
Its certainly not as bad as people make out imo.

Keep it down. Don’t want people getting through the generic hate and making it expensive. ;)

it’s performance equals or beats nearly every other artisan or traditional shave soap I’ve ever used.

I can get a slick, protective lather with a great post shave feel from it easier than I can with my pricey soaps, but I figured it was me lathering the expensive soaps wrong.
 
I tried it when I first started DE shaving and just couldn't get a decent lather and I also didn't care for the scent. If I still had a stick I might give it another try but just not willing to buy a stick to do it. I also tried using one of my smaller pucks like a shave stick and it made my whiskers or face hurt trying to get a layer trying to get a layer down to lather up. Scent if I remember is like what a lot describe it as, mildly scented urinal puck.
 
Just to clarify to the comments. I don't mean to deride anyone who dislikes Arko. I hate Almond TOBS and that means I probably hate every single Almond scent around. I'm sure some of you can't live without it but I hate (and I mean HATE) it. We all have and are entitled to our opinions. I was just surprised at Arko being significantly better than I anticipated due to the mythology the community has placed around it. I was expecting to reek of Arko for the rest of the week and have to power-wash my bathroom to get it out. It was just an average, mild scent that has scent power akin to proraso imo. It is hardly a 'strong' scent. Just sharing my experience and disbelief in that it was just 'meh' and not what Satan smelled like. I don't love it (I doubt many do) but I certainly don't hate it (as many don't). I was just interested in the mythology surrounding certain products or types of products. We (including me) seem to bandwagon a little too much and I was just putting in my input.
 
Believe it or not, but Arko is the only shaving soap that i've ever used and I like it. I'm not really attracted to shaving software like most people are and I have no plans of changing that. Sometimes I put a bit of cream and mix it with Arko and the results are even better. I used to find them locally for around 50 cent each and they probably still have them somewhere around.
 
Absolutely! The hate for the smell of Arko is genuinely baffling as far as I am concerned. Even if you dislike the scent it is not very strong. I just find it a little drying - that is my only criticism.

I find the exact opposite. The smell is basically like Ivory soap, but it is so strong it makes me nauseated. It's the strength of the scent to me.
 
Yeah, I never got the issue with the scent, either. Just smells like lemon scented soap. And it lathers up great. Unfortunately, something in there burns my face something fierce, so I just can't use it. It's the only soap I've ever gotten a reaction like that from!
 
I jumped into the deep end of this "hobby" three years ago. I've enjoyed the journey and the learning experience, but in all honesty I could have done just as well with the Arko 12-pack, a decent synthetic brush, a good razor, and a few hundred blades.
 
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I find the exact opposite. The smell is basically like Ivory soap, but it is so strong it makes me nauseated. It's the strength of the scent to me.
Yeah, I put a stick in a plastic tube, making sure to leave the top off so that it could "air out". It must be close to two years since I unwrapped that stick, but that synthetic smell is still way too strong for me. I used Arko a few times a long time ago. Good soap. I just wish that it was unscented.
 
I like my Arko. I tried it 'cause it's cheap enough and I really don't mind the scent. I like the stick 'cause I used to travel a lot and it's better than trying to lug a bigger thing of soap around.

I must say this too. There is just something about the inexpensive shave soaps (Arko, Cella, Palmolive, and others that I can't think of). They really have learned the old adage of doing one thing and sticking with it. Sure they're not the best of the best. But for the price, they are darn good.
 
There is no better quality-price ratio in shaving than Arko. But putting price aside, it’s performance equals or beats nearly every other artisan or traditional shave soap I’ve ever used. And I tried lots...
Are you claiming Arko's performance is equal to or superior to soaps like Grooming Department, Tallow & Steel and Tabac?
 
Arko allows for a fantastic shave. That's why I use it....well, I also have been washing my hands with it several time a day throughout 2020...because...well, you know. Anything that smells like that MUST kill stuff, right?
 
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