Review ARKO Shaving Soap Stick smells like ... What ?

Well mine arrived on Tuesday and i have used it twice now, to be honest i don't know what all the noise is about, i don't think it has a really strong scent to it at all, certainly not like a urinal cake. it smells fine maybe a bit like a barber shop, maybe medicinal but has a real "bar of soap" type of smell. it is certainly not in my Top 5 soaps but it is definitely not an offensive smell, i was actually a little disappointed i was expecting this nightmare smell when i opened the package.
i don't think the smell hangs around but i have been leaving the bar on the bathroom shelf to dry out and my wife says it is really strong and very medicinal, she doesn't hate it but does prefer my Arctic Mango.

All in all, thank you @King of Authentic Shave for the sample unfortunately i don't think it will become an everyday soap for me as i have been spoiled by some of the artisan products around here. But in years to come when another newbie, searches for "arko" this thread may help them to decide.
 
eggbert said:
Good job @borked put you down for a dozen then.
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Arrived yesterday;
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OK, here I go.

I've used the Arko stick my last 2 shaves. I usually shave every second day so Thursday and this morning.
I could smell the soap through the packaging. Not an unpleasant smell, certainly didn't smell like a men's toilet to me.
However, the citric scent is certainly one which is manufactured. Maybe along the same vein as dish washing liquid?
Anyway, after wetting my face on Thursday I rubbed the Arko stick over my face - then a bit more.
Then I face lathered like normal, and had heaps of lather!
Needed to add a little water a couple of times along the way, nothing unusual for any of my soaps.
This morning I also washed my face with some Pears translucent soap before lathering.
After Thursday's effort, I rubbed the stick on my face a little less than Thursday.
I was still rewarded with plenty of lather for my three pass shave.

So I'm not sure where the "Urinal cake" talk has come from. Maybe it's from people with less sensitive scent receptors?
It certainly has a scent that is manufactured, maybe this contributes to the negative talk.
I found the soap quite good to shave with. It was protective, slick enough and did not cause me any more problems than any other soap I've used.
It probably doesn't have that residual slickness where you can quickly wet your face and rely on the remaining soap to quickly touch up a spot on your face.
All in all, I feel that Arko is quite an acceptable soap. I don't think I will be buying a dozen sticks at a time, but it is certainly a good option as a travel soap - especially for the price. I think that this and a decent synthetic brush would be very formidable out and about.
 
Good review, @Normie . You pretty much sum things up when it comes to Arko. I think some of the negativity is overstated but you've done a good job of describing what Arko really is.
 
no urinal pucks arrived my way yet.....

...and here I was quivering at the imminent arrival of the Gestarko

 
Lifes a Peach said:
Good review, @Normie . You pretty much sum things up when it comes to Arko. I think some of the negativity is overstated but you've done a good job of describing what Arko really is.
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Why is there still no unlike button here :D
 
Normie said:
So I'm not sure where the "Urinal cake" talk has come from.
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If you think about it and I believe this error could happen by mistake during the production when making Arko soap, and it possible someone could've taken a leak by mistake you know ;):whistle:
Oops! sorry did someone say it smell like Urinal cake ;) mistake do happen in a factory ;)
 
Look, I've been advocatus diaboli for arko in the past, but truly, even for a travel soap there are better sticks out there (I recently got a la toja stick which is vastly superior to arko in every way), creams in tubes, sample size jars, all of which can be used with your favourite synthetic brush to have a nice shave on the road.
 
thisISjoel said:
Look, I've been advocatus diaboli for arko in the past, but truly, even for a travel soap there are better sticks out there (I recently got a la toja stick which is vastly superior to arko in every way), creams in tubes, sample size jars, all of which can be used with your favourite synthetic brush to have a nice shave on the road.
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No doubt there are "better"soaps and sticks out there. However the Arko was definitely not a bad soap. And the performance was more than acceptable.
 
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