Poll: Arko vs. Williams

Indeed!

 

Arko, one of the best shave soaps you can buy. It lathers great, slick and cheap.

The only thing nice I can say about Williams is it is cheap.

 

Many years ago in college I bought a mug & brush and Williams. I did so bad with it that I went to Edge goo for many years. Thanks to The Shave Den I found 'the razors, brushes and Arko, I love.

 

I have used both. the ONLY edge that ARKO has is that it lathers so well. That's the only positive for Arko.

Arko scent stays in the brush longer then Williams.
Arko may lather better, but Williams lather offers protection and glide for the razor
Arko AND Williams are both considered a test of "shave skill" on if you can lather it, or like the smell.
Arko AND Williams both prove that spending a lot of money isn't always best, but prove that sometimes SPEND MONEY on high end product.

I developed a contact allergy to Arko, that transferred to the chemical makeup of Williams. Meaning that I tried to be brave and cool kid, and tried Arko. Developed an allergy to arko, and in subsequent shaves that week, discovered I got the same reaction from Williams.

 

Arko Arko Arko

 

Hmmm, interesting, and confusing, all in the same post.

 

Williams is slowly creeping up.

 

Most here seem to indicate Arko lathers so easily, no skill required. Even you say, "...ARKO ...lathers so well."
And is there skill in liking a smell?

 

What smell? I can't smell anything else at all, only a weak lemon clean soapy scent that's all

 

My nose doesn't work half the time, so smell isn't an issue. And I just started using Arko, which, I must admit, after being a fanboi of Williams for the past year, is rapidly becoming my favorite. (I've recently acquired a tube of Cremo, too, but since it's not listed on the poll, makes it moot to mention it.)

Hm. Decisions, decisions...

 

Some have a weak sense of smell, others a hyper-sense of smell.

 

in my time shaving with a single bladed razor hair removal device, I discovered the "cult of the Arko".

Arko has a near god like reputation on forums. On some forums its used to guage your shaving skill. On some, you aren't considered a "true" shaver unless you have used Arko.

On some forums its a test of yourself, to see how long you can put up with the smell.

A lot of folks will admit Williams makes a lather, but that the lather doesn't do a thing. Arko makes lots of lather that doesn't do a thing.

 

Because I like Arko more than what's currently available. I hardly use the vintage puck I have since it's a rare soap.

 

Or you aren't doing it right.

 

Yeah the favorite saying of so many die hard users of a product. If you don't get the same result from their favored products, you obviously don't know how to use it right.

That's the thing about arko. A lot of people use it because:

- its so cheap to get, mass production does that.
-"its traditional soap in Turkish barber shops", the barbers of turkey use the cheapest thing they can get and they can choose from Arko or Derby.
-the scent is different from batch to batch. One batch was so bad, it got the reputation of horrid scents, and tales of people leaving it un wrapped in hot garages all summer to kill the smell.
As a result of that scent, a lot of users use Arko just for the "oh my god how can you stand that stench" reaction

 

I don't use Arko.

 

I'm not sure what your problem is with that sentiment. Whether Arko is or isn't a good soap, many people do get good results with it. By extension, that means that they do know how to use it "right" if only to overcome it's shortcomings. That is the basis of another mantra (at least around here): Technique Trumps Tools.

So much of today's popular music is from singers who are Autotuned. Why is that? Because it hides the faults and lets the mediocre excel. The true artist is not going to need Autotuning because they can really carry a tune.

The same holds here. The people with talent are the ones who can get a decent lather from Williams or Arko or, heaven forbid, Marvy because they are the ones who do know how to use it right.

 

Guys why are we even trying to dance with these kind of posts? I determined that it's like a dog chasing his own tale (pun intended.) Just gloss over and ignore. Maybe it will go away. Otherwise if you say black the reply will be white. Say white the response will be black. Circular reasoning you know.

Don

 

. It's getting old.

Let me further add, it's only the scent that is off putting for me with Williams. I think it lathers well and is slick. I have also tried some $100 soaps that were the best lathering and slickest around, just not for me, with their heavy parfumes. The nose knows.

 

For cleaning leather strops: Williams
For shaving: Not Williams
I like the scent of both