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Changing Arko Fragrance?

That wretched Arko scent hangs onto everything it touches like grim death. Get out now while you can before your wife and your dog leave you, your truck breaks down, and your boss fires you. :001_tongu

Besides, should you really have to air out a soap for a couple weeks before you can use it?

Amen!
 
I just bought my first ever Arko stick. When it arrived, I eagerly unwrapped it to smell its fragrance. I immediately started laughing because everything I had read about the scent finally made sense. While not objectionable, it's just silly to think someone actually thought, "Yup, men will love rubbing this industrial cleaner scent all over their face."

Perception of scent is a funny thing. I'm sure the fragrance was acceptable (or irrelevant) for the audience Evyap developed this product for in 19xx (70's? not sure). While most modern wetshavers on this forum may not be crazy about the scent - I suspect it's not a big enough market opportunity for Evyap to care about.
 
If you don't like the scent let it air out and it will just smell like soap. You can melt it in the Microwave nice and slow till it is liquid then add your favorite AS or cologne to it, stir and let it set back up.
 
I'll preface this by saying I've successfully put Clubman Pinaud AS into VDH deluxe by microwaving it in short 5 seconds blasts, adding about tablespoon's worth of Clubman, mixing it and letting it cool.

So I intended to mix Mandom and Arko. Thought it would be a nice mixture of scents.
So here we go!

$photo 1.JPG

This is after the first burst of about 5 secs. Funny, this doesn't look like it's melting at all, definitely not like the VDH
$photo 2-1.JPG




A couple more seconds and a little bit of stirring....
$photo 3.JPG


And I put in some Mandom and starting trying to mix and this is what I got. :scared:

$photo 4.JPG


So, this is one way NOT to try and defunk Arko.

For the record, I don't mind the scent of Arko, actually used it on my shave today.
 
I let one stick air out and grated it, then I mixed it with one tube of old spice cream, put it in a mug with a ceramic lid and let it sit for a week. It's the best soap ever, lathers like a dream and smells like heaven.
 
I'll preface this by saying I've successfully put Clubman Pinaud AS into VDH deluxe by microwaving it in short 5 seconds blasts, adding about tablespoon's worth of Clubman, mixing it and letting it cool.

So I intended to mix Mandom and Arko. Thought it would be a nice mixture of scents.
So here we go!

View attachment 383107

This is after the first burst of about 5 secs. Funny, this doesn't look like it's melting at all, definitely not like the VDH
View attachment 383102




A couple more seconds and a little bit of stirring....
View attachment 383104


And I put in some Mandom and starting trying to mix and this is what I got. :scared:

View attachment 383105


So, this is one way NOT to try and defunk Arko.

For the record, I don't mind the scent of Arko, actually used it on my shave today.

Looks like stinky mashed taters...
 
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When I bought my arko shave stick, the packaging was kind of sub-par and the stick was split into 3/4 and 1/4 chunk. I left the 3/4 as it was and mushed the 1/4 into a shaving bowl.

If you want, I'll try microwaving it and adding an AS into it to see how it works. I'll post the results here for everyone.

Microwaving makes a terrible mess. Use a double boiler instead.

But the OP should try Derby. I swear they come out if the same factory. The only difference is the perfume.
 
I let one stick air out and grated it, then I mixed it with one tube of old spice cream, put it in a mug with a ceramic lid and let it sit for a week. It's the best soap ever, lathers like a dream and smells like heaven.

Thanks for the tip. I'm going to try this. I don't mind the smell of Arko, but it would be cool to try anyway. Especially since I like Old Spice.

For those microwaving Arko - I've read again and again that tallow-based soaps, like Arko, must not be melted, it changes the soap, and not for the better - it supposedly ruins the soap. For tallow-based soaps, you are supposed to grate them, *not* microwave them.

Thanks again for the tip.
 
This is after the first burst of about 5 secs. Funny, this doesn't look like it's melting at all, definitely not like the VDH

VDH is Vegetable-based. Vegetable-based soaps are safe/ok to microwave. Tallow-based soaps, like Arko, are ruined when you microwave them.
Just a heads-up. Hope this helps.
 
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VDH is glycerin-based. Glycerin-based soaps are safe/ok to microwave. Tallow-based soaps, like Arko, are ruined when you microwave them.
Just a heads-up. Hope this helps.

I'm glad I figured this out with cheap arko and not my tabac. Thanks for explaining the difference. :)
 
I'm glad I figured this out with cheap arko and not my tabac. Thanks for explaining the difference. :)

No problem. Glad to be able to help. And I should have said 'Vegetable-based', not 'Glycerin-based'. Sorry about that.

Take care, and happy shaving ;-)
 
After three shaves with Arko this week, I switched to De Vergulde Hand (I found a stick tucked away in my closet). Conclusion; DVH is just as good as Arko (YMMV).

So, if you don't like the Arko scent, DVH may be a good alternative. Btw, it is just as water hungry as Arko!
 
You can only melt a soap that is made through the melt and pour process. Most of the the translucent veggie based soaps are like this. Think Mamma Bear's, Col. Conk, VDH, etc. Arko can't be melted. You'll just ruin it trying.
 
Microwaving makes a terrible mess. Use a double boiler instead.

But the OP should try Derby. I swear they come out if the same factory. The only difference is the perfume.

Derby has better scent than Arko. Besides they are not made by Evyap, fyi.
 
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