Alum block question.

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236
Hi.
Have been using a block for about 3 years now and have of course eventually dropped it a few times. No probs, still useable but looking to get another. I cannot remember where I got the existing one but I know it was cheap and it does what it is meant to do.

Looking now, it seems it is a bit of a minefield in that many are around £4/5 and indeed a lot more are silly money upwards. The likes of Osma etc seem popular but............. there are several places where I can get a 100g block for around £1.60 delivered.

Question is - are there inferior versions of these to particularly look out for? Different types maybe too eg magnesium / aluminium/ potassium etc etc. OR is alum simply alum and the cheapies are just as good?
 
Hi.
Have been using a block for about 3 years now and have of course eventually dropped it a few times. No probs, still useable but looking to get another. I cannot remember where I got the existing one but I know it was cheap and it does what it is meant to do.

Looking now, it seems it is a bit of a minefield in that many are around £4/5 and indeed a lot more are silly money upwards. The likes of Osma etc seem popular but............. there are several places where I can get a 100g block for around £1.60 delivered.

Question is - are there inferior versions of these to particularly look out for? Different types maybe too eg magnesium / aluminium/ potassium etc etc. OR is alum simply alum and the cheapies are just as good?
I found the Osma to be the purest, ie one large crystal which is nice and clear and smooth, the cheaper one's are rough as if lot's of small crystals have been compacted into a block and it is opaque. You get what you pay for as with most thing's in life. YMMV :) P.
 
Alum blocks last a long time. I stick to Osma and other french blocks because they are so smooth and polished. Worth the extra pennies if you ask me
 
Paul over @ connaught shaving has a great collection and I can personally recommend his own brand as well as the more expensive.

http://connaughtshaving.com/alumblocks.html

Best Wishes
Darron :)

+1 ...the Himalayan Alum from Connaughts is superb, well finished, smooth, good value and less fragile somehow than the Osma block which for me have more of a tendency to shatter. Many of the others I have used are poorly polished. The Lea twist-up is quite good but not on par with the Himalayan Alum...
 
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+1 ...the Himalayan Alum from Connaughts is superb, well finished, smooth, good value and less fragile somehow than the Osma block which for me have more of a tendency to shatter. Many of the others I have used are poorly polished. The Lea twist-up is quite good but not on par with the Himalayan Alum...

Pity shipping is almost as much as the 100g block.
 
If you have a Holland & Barrat shop near you, have a look at a product called Salt of the Earth. It's marked as a natural deodorant but is, in fact, potassium Allum.
They sell two sizes and it's contained in a very ha dy and protective holder.
Btw, make sure you get potassium Allum, the really cheap stuff is usually ammonium Allum and is a possible health risk (have a look on Wikipedia).
 
If you have a Holland & Barrat shop near you, have a look at a product called Salt of the Earth. It's marked as a natural deodorant but is, in fact, potassium Allum.
They sell two sizes and it's contained in a very ha dy and protective holder.
Btw, make sure you get potassium Allum, the really cheap stuff is usually ammonium Allum and is a possible health risk (have a look on Wikipedia).

I use this stuff, it's great, BUT, if you do buy it at H&B, give the container a gentle shake to make sure the internal block is not broken, I tried 6 once trying to get a solid one. I think their delivery system must be a bit rough!

Salt-of-the-Earth.jpg
 
Thank you for the tip. I didn't realise there were 2 kinds and the stuff I got from Ebay doesn't say so that means its the wrong one :) I will now bin it and trot (rather sedately) to H&B for a replacement!
 
Do people still use Alum?

It came in handy when starting DE shaving but I haven't used alum after a shave for ages.

I have the Salt Of the Earth one as a deodarant and it's excellent.
 
Mm looking at the H&B site it lists the travel size as Ammonium Alum. The larger one as Potassium Alum???? I will check the actual products!
 
Potassium alum stings a lot less than ammonium alum.
I have both sizes of the 'Salt of the Earth' deodorant sticks from H&B, both made from potassium alum.
I prefer the larger one. Before first use, I use sandpaper to flatten the rounded top of the stick, so it's a bit more like an alum block. This roughs up the surface for the first couple of uses, but it will soon be smooth.
The advantages of those sticks are that they come with a non-slip holder and that they last ages.
H&B sometimes have BOGOF offers if you can wait, but if you really want cheap alum blocks, ask your local barber. Mine sells them for a quid, but it wasn't obvious that he had them.
 
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