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Say hello to those Shave Sticks (All Turkish shave sticks reviewed)

Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".
Staff member
I got a parcel today. I don't order much usually but Shave Sticks are my thing and I would like to try as much as I can. Here's a lot that I got and did not try yet.

Left to right:

$Shave Stick Family.jpg

Arko is probably the most popular of the lot. Derby is often compared to Arko and Tweex seems to be starting on the market. The other two, I never heard...
 
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The Camelot guy looks pretty shady! :lol: Derby is an excellent stick. (To me) it provides the same lather as Arko, but with a much less polarizing smell!
 
I was thinking the same thing about Camelot. And I thought the GZD was just vintage arko from a time when toothy smiles (and eyebrow wax) were out of style.
 
I'm anxious to read your reviews.
I haven't tried Camelot, but of the remaining four, I prefer Arko, with GZD coming in a close second.
Tweex is too perfumey.
Jury's still out on Derby. It lathers well, but I'm not sold on the scent.
 
Luc, I am shocked to learn that this is your first stick of Arko.

Anyway it should be an interesting comparison. Which one is first?
 

rockviper

I got moves like Jagger
You're giving new meaning to the term "Turkish Delight" :biggrin1:
Where did you pick up the Camelot from?
 
I enjoy sticks also, especially in the summer months.

Looking forward to your reviews of the lesser know products
 
Haven't tried the Camelot,but to get a cardboard carton with a Turkish prisoner taking a shave ,it's worth every penny ! so far I put GZD Berber as #1 out of the others,that stick is bombs away for huge billows of good ,rich ,thick and super easy to create lather,and smells just like arko,the derby smells like arko and lemon...
 

Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".
Staff member
It's should be a good review IMO... I will try to compare to what I know (La Toja, Palmolive Euro, Palmolive Australia).

Luc, I am shocked to learn that this is your first stick of Arko.

Anyway it should be an interesting comparison. Which one is first?

Yes, I had the Arko for a while but never opened it. I've been busy with my vintage Palmolive that had tallow... I have no idea which one should go first. I think I should take some notes and use them for a week at the time to get a good base...

You're giving new meaning to the term "Turkish Delight" :biggrin1:
Where did you pick up the Camelot from?

eBay was where I got the Camelot. I didn't get it for the cheapest price (I'm sure) but the seller combined all the sticks into 1 lot so it was easier for both of us.
 
What does Derby smell like?

Phil

Derby has a strong laundry detergent-like scent. But it doesn't seem to fade much with time.
Unlike Arko and GZD which are quite strong when opened, but dissipate considerably after being exposed to air for a while.
They become quite mild and pleasant.
 
The Camelot guy looks pretty shady! :lol: Derby is an excellent stick. (To me) it provides the same lather as Arko, but with a much less polarizing smell!

Yeah, he looks like the guy that drives up to you in mall parking lots and says he has brand new stereo equipment for sale.
 
Luc,
I bought a similar lot of sticks off Ebay too, and the seller did combine shipping for me. I guess I'll have my work cut out as I test some new shave sticks. I read a few posts saying the Derby performed well, and I already like Arko quite a bit.
 

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
Luc, I've never heard of the Camelot. Where does it come from? And could you post the ingredients list along with some lather pics please?
 

Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".
Staff member
Here's something to start with... The Camelot shave stick as it seems to be the 'mystery' stick... I can start shaving with this one if everyone is curious. I was going to do 1 week with Arko first and base the other sticks on it to compare as most (except me so far) used Arko.

Anyways...

The shave stick is from Turkey. It's made by Adnan Akat cosmetics in Istanbul (www.aakozmetik.com). Standard 75 grams stick and it's good for 12 months (sure, sure)...
$Camelot shave stick Turkey.JPG

Camelot Shaving Soap ensures a comfortable easy shave forms a luxurious lather.

The ingredients list: Potassium Stearete, sodiumstearate, Potassium Tallowate, Potassium Cocoate, Aqua, Sodium Tallowate, Parfum, Sodium Cocoate, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, Citronellol, Coumarin, Alpha-Isomethylionone, Benzyl Salicylate, Geraniol, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Isoeugenol, Benzyl Alcohol, Citral, Eugenol.
$Camelot shave stick ingredients.JPG

Finally, Here's the stick once I take it out of the box. No wrapper, nothing. The stick is shipped like that in the box (like GZD). It's a bit disappointing to be honest as a wrapper is better than this IMO...
$Camelot shave stick.JPG

Now the scent... The ingredient list says citronella but this doesn't smell like citronella like Arko. The soap is soft like Arko, I can press it and leave my fingerprints in it easily. It feels like a piece of fat about to melt in my fingers (Seriously). My fingers were oily after I took the picture... It's not that hot here... yet... Back to the scent. There's a bit of citrus, a bit of, mmm, can't put my finger on it. I know that scent... I cannot figure it out right now. It's nothing offensive or too strong. When I use it, the scent will probably be stronger a bit.

No lather pictures yet, I will take some when I do my tests before I shave.
 
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