Reddit mentions of Arko Shaving Soap Stick, White, Pack of 2, 75g each

Arko?

You might also be able to find Van der Hagen or Williams shaving soap pucks at your local Walmart, grocery store, pharmacy, etc. These usually for for a buck or two.

Honestly though, once you have a good idea of how to make a lather you will still want to make practice lathers with any more expensive soaps that you buy. Each soap requires different water levels, loading times and slightly different techniques in order to get the best performance out of them. It is worth "wasting" a couple of lathers of each soap to figure out that soap's specific needs before shaving with it.

What soap are you currently using? If you are having a hard time getting a good lather, it could be the soap.

Why bother with all that when you can get it on Amazon?
https://www.amazon.ca/Arko-Shaving-Soap-Stick-White/dp/B00997FR44/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1517774747&sr=8-3&keywords=arko+shaving+soap

Gurbetçi LPT: Many Turkish goods you miss are available at Amazon

I'm confused, I just added up these items new, including shipping and it totaled $77.28

Razor $38

2 Kabuki Brushes $11.08

2 Arko sticks $4.79

2 Alum blocks $11.62

20 Blade Sampler 11.79

> do they even make blades for the aristocrat anymore?

Yes. The Aristocrat uses standard double-edged safety razor blades. Availability at brick & mortar stores is limited, but you can get 'em online for under $10/100. As others have noted, a sample pack might be a good place to start.

> can i just use [canned] shaving foam with a DE razor?

Everybody seems to be avoiding the answer to this question. You absolutely can; it's what most men did from the 1950s until cartridge razors gained market dominance.

You will get better results if you build your lather yourself, though. But doing so certainly doesn't require anything resembling a "whole expensive kit." A stick of Arko shaving soap goes for around $1 and will last the better part of a year. Add a $15 brush from Omega or Semogue and you're good to go for less than the price of an 8-pack of cartridges. If you decide you do want silvertip badger (the highest grade) it'll cost you an extra $11 if you get it from Whipped Dog.

• Utopia razor $10.99. I haven't super closely followed threads about this razor. But those that I did see, people reported that it shaved well. The problem is quality control. As sometimes the razor has arrived with a bent baseplate which makes the razor unusable. But if that happens Amazon should replace it.
  
• Omega 10049 boar brush $9.75. Quality boar brush. There's a black one from another seller for the same price. This post has general information about shaving brushes. But basically boar brushes need to be soaked and there's a break-in period.
  
• Arko shaving soap pack of two $4.35 Here's a post about how to use Arko shaving stick.
  
• Blade samplers in Amazon are overpriced. So buy the blades from Tryablade.com The below blades should cost $6.10 with shipping.
  
• 2x Astra Superior Platinum
  
• 2x Personna Lab Blue
  
• 2x Feather New Hi-Stainless
  
• 2x Personna Platinum (Israeli reds)
  
• 2x Gillette 7 o'clock SharpEdge
  
• 2x Derby Extra
  
• 2x Shark Super Chrome
  
  Total: $31.19

I sort of like everything cheap and functional - My Arsenal is a whole other level than most the guys' in here.. But it works for me!

Shavers:
A cheap shavette (what i use most frequently) I got mine from a local barbershop for a penny.

A trusty RiMei

I use Astra blades in both.. Does the job!

Shaving creams:
Col Conk with Bayrum

Arko stik

And a Gillette spray gel for when in a hurry...

Now aftershaves might be the products i spend most money on, but i bought all the Old Spices while travelling in India..

Aftershaves:
Old spice with Wolfthorn, original, musk and lime

Nivea Sensitive

And an Omega brush - I dont renember the name of it, but i know all of you know it! ;)

Arko probably gives the best shave of any soap I've used, including soaps that cost several times as much. The scent is iffy and polarizing, but it's alright, and the soap is dirt cheap. I'd recommend all beginners try it out, it's cheap and incredibly easy to use. The other staple I use is Taylor of Old Bond Street. I use the Sandalwood scent, but I've heard good things about most of their scents. It's a cream rather than a soap, so it offers a very quick and easy lather for a beginner, and the scent is top notch.

I haven't tried them out yet personally, but Stirling also gets a lot of love here. From what I've heard, the scent and performance of their soaps are both fantastic, but they can be somewhat hard to lather. Maybe a soap to pick up once you've got some experience under your belt.

currently using a gillette tech, pictured here. i like to collect vintage gillettes, so i also have some adjustables and non-adjustable twist-to-opens laying around. for whatever reason, the tech just does it for me even though it's a way older model.

big fan of personna blades too!!

i wax and wane when it comes to using the traditional soap puck and brush. right now i'll either use arko or cremo. my skin is pretty tolerant when it comes to shaving, so i'm happy with the basics.

Album

I've mentioned this setup at some point here, but now with pictures! I'm sick and working from home today, so I need something to get my mind off of this grant writing.

Shave:

• Lord L6, Astra SP blades. Razor is $9 on amazon. Blades are 20 cents a pop if bought in small batches, or 10 cents a pop if bought in larger quantities. each blade lasts me 2-3 shaves.
  
• Arko (less than 5 bucks for a 2-pack).
  
• Razorock alum $7
  
• Ecotools makeup brush - cheap, synthetic 2-pack from amazon
  
  Probably one of the cheapest full shave kits you can buy. The single Arko stick has lasted me 2 years so far, and I anticipate it will last another 3-4 until it becomes a mushy pile. Arko works really well with the extremely hard water we get in southern california.
  
  I only shave 2-3 times a week, and lathering straight onto the face reduces the amount of soap wasted. First thing I would upgrade is the brush, followed by a search for an aftershave after the alum.
  
  I would highly recommend the Lord. Some people seem to have longevity issues with the aluminum handle screwing into the heavier-metal head, but as long as you don't force it you won't strip the threads. Supposed to shave like a Merkur for a fraction of the cost.
  
  Coffee:
  
  
• Aeropress (inverted)
  
• Porlex mini grinder
  
• Burundi beans, lighter roast.
  
  Not my favorite roast, but probably my favorite extraction process (I also own turkish coffee, french press, moka pot, vacuum pot/siphon). Inverted, it acts like a french press with a paper filter. Of course, it also means you have a foot-tall precarious boiling-water hazard, which has been an issue some drowsy mornings.

2 Pack of Arko Sticks

If you are a student chances are ya don't got a ton of room, I suggest you get a stick of Arko and chop it so you can [put it in this wonderful little invention.] (http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Twist-up-Shaving-Stick-Containers-2-oz_p_649.html)

Amazon - 2 pack with free shipping

Here are a few good options from Amazon. Most of these are available for cheaper from dedicated wet shaving shops.

• Arko 2-Pack
  
• Mitchell's Wool Fat
  
• WSP Rustic Soap
  
• Tabac
  
• Palmolive Stick
  
  Also, any D.R. Harris soap or cream, and any TOBS cream would be a good choice.
  
  Edit: Also, Kiss My Face Moisture Shave cream is good too and available on Amazon. It says it's non-lathering, but it lathers really well with a brush.

Fellow 33c user. I've had the thing for about 7 years now, and on reading this realized that I don't actually remember ever doing a full cleaning on it beyond a long rinse after shaving. (That sounds gross, I'm gonna clean the hell out of it when I get home.) Point being, it probably isn't that, unless your soap is particularly gummy. You might just try a different soap. Looking over my post history in this sub I probably sound like a broken record evangelizing for the stuff, but you should try some Arko. It's stupid cheap, lathers very easily, and gives me a better shave than anything else I've tried. Basically solves the "not enough product" issue, because it's so cheap you don't really worry about wasting it. That's probably half of why it works so well for me, I find I'm much more likely to properly lather stuff I don't worry about using too much of.

One other thing you didn't mention is how old your blade is. I'll rinse my razor when it's apart for a blade change, and it's amazing what ends up around the blade. If you haven't changed your blade for a while, you may well have stuff stuck up in there that could make an impact on your shaving.

I'm very pragmatic about my shaving, I've had the same very good and (initially pricey) brush for the past 40 years, I use Arko which is awesome and lathers right on my face (i.e., no bowl or pretty foam required) and Astra blades. Saves me time and money. YMMV but I like to keep it simple, for others it's an understandable hobby.

You can also get an Arko shave stick. Great shave, lasts me about 6-9 months. You will also need a shaving brush. They go for 10 or so.

https://www.amazon.com/Arko-Shaving-Soap-Stick-White/dp/B00997FR44/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1465737616&sr=8-1&keywords=Arko+shave+stick

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