Whether you’re a DE Dude or a Fusion Fool you need a good shaving cream/soap.
This week I bought some ARKO – a Turkish shave stick that is frankly amazing.

It looks a little odd and the smell is ‘unique’ to put it mildly (very strong citrus, but doesn’t last long), you use it by wetting your face and the end of the stick – them rubbing the stick over your beard. This does not seem to do very much but when you then start rubbing your face with the brush the most incredible lather develops, extremely smooth and thick.
I had the best shave I’ve had in ages with my first use.
You may think this excellence comes at a price…. well it does…. just £1.50 from eBay 🙂
Oh and I hear that a stick lasts about a year as well!

Did you order it from the ‘from Turkey’ seller on ebay?
Might give it a punt, there’s money burning a hole in my virtual paypal account.
Does anybody else see paypal like monopoly money?

What with these sticks and brushes etc? I just use stuff out of a can, does that mean I’m an idiot?

I just use stuff out of a can, does that mean I’m an idiot?

Yes, but don’t worry it’s got nothing to do with your shaving habits. 😉

Might give it a bash but I’m finding amazingly good shaving results using Dove soap and a Gillette Venus razor (new age man and willing to try anything once)…might not be fancy but it does give an amazingly smooth shave – cheeks and chin are proper smooth (not tried it anywhere else!).

Bought from a UK seller. Indeed paypal money isn’t real 🙂

Realman: tinned stuff is just krap in a kan in comparison with anything you put on your face with a brush. Seriously worth a try.

Ok, recommend me a shaving brush for under a fiver and I’ll buy both and give it a go.

King of shaves oil is a winner for me but I might give this a go

Ambrosia from them smelly lush stores. It will make your life better. I promise. No brush required.

4.99 inc brush off EBAY 🙂

Just watch out for the smell… if you don’t like it please don’t blame me (but I’ll have whats left of the stick if you don’t want it!!).

Headfirst…. no brush? Heathen.

cheeks and chin are proper smooth (not tried it anywhere else!).

I bet MrsDB has.

Truefitt and Hill of St James is rather nice too.

Shaving foam? Just wet your face and shave, virtually all modern razors come with a lubricating strip nowadays.

samuri, some of us need crams, you carry on shaving with a sponge 😀

i’m sold, have just purchased some arko and a brush from ebay what razor should i buy ?, anyone used a double edged safety lately ?

Ok, recommend me a shaving brush for under a fiver and I’ll buy both and give it a go.

Wilkinson Sword, in Tesco. Next to the WS shaving soap. Get both for under a tenner.

For all the pretentiousness surrounding shaving, I can genuinely say that this little combination revolutionised mine.

I doubt Arko can better the 49p Palmolive (50g) shave stick to be honest. You can get Palmolive shave stick them from Tesco, ASDA, Superdrug and Wilkinson.

Note: colour of the package should be greenish rather than blueish.

If you haven’t I suggest you give it a go in fact buy two to grate them into a small bowl and lather up to see how good they can be.

skiboy – Member

i’m sold, have just purchased some arko and a brush from ebay what razor should i buy ?, anyone used a double edged safety lately ?

Have a nose through here…

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/that-razor-you-lot-recommend

I doubt Arko can better the 49p Palmolive (50g) shave stick to be honest

I’d put money on it. Get past the aroma and you’ll find an incredible cream…seriously. It’s not 50p but you don’t need a bowl. Palmolive is good though.

sharkbait – Member

I’d put money on it. Get past the aroma and you’ll find an incredible cream…seriously. It’s not 50p but you don’t need a bowl. Palmolive is good though.

Yes, I meant to try that a while back but did not because I bought more than 10 Palmolive shave sticks. I know Arko gets good review apart from the scent that some might not like so I might give it a try at a later date.

I am also trying to get some Cella if the price is right. My local also started stocking other Italian shave soap but price is a bit high.

🙂

Thats it fully taken the plunge, two packs of blades and a jagger razor in the post to go with the arko and brush, thanks don_simon for the link , can’t wait to get started , I only shave once or twice a fortnight and my gilette fusion
Is crap it feels like trying to cut through brush with blunt scissors

samuri – Member
Shaving foam? Just wet your face and shave, virtually all modern razors come with a lubricating strip nowadays.

I’d get an irritable chin if I didn’t use a half decent foam/gel.

anyone used a double edged safety lately ?

I had a barber give me a proper shave on holiday last year, and it was great!! Made me wonder why barbers don’t offer this service anymore in Britain. Would anybody here pay to have their chin shaved a couple of times a week?

Elitist, niche shaving really is the height of wankerdom.

Use a facial scrub before you lather up an shave. Amazing how much better it i?

Headfirst…. no brush? Heathen.

Been there, done that with cream and brushes – too much fuss and bother…

I have not used anything else since I was given my first bottle of Ambrosia shaving cream from Lush. It doesn’t foam and it leaves my skin soft and bootiful. I use – wait for it…….a 3 blade razor from aldi, replacement blades work out at about 25p each.

I am going to say this one more time:

TRY THIS, YOU WON’T REGRET IT:

KINGTUT – Member
Elitist, niche shaving really is the height of wankerdom.

What does that make someone who gets aereated about ‘niche’ shaving? 😉

Normal.

KINGTUT – Member

Elitist, niche shaving really is the height of wankerdom.

LOL! You mean paying more than £10 for Gillette cartridge blades? Paying that much is definitely niche …

There is nothing niche about traditional shaving as that just low cost enjoyable shaving that’s all. Not some celebrities endorse shite.

😆

p/s: Lush Ambrosia … how much! £4 … mine is only 50p. Blades how much! 25p! My Personna blade is less than 20p per blade and bulk buy is even less.

Kingtut you clearly have issues

Thank you for your standard and unoriginal retort.

£8.25 for the big one actually 😕 ….but it lasts a long long time, especially if the wife doesn’t use it for her legs 👿

My blade price comparison was aimed at Gillette users… you got me there…

‘Paid’ for a shave when on holiday in Turkey and they did use something similar…….was a damn good shave right enough!

just out of interest, how many shaves do people get on average from one DE blade?

epo-aholic: I think Arko is the usual cream used by Turkish barbers.

Davesmate: I get 4 or 5 shaves from my fave blade (Feather) and i shave on average every 3 days.

davesmate – Member

just out of interest, how many shaves do people get on average from one DE blade?

For thin beard definitely more than 5 shaves, for thick/blue beard that depends but generally about 3 to 5 max and a lot depends on the type (brand) of blades being used as well which can be personal choice.

🙂

Getting 5 ‘good’ shaves out of feathers and another 2 ‘ok’ before I remember to change the blade!

Must give the Palmolive and the Akro a try when the Mitchells Wool Fat runs out.

Also trying to resist buying either a Merkur Futur or 39c at the moment………………..

Woody – Member

Getting 5 ‘good’ shaves out of feathers and another 2 ‘ok’ before I remember to change the blade!

Must give the Palmolive and the Akro a try when the Mitchells Wool Fat runs out.

Also trying to resist buying either a Merkur Futur or 39c at the moment………………..

If you face lather the Palmolive stick will last even longer but for me I just grate two sticks down into a bowl.

Also if your price range is around Mitchells Wool Fat then you may also want to try the Italian made Valobra Almond/Menthol Shaving Soap 150g. This is not a hard soap so can be pressed into a bowl. I know Mitchells’ get good review and this one as well. Another one is Cella which lather up very nicely too.

chewkw

Do you know if there are any good shops for shaving kit in Newcastle or is it better and easier to get the more expensive stuff online?

Woody – Member

chewkw

Do you know if there are any good shops for shaving kit in Newcastle or is it better and easier to get the more expensive stuff online?

Yes, this one not far from Freeman Hospital.

You may simply pop into the shop to see the items and buy them without postage cost.

Check out the Floid Amber/Blue and Proraso as I bought all mine from them.

Also they have started to stock a lot of shaving brush and items now so you might as well check them out while there.

Their ebay shop

Maguires Barbershop Ltd
176 Newton Road,
High Heaton,
Newcastle Upon Tyne,
NE7 7HP

Tel: 0191 2818676

I might visit them again to check out their new stock especially the shaving brush. Most items have similar pricing, some cheaper, to many on-line retailers but you can buy them direct without postage which is good.

Cheers chewkw