Review (4/5): Good soap, good value
First, I have to echo the other reviewer's sentiment about the picture being misleading. The text does state that you're buying a single stick, but the picture makes it look like you're buying a box of 'em.
I was initially disappointed with my [[ASIN:B002A5OLHQ Arko Shaving Soap Stick]]. I prefer using a brush and mug, so I unwrapped the stick, cut it into shaving soap coins (which I believe are legal tender in Venezuela and Costa Rica, and certain counties in Arkansas), put them into my mug and stuck it in the microwave for 30 seconds to melt them. What a mistake! That's what I do with [[ASIN:B001A3DNY6 Van Der Hagen Deluxe Shave Soap, 2.5-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12)]], and it works great--the soap liquifies, adheres to the bottom and sides of the mug, and once it resolidifies, I'm good to go. This stuff softened, yes, but it didn't really liquify. Instead, it kind of foamed up and over the top of the mug. I tried to use my knife to moosh it back into the mug, but it resulted in a very rough, craggy top surface. Figured I'd just use the brush on it anyway--eventually I would wear down that rough surface and leave behind a smooth top that would work perfectly.
I'm glad I did! This soap lathered up like nobody's business when I put the warm, moist brush to it. It made a little thinner lather than I usually get from VDH, but despite it's thinness, it wasn't runny at all--it stayed right where I brushed it, and didn't dry out before my razor got to it. My habit is to do three shaves in different directions, and the Arko lather held out for all three.
I used an older blade, an [[ASIN:B001QY8QXM 100 Astra Superior Premium Platinum Double Edge Safety Razor Blades]], probably about two shaves past when I would usually have replace it, but I was being lazy. I kind of expected to nick myself a couple times. But with the Arko shaving soap, that did not happen. My blade glided across my face as smoothly as I could ask. No nicks at all.
As many have mentioned, the scent is kind of strong, and not entirely pleasant. Some have compared it to citronella, which I can understand. I though it was kind of a cross between the original Old Spice scent from when my dad used their cologne, and some industrial chemical smell. VDH is more or less unscented, so I usually mix a few drops of my favorite cologne ([[ASIN:B00AATHC52 ASPEN by Coty]]) into the liquid when it comes out of the microwave, but I didn't think that would be a good idea with Arko. I didn't think the cologne scent would mix well with the cloying scent the soap came with. But while the scent isn't my cup of tea, after you rinse your face well, it's not very strong at all, especially if you wash your face afterward and use a scented after-shave balm.
The bottom line is, for a single stick, the value isn't great. It's a lot more affordable, and just as usable a product, as some of the much more expensive soaps out there, but at the single stick price, plus shipping, you could buy several pucks of Van Der Hagen locally. When you buy more sticks at a time, the per-stick price comes down, and if you can manage to get free shipping in the deal, it starts looking really attractive. The lather is very nice, the scent, not so much, but all in all, you can't go too far wrong with it. I'm dinging it one star only because of the scent. While I would rather it liquify in the microwave like VDH, that's not how the product was designed to be used, so it wouldn't be fair to dock it for that.