did arko in the red tub get discontinued?
- Thread starter jonwilson
- Start date
I read that the puck was an one off and is not in constant production. It also seems to be a slow mover. In 2021 I got them for EUR 5.00 now they are at 11.99 but still available which is crazy but could point to limited remaining stock.
I heard the same thing as @Multum in parvo , that the Arko pucks were a one-off for a special promotional event. Not so sure about that now as subsequent to hearing that I ordered a couple from Connaught Shaving in late 2022 that had completely different manufacturing & use-by dates than my first puck indicating either multiple batches or ongoing production.
Here in the U.S. they have always been pricey relative to the sticks at $5-$10 each versus a dollar or two for the sticks. Currently on Amazon for $7.99. Connaught had them for 2 British Pounds each (around $2.30-2.40 U.S. based on exchange rates back then) back in '22. They were out-of-stock there for well over a year and recently Connaught delisted both the Arko shave pucks and sticks. Overall they've always been harder to find than the sticks. Hard to tell if just made in occasional batches or if actually discontinued.
My recommendation would be to grab a box of Arko sticks (currently $14.99 on Amazon). The are malleable and can, with some effort, be formed into pucks. Either warm them with your hands and mold like clay or cut them into slices and press together. I use the former method to turn my sticks into pucks. Works really well just like the pucks.
I got a Baker’s dozen back then and am still on puck No.1 as I use it only for Arko August.
They fit nicely in an OS mug.
2025.01.05@0815z
So,
atm, I'm doing some post-holiday shopping and Connaught's website serves a 404 (no such page) to the index links for the Arko stick and 90 gm tub.
Hopefully it's just a holiday rush supply chain depletion (which is more likely than you think), aka, "We'll get Dad/Uncle/FIL that soap he always uses as a stocking stuffer."
Holiday spending patterns are a supply chain engineers nightmare.
/Acey
So,
atm, I'm doing some post-holiday shopping and Connaught's website serves a 404 (no such page) to the index links for the Arko stick and 90 gm tub.
Hopefully it's just a holiday rush supply chain depletion (which is more likely than you think), aka, "We'll get Dad/Uncle/FIL that soap he always uses as a stocking stuffer."
Holiday spending patterns are a supply chain engineers nightmare.
/Acey
Connaught has been out-of-stock on both Arko soaps for well over a year so this is not a temporary holiday glitch. Removal from their website indicates that they are no longer carrying the product. Best bet is to order a box of sticks from Amazon for $14.99 U.S.
So, another collectable to go along with old Williams stock...
I bought a kitchen cheese grater for just this purpose. Grate up a stick of Arko and press it into a bowl. Perfect. It's also how I've made "Fatbac" in the past. Take leftover MWF and Tabac remnants, grate them up and press it all together. Interesting mix and incredible slickness.
Arko is versitile. I've also grated it for my custom soap blends. It's also malleable allowing the sticks to be formed into pucks.
Recall a video from a few years ago from someone who blended full pucks of MWF and tallow Tabac. Believe he called his blend "Tafat".
It's a shaving soap! It's a stick! It's a puck! It's a urinal deodorizer! It's a dessert topping! It's a cure for hemorrhoids! It's a manly-man fragrance! It's a once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity!
Absolutely, the 99 cent Williams puck I'm currently using is now listed for over $50 on Amazon. Sky is the limit for Arko if it is ever discontinued.
I used a blend of Williams and Arko for a while. Actually worked out quite well. I dubbed it "Wilco".
I've switched to MdC now because it's cheaper.
I've switched to MdC now because it's cheaper.
Yes, four pucks of Williams provide 200 grams of soap for $200 if one believes the crazy Amazon pricing. MdC is a relative bargain at around $70 for the same amount of soap!
Wonder if anyone is buying those Williams pucks. Recently much more fairly priced Williams pucks on the BST did not sell. Lots of better options for a lot less than $50.
My best blend included two Williams pucks, a stick of Arko, two Van Der Hagen (VDH) Deluxe puck, 2 oz. of Ivory, 2 oz. of Dove Men+Care and an ounce of Proraso Red. Grated the hard pucks/stick/soaps, mixed and then melted the VDH adding it to the mix. Knead the blend and form into pucks. Core shaving performance (lathering ease, stability and slickness) as good as any of my commercial shaving soaps for under $2 per blended puck (with Williams at 99 cents). Have a couple left, guess those are now over $20 pucks at market value.
Good morning (from Spain) in the largest Spanish forum they are also talking about the subject because it seems that Arko is reducing production but there is no statement from the manufacturer.
Some colleagues are buying the sticks on Amazon just in case because the puck is not easily found.
Some colleagues are buying the sticks on Amazon just in case because the puck is not easily found.
Mike M
...but this one IS cracked.
Exactly this, as "hobbiests" as soon as we hear the word discontinued our hoarding instincts take over and we start buying at any cost. That is why we stockpile soap and blades because "what if they are discontinued?" Even poor or so-so products are elevated to a status they didn't achieve whilst in production. Then there is FOMO for those who haven't even tried those products so they chase them too. Once you realize there are always alternatives out there and as someone with only one face and a limited lifespan hoarding hundreds of soaps in a futile attempt to have a "lifetime supply" just means you don't get to use and enjoy what you have.
Hoarding after the discontinuation is announced often does not make sense as the price can get bid up way past the point where there are plenty of good alternatives at lower prices. If there is a trend of a certain type of product disappearing from the market, like tallow based shaving soaps, building an reasonable inventory of some of your favorites can make sense if the soaps can be acquired at normal or even better sale prices. My two dozen plus pucks of Williams Shaving soap, all acquired for 99 cents each were well worth it given the small investment and my preference for this "old school" soap. Same thing for my dozen or so pucks of Mitchell's Wool fat (MWF), acquired for around $6-7 each (landed in the U.S.) thanks to a temporary collapse of the U.K. pound and a retailer free shipping offer.
Note that while the above makes sense for hard triple milled soaps that last forever this type of inventory does not make sense for softer soaps and creams with much shorter shelf lives.
Finally Williams is unique in how much it's now marked up versus the soap's original retail. Similar NOS pucks like Colgate range fro $10-$15 on Ebay and MWF, when listed, goes for less than half the price of Williams even though it was typically a $15-$20 puck in the U.S. In the case of Williams I'm not sure it's shaving hobbiests driving this. Wonder if it's someone, who may have used it or know someone who used it for years/decades looking of a puck for nostalgia purposes. Regardless $50 makes no sense to me.
Or don't.
I just laid a stick, sans wrapper, sideways inside a bowl. Doesn't look fancy but the brush loads just as nicely.
Just mash a stick into your favorite bowl and you're set. There is absolutely no need to grate it. It actually loads easier than the puck anyway.
