Review (5/5): Great Product; Great Value; Cool Features; Read Below!
The Arko shaving soap stick is one amazing "big bang for the buck" product. I decided to try this highly rated product as part of my venture, right of passage, etc. into DE (double edge/safety razor) shaving and believe cartridge razor uses will also greatly benefit from this minimal investment.
Since it is a stick, it allows me to use it in different ways from a traditional soap or cream. It provides a luxurious lather with very good cushion. I apply it as many shavers do; wet face and soap stick, and rub the soap stick on my face (with grain as much as possible). Generally, I will use a pre-shave oil after rinsing my face with hot water, after a hot shower (if possible), before applying the soap. Then I gently squeeze out excess water from my shaving brush after soaking it and face lather. After my typical 3 passes, I take advantage of the stick feature to use it to its fullest potential. I can't recall if I saw a DE shaver on YouTube or read about this additional technique on a blog. What I am referring to is the rewetting of my face and soap stick, and reapplying without brush lathering. The thin coat of the concentrated soap to sit on the skin for a touch up pass against the grain provides excellent cushion and protection to get a BBS shave. I believe the ability to use it in this fashion combined with the ingredient, tallow, provides a super slick, protective barrier that is close to some expensive artisan shaving soaps which have tallow (Stirling). Yes, artisan soaps are better (and have many great scents) but you can't beat the price and benefits of a shaving soap in stick form for a great price.
As far as scent is concerned, I like it. It is reminiscent of the complimentary soap the motels would provide when we went on vacation when I was a kid, which I think is cool. Reviewers from several sources seem to be divided on the subject. There isn't a lot of middle ground; it's kind of a love or hate when it comes to the scent.
I think everyone should at least try it once, to experience the lather and features the soap stick form can provide. It's also pretty cool to try an international shaving product (Turkish). Using it the way I describe above doesn't take very long, so you can face lather quickly for a morning shave before work.
For cartridge shavers, this will help reduce the pulling of the hairs, which is inherent to multi-blade cartridge razors. I would also suggest looking into DE razors, if you have razor burn and ingrown hairs. If you are intimidated, try a OneBlade Core to transition to DE shaving. The single blade with pivot helps to provide a close, but mild shave. I use it now when I'm in a rush, or recovering from a DE whoops, as I am still developing my DE shaving technique. The Arko is definitely helping add insurance when my DE technique is off.