I like Arko, it’s no nonsense, has a clean soapy smell and does the job. I’ve been attacking that puck and it still looks new. Great value.
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.
Are you claiming Arko's performance is equal to or superior to soaps like Grooming Department, Tallow & Steel and Tabac?
Williams smells too mild.
I used Arko for years among other soaps but this past summer I finally learned how to tune it up. The secret is more water, added a little at a time. That's just common wet shaving sense, but what happened to me with Arko is that it explodes into a thick Santa beard with very little water, and I think I often mistook the thick lather for good lather. I used it every day this year for 'Arko-Sharko August' and I slowly realized that the Santa beard needs to be thinned down considerably with water. The other thing I learned is that I rubbed too much soap on my face, and that less soap + more water = a slick, protective lather. Using a soap every day for a month is a great learning experience.
I used Arko for years among other soaps but this past summer I finally learned how to tune it up. The secret is more water, added a little at a time. That's just common wet shaving sense, but what happened to me with Arko is that it explodes into a thick Santa beard with very little water, and I think I often mistook the thick lather for good lather. I used it every day this year for 'Arko-Sharko August' and I slowly realized that the Santa beard needs to be thinned down considerably with water. The other thing I learned is that I rubbed too much soap on my face, and that less soap + more water = a slick, protective lather. Using a soap every day for a month is a great learning experience.
I discovered that if I made the lather a thin soupy mess, the closeness was much better than when I used a thicker lather.