Just used derby for the first, first shave stick for that matter, paired with a lord super stainless in my merkur 34c hd, and some homemade preshave oil and I think it was one of my best shaves in the three months I've been at it
Do you know about using a pill bottle to store your stick in? The one I use has "rexam and PM-20" on the bottom. Many times you can get them for free from a drugstore just by asking. I got mine from an Independent Pharmacy in my town. To use them you just drill a couple of tiny holes top and bottom and put your soap in, I usualy let my soap dry before sticking it in. So far Arko is the only stick I've used and I like it alot.....
As of today I have tried 3 Turkish sticks, Arko, GZD Berber and Derby (all of them sliced / grated and pressed into a bowl). I cannot tell any difference as far as the scent is concerned. Derby is my favourite within that batch, it has got all the qualities one expects from a shaving soap. Arko is not far behind but leaves a kind of waxy film on the skin... GZD melts and lathers very easily but the longevity of the lather is too short, its texture too airy ; it is perhaps best used as a stick and not as a soap in a bowl.
Sorry to bump an old thread, but how do you grade the Derby today? I've heard some say it's like a mellow scented Arko, equal of permance = great great soap. Any thoughts?
I have used both and could not tell much of a difference; gave decent shaves. I prefer sticks such as La Toja and Irisch Moos. I have a Lea that works good too.
Actually both of them make gorgeous lather but I prefer Derby soap these days. Derby soap has got less cosmetic agents than Arko. You can check the ingredients' harmness from http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ . The scent of Arko is much better according to me, because it's a scent where I got used to for years in any Turkish barber shop But Derby's scent is a bit more Turkish Hamam Soap style.
I guess I'll have to try one for myself then I just can't seem to get pass the Derby name.. omg horrendous blades but I know it's silly, because I've only heard good about the soap.
Just make sure when you use your Arko stick that your face is REALLY wet when you apply the stick. Like REALLY wet
Im fairly certain that Derby is made by arko for derby and is the same stick. I sure cant tell the difference ....
ARKO IS DA BOMB!!!!! now that thats out of my system....hmm I've never tried the Derby..nope.....Didn't like their blades or Shave Cream....especially didn't dig the cream....So I guess that prejudiced me into missing out on the Stick which seems to be cool...But I have tried the ARKO!!!! and it ROCKS!!! did I say that already?
I have tested both of them Derby's scent is one click tolerable than Arko's. In the beginning i thought that was like hospital,now after using so many other soaps-creams reminds my public urinal of morgue For me they are a setback and abandon them in the back of my closet.
I know this is an old post, but I have only recently (before NOVember) gotten to try both. One a derby stick, the other an arko puck. The scents are different. Kind of meh for me. The arko lathered very well, but left my face feeling dry. It didn't seem to provide much slickness either. Once NOVember is over, I plan on experimenting with them again. (another problem was Iused the arko with my SE which was my first time using the SE and I think my technique was WRONG. So I will try the ARKO again as well as the Derby. But preliminary observations are, I don't care for either. I like the smell of LaToja better than both Derby and Arko. So give me a couple of days now and I will get back to you.
My first few attempts with Arko stick left me like many others here, . But if I've learned anything from my time spent here at TSD, it is that one or two tries does not often reveal the true nature of a soap, razor, blade, etc. While I won't say that Arko is my favorite soap, I use it regularly now, and it does a pretty good job. I've also done a bit of trial and error to find a moisturizing aftershave that works well with it, (Arko sport gel) and I like it also. Soap chemistry doesn't get discussed much here, but I believe it is important. Among the common shaving soaps, Arko seems to be at the upper end of the ph scale. That means it is particularly efficient at removing oils from your skin and from your whiskers, and the longer it remains on your face, the more likely it is to dry your skin excessively. I would recommend that the next time you use Arko, keep the lather as wet as possible. Also, only lather as much of your face as you can shave before the lather dries. Letting any soap dry on your skin is bad. Letting Arko dry on your skin is just asking for trouble. Make sure you rinse thoroughly between passes, and especially well after your last pass. Immediately after your shave, you need to replace the moisture that Arko has removed from your skin. Moisturizing is a must if you are to avoid dryness and irritation. In cooler/drier weather, moisturizing balms may be the best choice. Luck 'O the Squirrel to you Tad, and Happy Shaving!!
My family was making Soap for Home use,was from our Olive trees As a baby-kid we use it in the head and in the body also,no problem at all. If today you buy in the local market a "home soap from natural olive oil" no matter if it's cheap and smells "tradition" you will face the same problem. That modern soap will dry your skin after some days of use that's why you must pay attention with it If you wash repeatedly with a soap like this one soon or latter you will have some dryness problems and me i was one of them so i speak from first hand experience. In Greece we had in the past a shaving soap made from "natural olive oil" but show the same behaviour as you @Bristle Me said.
