Sorry if this has been discussed before guys, but I have a question about the Arko shave soap stick. I found a box of the stuff at a discount store, and went ahead and bought myself 2 sticks for a $1.18. I never tried it before, but it seems like it's well known for being cheap and creating a good lather...true? Anyway I know you're supposed to apply it to the cheeks then use the brush to continue to lather it. My question is can I cut a piece of soap off the stick and put it in my lather bowl and melt it? I tried the microwave for 1 minute but was too scared to continue as it was bubbling almost out of my bowl. So anyone got any tips or tricks on how to make the stick fit into the bowl and somehow melt?
? about Arko
- Thread starter Razorburn92
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A lot of people are just pushing the stick into the bowl. It's quite soft at room temperature.
You can also shave a thin slice with a knife and put it in the bowl for bowl lathering. You don't need much.
Do not microwave or melt. Use a cheese grater and then put the shavings into the bowl/mug.
Microwave will work with some glycerin soaps but not with tallow soaps. The cheese grater works with all soaps. If in doubt, always use the cheese grater. You can ruin a good soap in the microwave.
You may try the face lather technique as well. I find that Arko is quite easy to lather that way and easier to travel with in stick form.
Arko works very well. I just pressed mine into a small glass bowl and use it like any other soap.
You can also load off the stick too.
- Thread starter
- #8
Okay thanks guys. I won't use the microwave anymore. I made lunch today and my food had a slight soapy taste to it lol...wonder where that came from. 
I'll just use a knife and slice a piece off to put in my bowl. I gotta be honest though I don't really care for the smell of this stuff. Smells kinda funny....how about you guys?
I'll just use a knife and slice a piece off to put in my bowl. I gotta be honest though I don't really care for the smell of this stuff. Smells kinda funny....how about you guys?
Slice it like a salami. Press into bowl. Lather and enjoy.
i've lathered shave sticks in a mug too, works just fine!
You can remove that smell from your microwave by wiping down the insides with a sponge, then put in a cup with about 4oz of vinegar. Turn the microwave on High and let the vinegar boil for a minute or so. It will clean that smell right out, but you might need to repeat the boiling 2 or 3 times (using fresh solution each time) if you haven't cleaned it for a while. Afterwards, boil some water in there for about 5 minutes to soften up the vinegar smell.Okay thanks guys. I won't use the microwave anymore. I made lunch today and my food had a slight soapy taste to it lol...wonder where that came from.
When you cook anything in the microwave, keep a small cup filled with baking soda tucked back in the corner. It will absorb the odors. Stir up the baking soda every couple of days and replace it once a month. Pour the old powder down your kitchen drain.
Some people say that Arko smells like a urinal puck, and then others think that the soap smells like urine. But it doesn't.
I like the smell of Arko. To me, it smells clean, fresh, and lemony. Its about as close as you can get to that "Traditional Barbershop Scent" that everybody knows but nobody can define.
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I grate it, heat it slightly, then add an essential oil, for smell. Then I mix it all up, like Play-doh, and press it into the bottom of a Ziploc 1 pint found plastic container. Perfect size for loading a brush.
Use a cheese grater. You can also buy it on ebay in tub form but it is more expensive.
I just take mine, stand it up in the centre, and knuckle it down then smooth-en it out with my thumb.
There are many ways to use it, including in a bowl lather. If I particularly feel like bowl-lathering a soap stick, I use a thumbnail to peel off a long thin fleck of it, and maybe mince that fleck into yet smaller segments. The mass of the fleck should be about the same as that of an almond, just like with cream, but obviously it will be shaped differently. Wet the brush, shake once. Stir the Arko fleck with the wet brush, adding drops of water as needed. You can also mix the fleck with a little cream. If you want to get a head start, you can fleck off the Arko and soak it in a few drops of water, like while you are in the shower or even let it moisten overnight.
I've done something like this with some sticks, and Arko's soft enough to do it. No need to grate. I've also stuffed pucks into a tube to make a stick. Some soaps are too hard and won't cooperate. At least not without using a much bigger fist.
Arko? They still make that stuff?
Even if they stopped making it, most of us have enough stockpiled to last the rest of our lives.
Just curious, why not use it as intended?
Me personally, I get a better shave while face lathering, and Arko is my go to when my face is feeling a little tender/irritated.
As far as the smell ... I do get the urinal puck smell at first ... but I always leave my open stick out, and now it smells very much like Ivory soap
Me personally, I get a better shave while face lathering, and Arko is my go to when my face is feeling a little tender/irritated.
As far as the smell ... I do get the urinal puck smell at first ... but I always leave my open stick out, and now it smells very much like Ivory soap
