Arko shaving soap , the eternal debate...

In the wet shaving world are 3 soaps which causes passional love or eternal hatred among wet shavers because of the performance or the scent : one is Williams Shaving soap,the Tabac shaving soap and Arko Shaving stick.

I am the one who used to have a bad relationship with Arko due to its scent,even when it not that bad shaving soap performer,but I left it "open", without the paper wrap, for over a month,and its scent is even "decent".

What about you gents,are you Arko lovers or Arko critics?

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I fall in the middle. I think it's a solid value, good performer and I neither like nor hate the scent.

Tabac on the other hand is very polarizing for me. I want to like it badly but the scent just kills it for me. And my wife.

I keep a tub around, use it once a year or so and everytime my wife, who has a sensitive nose, not only recognizes the scent but it is likely the only of ALL my soaps she "nose" [sic] by name. She typically says something along the lines: "Is it a Tabac shave day, Grandma?" Clearly she feels that it is both connotative of being older and feminine which doesn't do much for my esteem [I am 50 by the way so solve for half the equation admittedly].

But I just can't PIF it because I think one day the stars will align and both she and I will think it a winner. The performance is great!

I haven't tried Arko yet (or smelled it), I have a puck of Williams that I picked up for a dollar when I first started out of curiosity. I've used it maybe 3 times in 8 months. The only time it was any good was when I made a superlather (or is it uberlather?) mixing it with some TOBS lavender cream. I've also tried the Tabac. I picked up a sample from Garry's Sample Shop. It was OK, but I found it dried my face a little and was lacking in the post-shave department. The scent, while I like it, I can see how people say it smells "old lady-ish", so its just not a must have for me.

I've always thought about throwing a stick of Arko onto an order (why not? Its only $2-3) but have never pulled the trigger. Maybe on my next one...

...........arko......... she is very good......... very inexpensive and very good lather..............the scent does not bother me...

I actually like the scent of all 3 soaps, But I'll never buy another puck of Williams because Arko exists and it works much better. Arko has the best price/performance ratio of any soap IMO (when bought in bulk for $1per), but neither Arko or Tabac can be faulted for performance during the shave. After the shave the skin is left dry, but that can be addressed with other products.

I think it's almost impossible to NOT get an arko stick to lather. the scent, however, is terrible. to me it smells almost identical to a citronella candle that's used to keep bugs away.

^I might like it then. Call me weird but I kind of like the smell of citronella.

^I might like it then. Call me weird but I kind of like the smell of citronella.

some people like the scent. it's not so off-putting that I wouldn't use the stick, I just prefer others if I have a choice.

Arko is horrible imho. Many better options at good prices.


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I get slick cushiony lather from my 5 year old grated up stick of Arko. I think it smell's clean scent wise, like Ivory soap. To handle the post use skin dryness issue I add 7 drops of glycerine to it before I start making lather. I also add water as I facelather. Arko makes a nice creamy lather when properly hydrated. My face never feels tight or dry afterwards. I'll miss my Arko when it's gone, I might replace it
someday after I get back to owning only 2-3 soaps

Clayton

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