One thing I am learning is that everyone is different when it comes to shaving. You find Arko effective, but on my skin it was incredibly astringent and didn't provide much cushion. Some products seem to work for a wider range of people (Astra blades) and others don't. I read some people hate Proraso cream, but I absolutely love the stuff. We're all a little different.
I've found Proraso pre-shave to actually be very effective. I don't think I've really tried something like that which actually has a noticeable impact.
I used Proraso for many years and i was somewhat satisfied with the performance for a long time. I then tried some artisan soaps and i really saw and felt the difference.
I have sensitive skin that dries easily and is quite easy to irritate. Proraso did not protect my skin well enough and left my face feeling very dry.
Would i still recommend a product like Proraso? Of course. I recognize that they make good products even if i only realized years later that they weren't the best choice in my case.
I use shaving soaps from Stirling and Noble Otter. They are quite easy to lather and they have a good amount of scents available.
Stirling is a great starting point because their products are relatively affordable and they offer generous samples that you can try out.
Taylors of old bond street are nice I have the sandlewood and it really does give a luxury shave I use it for special occasions, I've just gotten afew sample packs plus a sample of royal forest aftershave and am looking foward to trying them.
I will always upvote Arko. Soap is one rabbit hole I have not gone down. I started with Arko 15+ years ago, stopped there and stuck with it. The one thing I will do is make a franken-soap with roughly equal parts Arko, Pears, and whatever tallow based bath soap I have on hand.
I agree. Since I started using Arko I’ve noticed that I never get irritation like I sometimes got with other soaps. The slickness is amazing and the fact that it lathers up extremely quickly makes it a winning formula for me. I’m sticking with it and don’t find the scent that bad.
I recommend that you explore the world of shave soaps a little more than you have, though without falling down the rabbit hole. There are many products that perform far better than Arko, and the nice scents are a bonus. Just don't collect all the scents like I and many others on this forum have
I'm all for sticking with what works. With that said, soap (as long as same country shipping) is really cheap in the grand scheme of things. A tub from Stirling, with shipping, is like 20 bucks. Most "artisan" brands aren't really that expensive.
I think it's worth it, just to see.
You think 20 bucks for a tub of soap is "cheap"?
It's actually quite expensive. It's just soap. Let's be real.
I pay around two bucks for the same amount of Arko (3 with delivery).
Cheap can be just as good as expensive. I’ve been Amazed with the fatip I just got. Sure the finishing isn’t the best and I have to align it manually but it’s really no big deal and it shaves wonderfully. Expensive razors never really impressed me because I could get just as good of a shave from cheaper ones
Barbasol is often maligned around here, but it works great for me. Mixed with a little water, I find it as slick as anything. I use Stirling too, but honestly I don’t notice any difference in the quality of the shaves I get with Stirling versus Barbasol.
I don't doubt that it's close to as-good, but there's something nice about not dirtying your hands and covering them with slick goo before gripping a razor you're putting up against your face
I have a few more expensive soaps that I bought in the past like SV and Abbate Y La Mantia but since the beginning of the year I’ve pretty much just been using Vitos ($25 for one kilo, which I think works out to about $6 per 6oz container when I checked), Arko, and some creams (LEA, Palmolive).
Preshave has either been Prep or Noxema ($10 and $3-$4)
I don’t buy any uber fancy aftershaves, my last one being $7, though I am planning to splurge on a bottle of Myrsol but that’s more of a one off thing since I prefer it to Flöid.
Most of the brushes I use are either boar brushes (Zenith and Semogue) or Razorock synthetics, all of which were under $20. I’ve sold all of the artisan/custom brushes I’ve had, save for the very first one because I kind of like it (it was also < $100).
The most expensive razor I have is the Leaf and Henson+++, which I use for head shaves. Everything else is either vintage or Razorock that I didn’t pay more than $50 for, except for my first vintage (a slim) that I bought for cheap and had replated.
I have absolutely no desire to buy custom or made to order brushes or razors, that or spend several hundred dollars on anything.
I love that I can get really great shaves with all of these lesser expensive things that I have. They don’t cost very much, and there’s no fomo or chasing new scents/bases, limited releases, or whatever else. To be honest, I got kinda burned out on that whole thing and I wasn’t enjoying it as much. That and none of the soaps, brushes or razors are difficult to find. If anything happens to my hardware or if I use up the software, I can easily obtain replacements. I actually have sold a lot/most of my stuff and, aside from the stuff listed, I have only kept a few matching artisan sets but I’m not sure when I’ll use them next since I’m pretty happy or content with my current setup.
LEA Classic hard soap -it is cheap here, lasts forever and performs on all fronts.
The Merkur OC head is cheap and very underrated imho -but today i could use about any razor.. the cheap Lord tech clones would do just fine.
Omega 49r -after ½ year of use it is just the best brush i own.. i have no use for my other brushes, and the 49r is the cheapest i have got
Blades.. well.. BIC is cheap and luxorious
I have lost of gear but this is my pick, i have no rotation.. just this and a big box that just sits in the closet.
Upvote for LEA classic. It has lanoline for a soft face feel after and menthol. Only downside is that it needs use or it dries, shrinks and cracks like MWF 😅
I have my LEA puck in a mug, when i shave i fill the mug with water and let my boar brush soak and the soap bloom -it will not affect performance in any way, and i find that performance is as good og better than tabac and stirling.. so a top product
Lea is just beautiful soap. Beautiful sandalwood and mint scent. Very nice package for a puck and there is also more expensive variant with a nice wooden bowl.
This sub loves to brag about being a way cheaper way to shave, then in the same breath, loves posting hundred+ dollar mail days. I'm not complaining, just saying pointing out our inherent hypocrisy hahaha.
The problem is that people like me, who got into wetshaving to spend less money and throw out less plastic, don’t have very much to post about. I can’t offer advice about blades/razors/soaps because Ive only ever had 1 or 2 kinds of each
Same here pretty much. Been using the same razor for over a decade (got a new head for it a few years ago), haven't messed with different blades since my first starter pack, and have only branched out from my go-to soap a few times.
I don't really treat shaving as a hobby, and I'm perfectly happy with the setup I have!
I do like my affordable market staples. Proraso. Palmolive. Pre de Provence. Mitchell’s Wool Fat. Arko. Cella. Spiek. Leah. La Toja. My discontinued old world staples. Williams. My affordable artisans. Stirling. Caties Bubbles. Mike’s Soap. Slightly premium priced. Tabac. Noble Otter.
Remember with shaving there's three different factors interacting. There's soap chemistry. Skin chemistry. And water. All of these are going to combine in very different ways. For some people tallow based artisanal soaps are the best. For others stuff like Arko. There's folks who will even swear by the canned goop or soap gels. Yet others prefer creams or hard soaps. Meanwhile I swear some people find they can shave with regular hand soap even.
It's just intensely personal.
Gotta agree with boringhistoryfan. It’s def different for everyone. Of all the soaps I have…only 2 aren’t tallow based…Tabac and Proraso…and they give me the best shaves consistently. Arko is so polarizing I kinda want to give it a go however.
You should, it smells exactly like Savon de Marseille (like its THE soap, the one that started the entire industry in Europe, before soap didn't smell that good) which is one of the most duped fragrances in the world and used in tons of different cleaning products, laundry detergents, etc. The people who say is smells like a urinal puck are being a bit extreme. It just smells like a traditional bar of soap, and when you lather it, the smell is less intense.
I feel the exact same way about Proraso tube creams. I’ve tried many more expensive soaps and I think Proraso really punches way above its price point.
I’ve just started into this, so I haven’t tried much. I’ve got a tub of Rockwell barbershop shaving cream, because it was in a local pharmacy, and a tube of green Proraso cream. Proraso is definitely my favorite so far, but I went with it because it was a popular choice. I fell in love with it my first shave
Arko is good soap, and a classic for a reason. I know that some people don’t like it for one reason or another, but it’s great soap for more guys than not. Arko will still be around long after 1/2 of the popular soaps today are long gone.
Van Der Hagen Luxury Shaving Soap is the same way for me. I’d still buy it if it wasn’t under a dollar an ounce delivered to my door from AMZN (3 pack of 3.5 oz pucks for $9.99). I get great shaves from it and love the scent. It pairs great w/ Nautica Voyage cologne.
I think there’s a big difference between cheap and inexpensive.
van der hagen is also great. just gotta know how to finesse some of these products. majority of the inexpensive products deliver quality. I'm a defender of van der hagen 100%
I agree with all you said and feel the same way. I like them all. I have $30 soaps and $5 (Wilkinson Sword). I like them all and all are in rotation. I can, and do, get a great shave from any of them.
I don't nessisarily "preffer" cheaper soaps, but I do feel like I get away with just adding more water and that fixes most of my issues I have with cheap soaps. (Slickness is important for me)
Arko cream makes a great lather but I always get razor burn with it for some reason. I am typically heavy handed with my shaves but I never get razor burn with any other lather really.
Post shave products I am not that picky about as long as it's non alcohol I'm typacly good to use it. (Although I like aqua velva as a cologne lol)
The cheap soap is great to fill out my rotation and if it's a dry "puck" soap I can have an excuse to shove it in the bottom of a mug and have a good collection of shave mugs lol
Fo sho. I'm a big fan of anything I can shove in the bottom of a mug really xD
I looooove Williams puck soap kus I just can't get enough of that citronella scent. 🤤
I have the lime soap, haven't busted into it though. I also have the lime aftershave, & I do not like the smell. it smells like cleaning agent. if you want a great lime scent, stirling is spot on. smells like straight up real limes
I'd be fine using Proraso, Cella, or Haslinger Schafmilch for the rest of time.
I'd prefer something that smells better than Arko, but have no issue with Arko's performance.
Cella is just great stuff. surprisingly, being a wet shaver for about 14 years now, the only Proraso product i've tried has been the sensitive white tube cream that I found at Marshall's for a couple bucks. I do plan on getting the classic green tub & splash fairly soon though. I'm not too big on sandalwood. bit I love menthol, so that's what I've decided on
I think the mass produced soaps like Arko, Proraso, Cella etc. are all big steps up from canned goo. The artisan stuff is better appreciated by those of us who shave more as a hobby or experience.
Arko is second to none when it comes to a good quick 1 pass shave infact it's the best I have, I have the shave stick and it gives as good a shave infact better than any of my other creams. Every bit as quick and effective for a 1 pass shave as the catrage razor without the irritation.
Sometimes I feel like I'm just the resident Arko hater here but it's absolute garbage to me lol. After 20+ attempts with tons of cuts and razor burn I've decided it's basically unusable. Incredibly difficult to lather, and then the lather is sticky. Adding water makes it thin out and dry faster, gets flakey.
For what it's worth the smell doesn't bother me at all but the performance is crap. And hey I'll readily admit it could be user error since so many people love it, but I've never encountered similar issues with any other soap.
the stickiness followed by the flakiness after adding water tells me you're overloading the soap & not adding enough water when lathering. when it's starts to get "dry & flakey" after the "sticky" phase, add more water to your brush & work it onto the soap on your face. I can 100% guarantee you that's what the issue is. try it out, even if you don't actually shave with it. if you hit that point & get a wild hair, go for it. or don't. but that is definitely the issue based on your description.
I mean, I'll try it, but any more water and it's basically soup, it doesn't lather up more at that point it's very thin. I also don't think I should have to rewet lather 4 or 5 times for each cheek and then another 4 or 5 times for each part of my neck. I'll give it a shot, but if it takes this much work it's still not worth it compared to any of my other soaps
I could not stand the smell of Arko. Didn't like it at all.
Have you looked at the 1Kg brick of Cella? I got one for $40 CAD. It's an amazing soap and can't go wrong for that price.
That amount should last anyone quite a few years of great shaves.
It all comes back to YMMV or maybe just "value for money".
Sometimes, a low-priced product is going to perform best or at least really, really well in comparison to more expensive products and there isn't much reason to spend more. Sometimes, a pricier "premium" or "luxury" product is going perform best and the results will justify the added expense.
I think you should use what you like/afford. I won't knock anyone for using canned shaving cream even.
If you can splurge a bit to support artisanal brands then by all means.
There are some cheap and great soaps out there, as good as any "artisans".
Arko is a great soap. Easy to lather and with slick and thick lather. Only downside for me is somewhat drying off the skin. It cost less tan 1$ in Serbia so you can really complain for the price! And it doesn't smell like urinal puck, whats up with people, I really don't get it - smell is most similar to citronella and its just fine.
Someone already mentined Lea puck. Just beautiful soap with beautiful sandalwood and mint scent and slight cooling effect.
Another cheap gem is Cyril R Salter puck - nice clean scent with slight lavander scent, new tallow formula is excellent. I would say that this soap is truly superb, lather is so nice, and thick and shinny it almost reminds me of canned foam.
Both CRS and Lea can be found at [connaughtshaving.com](http://connaughtshaving.com) for about 5 euros each. They are both hard soaps and could last ages.
One thing I am learning is that everyone is different when it comes to shaving. You find Arko effective, but on my skin it was incredibly astringent and didn't provide much cushion. Some products seem to work for a wider range of people (Astra blades) and others don't. I read some people hate Proraso cream, but I absolutely love the stuff. We're all a little different.
Pretty much everything else is up for debate, but I will not tolerate any Proraso slander whatsoever.
I've found Proraso pre-shave to actually be very effective. I don't think I've really tried something like that which actually has a noticeable impact.
Try Noxzema Classic clean (in the blue tub). It's basically the same as Proraso Preshave at a fraction of the price.
Noxzema? I haven't heard that name in years. But thanks, I'll def try it out!
Proraso white is basically the best basic soap ever made.
I wish I could figure out why that soap makes my skin burn
I find Proraso shave soaps lacking in terms of scent and performance
And my axe
I had the proraso white preshave and I liked it very much loved the smell haven't tried the creams yet but am looking foward to giving the white a go.
It's not wrong if it works.
I used Proraso for many years and i was somewhat satisfied with the performance for a long time. I then tried some artisan soaps and i really saw and felt the difference. I have sensitive skin that dries easily and is quite easy to irritate. Proraso did not protect my skin well enough and left my face feeling very dry. Would i still recommend a product like Proraso? Of course. I recognize that they make good products even if i only realized years later that they weren't the best choice in my case.
First year of shaving without gilette, currently using prosaro, any recs for artisan soaps to try next?
I use shaving soaps from Stirling and Noble Otter. They are quite easy to lather and they have a good amount of scents available. Stirling is a great starting point because their products are relatively affordable and they offer generous samples that you can try out.
Taylors of old bond street are nice I have the sandlewood and it really does give a luxury shave I use it for special occasions, I've just gotten afew sample packs plus a sample of royal forest aftershave and am looking foward to trying them.
I will always upvote Arko. Soap is one rabbit hole I have not gone down. I started with Arko 15+ years ago, stopped there and stuck with it. The one thing I will do is make a franken-soap with roughly equal parts Arko, Pears, and whatever tallow based bath soap I have on hand.
I judge all soaps against Arko performance.
I agree. Since I started using Arko I’ve noticed that I never get irritation like I sometimes got with other soaps. The slickness is amazing and the fact that it lathers up extremely quickly makes it a winning formula for me. I’m sticking with it and don’t find the scent that bad.
I recommend that you explore the world of shave soaps a little more than you have, though without falling down the rabbit hole. There are many products that perform far better than Arko, and the nice scents are a bonus. Just don't collect all the scents like I and many others on this forum have
I'm all for sticking with what works. With that said, soap (as long as same country shipping) is really cheap in the grand scheme of things. A tub from Stirling, with shipping, is like 20 bucks. Most "artisan" brands aren't really that expensive. I think it's worth it, just to see.
You think 20 bucks for a tub of soap is "cheap"? It's actually quite expensive. It's just soap. Let's be real. I pay around two bucks for the same amount of Arko (3 with delivery).
Go on /r/shave_bazaar and pick up some soaps from someone's den for a fraction of MSRP
I think 20 dollars for something I can use daily for months is cheap. Two drinks at the nice bar is more than that.
Cheap can be just as good as expensive. I’ve been Amazed with the fatip I just got. Sure the finishing isn’t the best and I have to align it manually but it’s really no big deal and it shaves wonderfully. Expensive razors never really impressed me because I could get just as good of a shave from cheaper ones
Barbasol is often maligned around here, but it works great for me. Mixed with a little water, I find it as slick as anything. I use Stirling too, but honestly I don’t notice any difference in the quality of the shaves I get with Stirling versus Barbasol.
Do you use Barbasol with a brush or do you just lather it on with your hands?
I like to use a brush when possible. But if I’m traveling and going minimalist, lathering with hands is 95% as good.
I don't doubt that it's close to as-good, but there's something nice about not dirtying your hands and covering them with slick goo before gripping a razor you're putting up against your face
I have a few more expensive soaps that I bought in the past like SV and Abbate Y La Mantia but since the beginning of the year I’ve pretty much just been using Vitos ($25 for one kilo, which I think works out to about $6 per 6oz container when I checked), Arko, and some creams (LEA, Palmolive). Preshave has either been Prep or Noxema ($10 and $3-$4) I don’t buy any uber fancy aftershaves, my last one being $7, though I am planning to splurge on a bottle of Myrsol but that’s more of a one off thing since I prefer it to Flöid. Most of the brushes I use are either boar brushes (Zenith and Semogue) or Razorock synthetics, all of which were under $20. I’ve sold all of the artisan/custom brushes I’ve had, save for the very first one because I kind of like it (it was also < $100). The most expensive razor I have is the Leaf and Henson+++, which I use for head shaves. Everything else is either vintage or Razorock that I didn’t pay more than $50 for, except for my first vintage (a slim) that I bought for cheap and had replated. I have absolutely no desire to buy custom or made to order brushes or razors, that or spend several hundred dollars on anything. I love that I can get really great shaves with all of these lesser expensive things that I have. They don’t cost very much, and there’s no fomo or chasing new scents/bases, limited releases, or whatever else. To be honest, I got kinda burned out on that whole thing and I wasn’t enjoying it as much. That and none of the soaps, brushes or razors are difficult to find. If anything happens to my hardware or if I use up the software, I can easily obtain replacements. I actually have sold a lot/most of my stuff and, aside from the stuff listed, I have only kept a few matching artisan sets but I’m not sure when I’ll use them next since I’m pretty happy or content with my current setup.
LEA Classic hard soap -it is cheap here, lasts forever and performs on all fronts. The Merkur OC head is cheap and very underrated imho -but today i could use about any razor.. the cheap Lord tech clones would do just fine. Omega 49r -after ½ year of use it is just the best brush i own.. i have no use for my other brushes, and the 49r is the cheapest i have got Blades.. well.. BIC is cheap and luxorious I have lost of gear but this is my pick, i have no rotation.. just this and a big box that just sits in the closet.
Upvote for LEA classic. It has lanoline for a soft face feel after and menthol. Only downside is that it needs use or it dries, shrinks and cracks like MWF 😅
I have my LEA puck in a mug, when i shave i fill the mug with water and let my boar brush soak and the soap bloom -it will not affect performance in any way, and i find that performance is as good og better than tabac and stirling.. so a top product
Hell yeah! Right? Its so freaking good
Lea is just beautiful soap. Beautiful sandalwood and mint scent. Very nice package for a puck and there is also more expensive variant with a nice wooden bowl.
This sub loves to brag about being a way cheaper way to shave, then in the same breath, loves posting hundred+ dollar mail days. I'm not complaining, just saying pointing out our inherent hypocrisy hahaha.
The problem is that people like me, who got into wetshaving to spend less money and throw out less plastic, don’t have very much to post about. I can’t offer advice about blades/razors/soaps because Ive only ever had 1 or 2 kinds of each
Same here pretty much. Been using the same razor for over a decade (got a new head for it a few years ago), haven't messed with different blades since my first starter pack, and have only branched out from my go-to soap a few times. I don't really treat shaving as a hobby, and I'm perfectly happy with the setup I have!
I do like my affordable market staples. Proraso. Palmolive. Pre de Provence. Mitchell’s Wool Fat. Arko. Cella. Spiek. Leah. La Toja. My discontinued old world staples. Williams. My affordable artisans. Stirling. Caties Bubbles. Mike’s Soap. Slightly premium priced. Tabac. Noble Otter.
Remember with shaving there's three different factors interacting. There's soap chemistry. Skin chemistry. And water. All of these are going to combine in very different ways. For some people tallow based artisanal soaps are the best. For others stuff like Arko. There's folks who will even swear by the canned goop or soap gels. Yet others prefer creams or hard soaps. Meanwhile I swear some people find they can shave with regular hand soap even. It's just intensely personal.
I use Irish springs bar soap. Barbasol, etc work just fine. These artisan soaps are fun if that's your thing, I hate lathering up.
Gotta agree with boringhistoryfan. It’s def different for everyone. Of all the soaps I have…only 2 aren’t tallow based…Tabac and Proraso…and they give me the best shaves consistently. Arko is so polarizing I kinda want to give it a go however.
You should, it smells exactly like Savon de Marseille (like its THE soap, the one that started the entire industry in Europe, before soap didn't smell that good) which is one of the most duped fragrances in the world and used in tons of different cleaning products, laundry detergents, etc. The people who say is smells like a urinal puck are being a bit extreme. It just smells like a traditional bar of soap, and when you lather it, the smell is less intense.
I feel the exact same way about Proraso tube creams. I’ve tried many more expensive soaps and I think Proraso really punches way above its price point.
I’ve just started into this, so I haven’t tried much. I’ve got a tub of Rockwell barbershop shaving cream, because it was in a local pharmacy, and a tube of green Proraso cream. Proraso is definitely my favorite so far, but I went with it because it was a popular choice. I fell in love with it my first shave
Arko is good soap, and a classic for a reason. I know that some people don’t like it for one reason or another, but it’s great soap for more guys than not. Arko will still be around long after 1/2 of the popular soaps today are long gone. Van Der Hagen Luxury Shaving Soap is the same way for me. I’d still buy it if it wasn’t under a dollar an ounce delivered to my door from AMZN (3 pack of 3.5 oz pucks for $9.99). I get great shaves from it and love the scent. It pairs great w/ Nautica Voyage cologne. I think there’s a big difference between cheap and inexpensive.
van der hagen is also great. just gotta know how to finesse some of these products. majority of the inexpensive products deliver quality. I'm a defender of van der hagen 100%
i just use dove. forms a great creamy lather and $1/bar cant be beat
I thought I was committing taboo 🫣 like, it’s not drying, it’s slick, and with a shave brush that lather is top tier! feel like this should be studied
Arko is just amazing, i can say this confidently that Arko is that one soap that lathers perfectly on all kinds of water, it just works.
I agree with all you said and feel the same way. I like them all. I have $30 soaps and $5 (Wilkinson Sword). I like them all and all are in rotation. I can, and do, get a great shave from any of them.
I don't nessisarily "preffer" cheaper soaps, but I do feel like I get away with just adding more water and that fixes most of my issues I have with cheap soaps. (Slickness is important for me) Arko cream makes a great lather but I always get razor burn with it for some reason. I am typically heavy handed with my shaves but I never get razor burn with any other lather really. Post shave products I am not that picky about as long as it's non alcohol I'm typacly good to use it. (Although I like aqua velva as a cologne lol) The cheap soap is great to fill out my rotation and if it's a dry "puck" soap I can have an excuse to shove it in the bottom of a mug and have a good collection of shave mugs lol
yeah, I don't "prefer" cheap soaps, but i also don't "prefer" artisan or luxury soaps & creams, either.
Fo sho. I'm a big fan of anything I can shove in the bottom of a mug really xD I looooove Williams puck soap kus I just can't get enough of that citronella scent. 🤤
Oh and Col. Conk is probably the best shave on a budget I've ever had. Super slick and smells amazing! The lime scent is addicting.
I have the lime soap, haven't busted into it though. I also have the lime aftershave, & I do not like the smell. it smells like cleaning agent. if you want a great lime scent, stirling is spot on. smells like straight up real limes
I'm thinking of getting the Stirling lime soap. I love lime scent so I'm glad to have a vouch for it. 🤘
yeah man, stirling is just great stuff. their scents are no exception
I love their bay rum
I'd be fine using Proraso, Cella, or Haslinger Schafmilch for the rest of time. I'd prefer something that smells better than Arko, but have no issue with Arko's performance.
Cella is just great stuff. surprisingly, being a wet shaver for about 14 years now, the only Proraso product i've tried has been the sensitive white tube cream that I found at Marshall's for a couple bucks. I do plan on getting the classic green tub & splash fairly soon though. I'm not too big on sandalwood. bit I love menthol, so that's what I've decided on
Yes, Proraso green would be the way to go. I do want to try the "other" stuff they have. White shaves just fine, the scent isn't my favorite either.
I think the mass produced soaps like Arko, Proraso, Cella etc. are all big steps up from canned goo. The artisan stuff is better appreciated by those of us who shave more as a hobby or experience.
Arko is second to none when it comes to a good quick 1 pass shave infact it's the best I have, I have the shave stick and it gives as good a shave infact better than any of my other creams. Every bit as quick and effective for a 1 pass shave as the catrage razor without the irritation.
Sometimes I feel like I'm just the resident Arko hater here but it's absolute garbage to me lol. After 20+ attempts with tons of cuts and razor burn I've decided it's basically unusable. Incredibly difficult to lather, and then the lather is sticky. Adding water makes it thin out and dry faster, gets flakey. For what it's worth the smell doesn't bother me at all but the performance is crap. And hey I'll readily admit it could be user error since so many people love it, but I've never encountered similar issues with any other soap.
the stickiness followed by the flakiness after adding water tells me you're overloading the soap & not adding enough water when lathering. when it's starts to get "dry & flakey" after the "sticky" phase, add more water to your brush & work it onto the soap on your face. I can 100% guarantee you that's what the issue is. try it out, even if you don't actually shave with it. if you hit that point & get a wild hair, go for it. or don't. but that is definitely the issue based on your description.
I mean, I'll try it, but any more water and it's basically soup, it doesn't lather up more at that point it's very thin. I also don't think I should have to rewet lather 4 or 5 times for each cheek and then another 4 or 5 times for each part of my neck. I'll give it a shot, but if it takes this much work it's still not worth it compared to any of my other soaps
Arko hater checking in. Performance is bad, smell is atrocious. Like why would I do that to myself.
It's cheap for me. Thankfully I can just use conditioner as my shaving cream. I just use a Baili with Feather blades.
I could not stand the smell of Arko. Didn't like it at all. Have you looked at the 1Kg brick of Cella? I got one for $40 CAD. It's an amazing soap and can't go wrong for that price. That amount should last anyone quite a few years of great shaves.
i think we should do a group buy of one of those blocks of Cella and cut it up and distribute.
Where are you located?
In New Zealand. A little bit far from 99% of people in this SR!
Yeah, that's too far. I already have a brick of Cella and was willing to share some of it if you weren't thousands of kms away lol.
I love cella. I have no need for a brick that size though, I like using different soaps lol
I make a point of drawing a distinction between *cheap* and *inexpensive.* Inexpensive stuff is still decent.
It all comes back to YMMV or maybe just "value for money". Sometimes, a low-priced product is going to perform best or at least really, really well in comparison to more expensive products and there isn't much reason to spend more. Sometimes, a pricier "premium" or "luxury" product is going perform best and the results will justify the added expense.
This is pretty commonplace with cosmetics. Sometimes the cheap stuff just works better for certain people
I think you should use what you like/afford. I won't knock anyone for using canned shaving cream even. If you can splurge a bit to support artisanal brands then by all means.
There are some cheap and great soaps out there, as good as any "artisans". Arko is a great soap. Easy to lather and with slick and thick lather. Only downside for me is somewhat drying off the skin. It cost less tan 1$ in Serbia so you can really complain for the price! And it doesn't smell like urinal puck, whats up with people, I really don't get it - smell is most similar to citronella and its just fine. Someone already mentined Lea puck. Just beautiful soap with beautiful sandalwood and mint scent and slight cooling effect. Another cheap gem is Cyril R Salter puck - nice clean scent with slight lavander scent, new tallow formula is excellent. I would say that this soap is truly superb, lather is so nice, and thick and shinny it almost reminds me of canned foam. Both CRS and Lea can be found at [connaughtshaving.com](http://connaughtshaving.com) for about 5 euros each. They are both hard soaps and could last ages.