I'm still impressed that you can pull this many shaves from an Arko stick. In both stick and smooshed in a soap dish form, I don't have this longevity.
I feel like it's the synthetic that gets the extra mileage. No other explanation, and I did use soap at a faster pace when I was a newbie with an Omega 48.
Were it necessary to go hardcore on economization of shaving budget.... 3 Arko Sticks 200 Astra SP 3 bottles generic AV One year of shavette is $30ish
I would guess that you are correct. I have never used a synthetic, but even with a small 18-20 mm badger or boar brush I used it quicker. Last time I picked up Arko, I got a case of 12 sticks for under a buck a stick shipped from Amazon. I would probably need about 50-60 DE blades and a few bottles of Superior 70 would be a treat but not needed. If worst came to worst, I could get by with about 6 sticks and 50-60 blades for the year. $10-$15 for a comfortable shave for the year. Add another $10 for 3 bottles of Superior 70. Your $30 for the year is definitely doable.
I bought a case of Arko, and I am sure I would average about 4 months out of a stick, but I always end up getting bored and changing around to something else after a few weeks, so that case is not even half done, and I have given sticks away to the wet shaving curious.
Make your own. Twist up containers are super cheap. Softer soaps can be pressed into them, and harder ones can be grated. I find myself moving to them more and more.
I did try once. I used an old glue stick tube. I don't know what went wrong but it didn't work at all. Perhaps it's time to try again
