When I first tried this soap a few years ago in Turkey, I was very impressed. The wrapper is not very much to look at, but it's the product that counts. Arko's tallow-based, and has a very clean, soapy scent, and gives a gold mine of lather, as well as great skincare and lubrication. The price? How does 50 cents in Istanbul pharmacies and 35 cents in some supermarkets sound? Jeff
As far as shaving sticks go - the Arko would be considered the gold standard, especially when you consider the value proposition that it offers. Quite possible one of the cheapest pieces of wetshaving gear out there, the Arko shave stick is the first stick I ever used, and it spoiled me (though there are other superb sticks out there). The scent, which not everyone enjoys, is a fresh lemony scent - similar to Williams but more potent. Very pleasant to my nose. :drool The shave with Arko soap is outstanding, it is a true performer :happy088
*** The Arko Stick *** The Arko shave Stick This stick was my 1st shave stick. Usage: 1- Wet face 2-Wet Stick (just the tip of the stick or the whole stick whatever your pref.) 3-Go to town with the stick on face for 10-15 seconds.(re-wet stick incase it dries out inbetween applying) 4-Medium wet brush directly on face and making swirl rotations. 5- Be Amazed with instant super lucious Lather. Usage 2: 1-Wet Face 2-Wet Stick 3-Medium wet Brush. 4-Grab your brush and rub it over the wet Stick load up your brush for about 20 seconds. 5- Generate lather directly on Face The stick is extreme price worthy delivers the most bang for your buck. You can take it with you when your on the move and be assured of very slippery protective lather. you loose the stick or left it behind in your hotel room no worries you havent lost much in Dinero's . In the beginning I would use the stick instead of a shave oil I would rub the stick on the face and do a gentle 3rd pass and it provides enough slickness to glide the razor smoothly over the face. sometimes I would use it as a 3rd pass enhancer. rub the stick over the face just enough and then apply my normal lather over it . The Stick leaves plenty of room for experimentation , the only down side to it it smells like some detergent that I know and once you know that your let down immensly but if you like the smell like in this case lucky for TJ then it is something of a great enjoyment. I would advice every wetshaver to have atleast 1-2 sticks in their shave Den because its great for travel but always delivers a good shave despite the smell I will always have 1 stick at hand.
The scent is the killer This stick is a very good soap. I divide it into slices and put a slice in a pot. So I don't have a stick but a soap in a pot. That works great. Everything about the soap is very good beside the scent. It reminds me of a toilet cleaner. So I will buy this not again. Rather I will stay with the Palmolive stick which is also very good and even cheaper here. With todays charges 1 buck.
Just finished my first shave with Arko. Very pleasant, very satisfying. More lather than I expected from a drugstore Euro stick. Price: Low. Savings aren't as good if you are buying from the US though. (at least online - $6.85 USD for one stick).. Quality: Surprisingly high for a drugstore shave soap. Scent: Definitely artificial, but really began to grow on me during the shave. A sharp, bright scent that is a wonderful change from the thick cloying scents of the modern eBay soaps and the three-t creams. I thought during my shave that this would be perfect soap for a summer island vacation. Lather: Much more than I expected. I usually re-swipe the sticks on my face between passes. By the third pass my brush was overflowing. An excellent thickness too. Efficacy: It works. There is also a nice slickness that is obtained especially after the first lathering. My shave was consistent with a nice balance of cushion and glide. Moisturizing: Good. The slickness remains and does a good job of tending to the skin. Neither drying nor greasy.
While I am thankful for the free sample I was recently sent, I am sad to say this soap is proudly sitting at the bottom of my trash can right now. I've tried it a few times. While it lathers like nothing I've ever seen before, that is where the positive attributes end for me. I did not find it protective, lubricating or soothing. It provided about the most average shave I've ever had. If it were only for the items above, I would still consider using it. The deal breaker is the scent. It's just horrendous. Frankly, it smells like a toilet cleaner. One of the reasons I enjoy shaving is to experience the scents of the products being used. There are may options out there that may cost a bit more than Arko, but provide me with a much better shave and a much more enjoyable experience. Life is too short to use an average product that leaves you cold.
This soap gets knocked for its scent, and I will admit it isn't my favorite. But if you don't mind the smell of Ivory soap, you won't mind the smell of this. And if you don't mind the smell, you are in for one heck of a treat. I bought some other shave soaps from Giovanni at Razor and Brush, and he tossed in a free Arko stick (they aren't that expensive, anyways). I was amazed how great this soap works. Wonderful, easy to build lather that was slick, protective, and all around great. And for you tallow snobs, this one has got it. If scent is not a high priority for you, or even if you just want a great performing soap for a ridiculously low price, pick up some Arko.
A true A+, this is my favorite soap. It's convenient, lathers magnificently and anyone who says it doesn't smell divine simply has no taste I wish these product reviews didn't have a "Moisturizing" section, because as far as I can see no soap or cream is moisturizing: some are more just more drying than others, and the Arko Stick is a bit more stripping than, say, the Trumper's line.
WHAAAA your name is Arko Jeff and you never even reviewed this divinity? EDIT: Ooops NVM you did. It's the best.
We have a Winner! This is a real treasure - cost close to nothing and is one of the best shave soaps around.. If not The Best! It lathers instantly and gives a very rich and creamy lather.. The scent is for me very nice and fresh.. And I really like the corky apperance of the label I cannot find anything wrong with this one.. Its great in all aspects..
Great performance - tollerable scent This has become my travel shave soap. Lots of super thick, slick lather that's reasonably protective and moisturizing for a very low cost. I think it's about $2.50 on the better priced websites now. The scent isn't pleasant to me, but not terrible. Similar to Williams, though I like Arko's scent a little better. If you're after a great bargain priced shave soap, it's this or VDH Delux (and maybe TSD if you consider it bargain priced). Some of the more expensive soaps are a little better in performance and certainly better in scent, but you won't find better value.
The lather really explodes off your face when you lather this bad boy up. I enjoy the scent and it helps wake me up on those groggy mornings. Cheap, Cheap but don't let that fool you.
Ohhhhhh, God--Arko in my opinion should cost as much as Trumpers or DR Harris, or any other of these so-called "high-end" soaps. It's too cheap for the quality. I would pay even 20,00$ for an Arko stick if I had to.
Arko is a great soap stick which explodes with lots of protective, moisturizing and lubricating lather. Has become one of my favorites....and the scent is great and wakes me up in the morning.
Very good soap at a cheap price. I would say that product is one i would never quit using. It create a rich and thick lather very fast and very protecting. The scent is so-so but it's not a bad scent.
What a shave This was a real sleeper. The scent is fantastic. The lather is decadent. My razor glides across my face. and my skin feels great when finished. I had to look twice to make sure I had the right stick, as this one performs like one that costs 5 times as much. When my current supply runs out I will buy more.
