Arko shave stick - wow!

[tomstephens89]

Just figured I’d share a quick tip/pic on lathering up my new favourite soap… The famous Arko shave stick.

I started using this soap after receiving a free sample and began by applying the a wet stick to a wet face, followed by building a face lather with a wet brush. This produces an excellent thick lather, the thickest I have ever seen, but it definitely benefits from a stiffer brush such as a plain old boar, or a quality synthetic such as a Simpson’s Chubby 2 Synthetic or Omega 49.

However I wanted to give the bowl a go to see just how good of an experience I can have with this soap.
Using my Grutti stainless bowl, I rubbed a wet soap stick round the bottom of the bowl so there was a good amount of soap stuck to the inside, then with a wet brush went to work.

Within 2 minutes I was met with a glorious thick lather, no added water needed at all.
Fantastic! Highly recommended.

 

[mcgruff]

I don't think I've ever mixed a lather that thick with Arko!

I'm usually going for maximum slickness, ie as wet a lather as I can possibly make it so it doesn't get quite so dense and creamy.

 

[tomstephens89]

The above pics were actually just me pissing about with it, but I just had a shave and lathered up the arko in the bowl. To my surprise, even though it looked like the above, trying to get it to build thick on my face out of the bowl was disappointing.

So I rinsed off and applied the stick directly to face and was immediately able to whip it up into a thick sticky lather as before.

Probably my technique or a rush job, but as I don't want to spend 10 minutes making my arm ache with a brush in a bowl, the face lathering was wayyyy better.

Anyone else feel similar? I have tried bowl lathering a couple of soaps, and I never get results vs face lathering.

 

[donnie_arko]

The above pics were actually just me pissing about with it, but I just had a shave and lathered up the arko in the bowl. To my surprise, even though it looked like the above, trying to get it to build thick on my face out of the bowl was disappointing.

So I rinsed off and applied the stick directly to face and was immediately able to whip it up into a thick sticky lather as before.

Probably my technique or a rush job, but as I don't want to spend 10 minutes making my arm ache with a brush in a bowl, the face lathering was wayyyy better.

Anyone else feel similar? I have tried bowl lathering a couple of soaps, and I never get results vs face lathering.

Yes likewise. I get a much better shave if I face lather opposed to bowl lathering.

When I'm using a shaving stick I've recently been loading a little less soap, and building the lather to quite a thick one, then I keep on adding water to the point it is just about to fall off my face. I find those lathers might not look the best but I get the best results in the shave.

 

[ATG]

I'm another face latherer. Never had a bowl so used to face lather. I find it easy and to me its part of the bristles softening process.
Received a bowl as a gift and gave it a go but I will still continue face lathering, using a bowl is not for me.

 

[tomstephens89]

Yes likewise. I get a much better shave if I face lather opposed to bowl lathering.

When I'm using a shaving stick I've recently been loading a little less soap, and building the lather to quite a thick one, then I keep on adding water to the point it is just about to fall off my face. I find those lathers might not look the best but I get the best results in the shave.

I'm another face latherer. Never had a bowl so used to face lather. I find it easy and to me its part of the bristles softening process.
Received a bowl as a gift and gave it a go but I will still continue face lathering, using a bowl is not for me.

Im glad I’m not the only one that can’t get on with the whole bowl process. When I started shaving with a safety, I bought a nice Parker silver tip brush, but quickly moved onto a Simpsons Chubby 2 Synthetic which has been my go to for the past year or so. The second brush on my list is the regular old Omega 49 boar.

I swear the silver tip is just too soft sometimes. Rather than a ‘brush’ effect where you can feel the bristles working, it seems to just go all ‘matted’ like a lump of fur. Which… I suppose it is.

 

[donnie_arko]

Im glad I’m not the only one that can’t get on with the whole bowl process. When I started shaving with a safety, I bought a nice Parker silver tip brush, but quickly moved onto a Simpsons Chubby 2 Synthetic which has been my go to for the past year or so. The second brush on my list is the regular old Omega 49 boar.

I swear the silver tip is just too soft sometimes. Rather than a ‘brush’ effect where you can feel the bristles working, it seems to just go all ‘matted’ like a lump of fur. Which… I suppose it is.

I'm not really a fan of a soft fluffy cloud for a brush, mainly when it comes to down to synths or a few boars (I can't really speak for badgers, as I only used one once) and prefer a scrubby boar for face feel, especially for using a shaving stick, can't go wrong with an Omega boar!

 

[Richardvc]

I tried an Arko shave stick for the first time this morning and have been blown away by how good it was.

Wet stick, applied to a wet face and then brushed in using a boar brush.

Great lather and more than enough to do two passes.

I watched a Geofatboy video to learn how to do it and nailed it first time. Really, really chuffed

One thing though, can you buy a dispenser/plastic tube for the stick rather than just have it with paper wrapped around it ?

 

[tomstephens89]

I tried an Arko shave stick for the first time this morning and have been blown away by how good it was.

Wet stick, applied to a wet face and then brushed in using a boar brush.

Great lather and more than enough to do two passes.

I watched a Geofatboy video to learn how to do it and nailed it first time. Really, really chuffed

One thing though, can you buy a dispenser/plastic tube for the stick rather than just have it with paper wrapped around it ?

You can find the twist up containers and slot a stick into one yes. Or you can press the soap into a bowl and load the brush in the bowl.

Im still on my first stick and have just left it in its paper, with the bit I’m using left exposed. You think the paper will get soggy and wet but it doesn’t.

 

[mcgruff]

Boots sell a small shave stick which can be refilled easily with Arko. Or grab a Dr Harris / Muhle stick you can re-use when it's empty. Arko is a "hard" soap but still soft enough to re-mould easily.

 

[donnie_arko]

Boots sell a small shave stick which can be refilled easily with Arko. Or grab a Dr Harris / Muhle stick you can re-use when it's empty. Arko is a "hard" soap but still soft enough to re-mould easily.

The Arko stick is 75g, Boots is 50g, the Arko one is bigger. The Boots one does fit other 50g ones like Palmolive.

The Nivea stick is the same size, and that'd be my choice for a repurposed Arko container.

For my Arko stick I peeled off most of the paper aside from a bit at the bottom which I wrapped in foil and that does the job.

 

[pjgh]

Don't forget to grab a stick of Derby as well ... very similar lather with a different kind of cleaning product citrus scent.

 

[tomstephens89]

The Arko stick is 75g, Boots is 50g, the Arko one is bigger. The Boots one does fit other 50g ones like Palmolive.

The Nivea stick is the same size, and that'd be my choice for a repurposed Arko container.

For my Arko stick I peeled off most of the paper aside from a bit at the bottom which I wrapped in foil and that does the job.

What sticks do you reccomend for their containers? I’d like one for my Arko.

 

[donnie_arko]

What sticks do you reccomend for their containers? I’d like one for my Arko.

You can get a twist up container from Maggards for Arko, or if you see the Nivea stick on sale for cheap, sometimes pound shops or chemists have them for a few quid.

 

[tomstephens89]

You can get a twist up container from Maggards for Arko, or if you see the Nivea stick on sale for cheap, sometimes pound shops or chemists have them for a few quid.

Winner winner chicken dinner:

Empty 75ml White Plastic Deodorant-stick Bottles *Any Amount* | eBay

Empty 75ml White Plastic Deodorant-Stic. Whatever your needs these bottles will give a quality, attractive and versatile finish to the product. Simply turn the disc at the bottom of the bottle and your deo stick will be dispensed, turn in the opposite direction to retract the deo stick.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Richardvc]

Don't forget to grab a stick of Derby as well ... very similar lather with a different kind of cleaning product citrus scent.

Just bought one