For the fist month and a bit I stuck to the same shave soap (Taylor's Sandalwood, cream) and had some awesome and some not so good ones. In short fairly variable. Over the last week I swapped the posher soap for the cheap arko stick that came with the blades and went from bowl lather to face lather and bingo. Much more consistent. For my beard/skin/razor and technique I don't know why but this stuff is excellent and I dismissed it as it came as a freebie! Just goes to show that splashing the cash aint always the way. Anyway a month to be done on this soap now to see if it is consistently as good as week 1 indicates.
I think you hit upon something modern society has lost. A rich man and a poor man both deserve a good shave. Arko and cella both supply a moderately priced shaving soap for working class men. Sure they may not have the luxury scent of Tobs or T&H but they can give just as comfortable a shave. My only complaint of Arko is the chemical or “industrial lemon cleaner” scent. Vs cella’s almond. If they made an unscented it would replace cella as my go to soap.
That can be adjusted. Using a kitchen grater shred it like mozzarella cheese, spread it out and let the inherent scent dissipate. Then you can stir in Essential Oil, aftershave, or cologne to you choosing. Common issue with Arko. It's a little harsh. Turkish Barbers use it on Turkish customers. Could be a benefit to a high fat diet with associated oily skin. Maybe during the re-scenting procedure add unrefined Shea Butter or lanolin?
I am impressed with Arko and use it in my "What ever I feel like this morning" rotation. Always get a good lather. The smell of a newly purchased stick is pretty strong, but if the wrapper is removed, and the stick is placed on an open shelf for a week, it calms down quite a bit. I wonder if Arko stick would work as a car freshener. Maybe I can use a red string and hang it from the mirror. Ha!
Some guys I know think I'm crazy but I actually enjoy the scent of the Arko stick. I also find it has a better post-shave feeling than a couple of the Arko creams.
I'm glad you enjoyed the Arko. There are other soaps out there that can be had for less than TOBS. The first one that comes to mind is Stirling which I think punches well above its price point and they have a lot of great scents.
Arko stick soap is great for traveling and want to have a shave. I tend to over lather when applying to whiskers with brush lathering and all you need is less to enjoy its great slickness with lots of water to prevent drying on the face before the blade gets its chance. Great soap that lasts...........and lasts.....
Arko...never heard of the stuff. Just kidding, it's a fantastic soap and one of the very best values in traditional wet shaving.
My Arko supply came in that box too! Arko by the case and Cella by the kilo are the two best values out there IMO. But I’m too happy with Sterling’s lineup to focus only on the cheapest good shave.
It took me awhile to use this but i love it. I keep it in my travel case and take it with me on my travels.
It's also great for an engine de-greaser and insect repellant. There's something to be said for a product that pulls triple duty. All kidding aside, Arko is a great shave soap. If you use unrefined shea butter after the shave, you won't experience the drying effect.