Arko Smell? Really?

[SteveWY]

Just load more. I can 3 pass with arko and have plenty left over (Face lathering w/ Semogue 620).

@The Dean, check out one of the traveling twist-up tubes from WCS. I've heard a lot of guys have had success with those. Arko is soft enough, that it can just be pressed onto the shaft.

I will definitely be loading more tomorrow and/or add some direct if needed between passes. I amd a face-latherer but I may try building my lather in a bowl just to see how that goes.

I agree on the twist-ups from WCS. You can find them other places but I like to support our vendors. At $1.75 you just have to have a couple of these on hand. I have three now. I melted and poured some Colonel Conk lime into one, pushed a stick of Palmolive into the next one, and now have the Arko in my third. I ran a fine scredriver through the middle but it wasn't necessary, you can certainly just push the stick down slowly over the center rod.

 

[SteveWY]

So, amongst the multitude of threads about the stench of arko, I see this over and over again, and I often ask the same thing over and over again, and get no replies... My grandmother used ivory soap almost exclusively while I was growing up, and I recall the smell of it pretty decently, as being just sort of.. soap. As for arko, whether you like it or hate it, everyone agrees, it is lemon scented to some degree or another. I don't recall ivory soap as ever having *any* lemon in it... so, either my memory is off from my childhood, they've changed the ivory formula since then, or members comparing the two don't actually know what ivory smells like...

Hey Rat, I will bite and reply to your unanswered question. I'm 55 and grew up in the Ivory Soap generation. I still like to use it as a hand and bath soap. When we were kids, we used to carve stuff out of Ivory (safe whittling). I digress. I get absolutely no lemon in Ivory and I think Ivory still smells like it always did. Just "soap" whatever that is. I surmise what you get when you equate Arko to Ivory is the "soap" coming through. But I definitely agree that Arko is distinctively "lemon-scented". Not unpleasant to me, just fresh, air freshener lemon.

 

[jzuzphreek]

Hey Rat, I will bite and reply to your unanswered question. I'm 55 and grew up in the Ivory Soap generation. I still like to use it as a hand and bath soap. When we were kids, we used to carve stuff out of Ivory (safe whittling). I digress. I get absolutely no lemon in Ivory and I think Ivory still smells like it always did. Just "soap" whatever that is. I surmise what you get when you equate Arko to Ivory is the "soap" coming through. But I definitely agree that Arko is distinctively "lemon-scented". Not unpleasant to me, just fresh, air freshener lemon.

Interesting. I don't get lemon at all from Arko. But I did whittle a turtle out of ivory soap in the 5th grade once upon a time.

 

[Shave_Rat]

Hey Rat, I will bite and reply to your unanswered question. I'm 55 and grew up in the Ivory Soap generation. I still like to use it as a hand and bath soap. When we were kids, we used to carve stuff out of Ivory (safe whittling). I digress. I get absolutely no lemon in Ivory and I think Ivory still smells like it always did. Just "soap" whatever that is. I surmise what you get when you equate Arko to Ivory is the "soap" coming through. But I definitely agree that Arko is distinctively "lemon-scented". Not unpleasant to me, just fresh, air freshener lemon.

Interesting. I don't get lemon at all from Arko. But I did whittle a turtle out of ivory soap in the 5th grade once upon a time.

Ok, so it seems there could be batches of arko out there that lack the lemon notes, or some people with noses that can't detect the lemon notes, and that is how it sometimes get compared to Ivory, that has no lemon, and never has.

For the record, I can smell the chemical style cheap lemon scent arko uses, but have nothing at all against the awesomeness that is Ivory hand soap.

 

[SteveWY]

Ok, so it seems there could be batches of arko out there that lack the lemon notes, or some people with noses that can't detect the lemon notes, and that is how it sometimes get compared to Ivory, that has no lemon, and never has.

For the record, I can smell the chemical style cheap lemon scent arko uses, but have nothing at all against the awesomeness that is Ivory hand soap.

This is such an IMO, YMMV thing! You might be on to something that we humans have very different olfactory senses (like color-blindness?), some are more/less sensitive to certain chemicals, etc. Some get the over-powering industrial or even disinfectant lemon smell, some get a light lemon smell and a few even detect no lemon. We get into similar discussions on Tabac scent!

 

[adyf]

Tried arko for the first time yesterday. Light lemon or citronella for me. One thing for sure though, it doesn't smell too bad at all. Maybe try tabac next.

 

[SteveWY]

Tried arko for the first time yesterday. Light lemon or citronella for me. One thing for sure though, it doesn't smell too bad at all. Maybe try tabac next.

Yup, another similar "first-timers" view. Try the Tabac, you will love it. The fragrance is polarizing and too much for some but I like it. The soap and lather quality is a gold standard IMHO.

 

[Bernie]

I am not a finicky person, but man, my Arko is still untouched. When I first got it I was curious and opened it for a smell. Damn near brought tears to my eyes. The urinal cake description was dead on IMHO. I have left it open for months and it has calmed down to something I may finally use. receiving old stock.

The guys who actually like it live next to a garbage dump or refinery and welcome any strong odor.

Hilarious and dead on!

 

[kenac]

Arko smell like those old Blue-White-Red rocket Popsicle i had as a kid.
really like the smell, i guest its like everything else; some people like, some dont.

 

[SteveWY]

Arko smell like those old Blue-White-Red rocket Popsicle i had as a kid.
really like the smell, i guest its like everything else; some people like, some dont.

OK, I promise, this summer I am looking for those popsickles and will do a scientific comparison!

 

[The Dean]

So, amongst the multitude of threads about the stench of arko, I see this over and over again, and I often ask the same thing over and over again, and get no replies... My grandmother used ivory soap almost exclusively while I was growing up, and I recall the smell of it pretty decently, as being just sort of.. soap. As for arko, whether you like it or hate it, everyone agrees, it is lemon scented to some degree or another. I don't recall ivory soap as ever having *any* lemon in it... so, either my memory is off from my childhood, they've changed the ivory formula since then, or members comparing the two don't actually know what ivory smells like...

To me, Arko doesn't smell like Ivory soap. I despise Ivory soap.

Are you saying we should or shouldn't start a new thread about "My Fist Shave With Arko? Or did I take the thread in a new direction? Either way, feel free to open a new thread about first impressions, etc. I would participate and subscribe to that!

Mostly I was kidding. It's your thread so you can take it in any damn direction you want! I think talking about the first shave is a natural topic for you in this thread. Since the discussion is already underway I can't really see why I would need to start a new thread. We'd have 30 threads saying "I shaved with Arko today for the first time." But some forums have different approaches. I just wanted to apologize in advance---just in case.

Hopefully it is all good. Seems to be, anyway

 

[The Dean]

@The Dean, check out one of the traveling twist-up tubes from WCS. I've heard a lot of guys have had success with those. Arko is soft enough, that it can just be pressed onto the shaft.

Just ordered a couple and a blade sample pack. Thanks for the tip.

 

[jzuzphreek]

Just ordered a couple and a blade sample pack. Thanks for the tip.

Hey... they might be cheap... but I still get enabling points!

 

[SteveWY]

Enabling points!!!! I love that! I think we all qualify. HaHa!!!!

 

[SteveWY]

Mostly I was kidding. It's your thread so you can take it in any damn direction you want! I think talking about the first shave is a natural topic for you in this thread. Since the discussion is already underway I can't really see why I would need to start a new thread. We'd have 30 threads saying "I shaved with Arko today for the first time." But some forums have different approaches. I just wanted to apologize in advance---just in case.

Hopefully it is all good. Seems to be, anyway[/QUOTE]

Roger that! We are certainly all good here!

 

[Antares600]

Arko smells fine. Like cheap lemon soap.

There are about 5 or so guys here (see the Arko-haters thread) who make it out to be like it's the worst smell in the world.

They are merely olfactorily disabled.

 

[Frankthetank]

Smells like floor cleaner, but cmon, floor cleaner smells nice! It's moderately strong, but largely inoffensive. Dunno what the hubbub is about.

 

[Delawareguy]

So, amongst the multitude of threads about the stench of arko, I see this over and over again, and I often ask the same thing over and over again, and get no replies... My grandmother used ivory soap almost exclusively while I was growing up, and I recall the smell of it pretty decently, as being just sort of.. soap. As for arko, whether you like it or hate it, everyone agrees, it is lemon scented to some degree or another. I don't recall ivory soap as ever having *any* lemon in it... so, either my memory is off from my childhood, they've changed the ivory formula since then, or members comparing the two don't actually know what ivory smells like...

It's funny because I don't get the smell of lemon from it. I just smelled it again to see but all I get is the smell of soap. Maybe my nose doesn't work as well as I thought.

 

[The Dean]

d.

They are merely olfactorily disabled.

More likely super-smellers, I think. Their olfactory senses may be heightened. What is a rather faint smell to some is strong and offensive to them.

Or it could just be your everyday YMMV.

 

[Bernie]

Well I do like to smell decent, I was bummed when I got a whole pack of 15 and used it once. Then I put it in a drawer, opened the drawer when Swmbo was in the room and she was like "please tell me your not using that on your face" Haha, maybe we are both olfactory heightened. Or could be it stinks.