Alum Block quality differences

[KAV]

I have the RazorRock from Phil too. It's negatives are recycling the plastic and I wonder how the portion forming the 'rivethead' will be used.
Until then, it is a convenient unit.
I also need to sort out exactly which alum is used for syptic pencil, deordorant and aftershave balm.

[jww]

... The Razor Rock has to be commended for its ingenuity but once the base gets wet, the crystal will slip out and bounce across your bathroom tile floor (much like a Semogue 1305) ...

Well it hasn't happened to me yet --- but I only wet the top of the rock, and no let it dry before I replace the cap. We are an interesting bunch -- becoming dedicated to that which works for us, sometimes with little more concern than the fact that we like it.

[Blue As A Jewel]

I've used the Razor Rock and Trumper's alum blocks - I very much like the application style of the RR, but find it's crystals are a little rougher than the GFT. But the price on the RR is very good - I think they might be produced by Shavex?

[bordeaaj]

I understand that there are those that run it over their face as an aftershave but at the rate at which mine is disappearing I thought even that such custom would require near half a lifetime to deplete a whole block.

My alum goes to the face after each and every shave, I let it sit and do its thing for a couple of minutes while I clean up the sink and counter, and then I rinse it and set it on the shelf to dry off. A medium sized block lasts me a couple of years -- but if it slips out of my hand and breaks, then it's a shorter lifespan.

Same way I learned from the forums to use mine and what I was taught was the intended use...it's meant to be more of a facial toner/astringent and antiseptic than a nick stopper or aftershave. Since the alum is used as a toner/astringent, I was taught that after rinsing you still need to follow it up with a traditional aftershave. I learned styptic pencils or roll-ons (vastly prefer) are intended for nicks...though alum works well for minor ones. Nicks of any kind are rare for me as well.

So far the razor rock has been perfect -- yes alum is alum, but the container it comes in is brilliant - the knurled based which it sits in is almost slip-proof.

There are pros and cons with any choice we make, I suppose...and in general, I feell the same way about the RazoRock, esp at first. The only real complaint I have is that even though I try to wet only the tip and even dry it on a towel after use, the base still tends to collects water which drained out of the hole in the base un-noticed onto my travertine tile countertop and etched several little RazoRock base-shaped salt rings around my shaving area. Luckily they are still faint and my wife hasn't noticed them...yet. Now all my RazoRocks have been given away except for one which has been relegated to my travel kit in favor of the larger rounded block with it's protective wooden dish.

My RazoRocks have also become wiggly in the base with use and have fallen out now and then as well.

[malocchio]

Just be sure it's Potassium Alum (NOT ammonium alum) and get the cheapest one. IMHO the only thing you get for paying more are as follows:
1) A smoother surface when new. The cheap one will have a mildly rough surface until used a couple times.
2) A less cloudy appearance. Yes, the cheap ones have a fraction of a percent more impurities that give them a cloudy look, but I have noticed any difference in performance.

.......................SO ! Is ammonium alum toxic in small quantities? is it like long term cooking in aluminum pots? what are the health risks ??

[KAV]

There are no known toxicities observed. I would add aluminum toxicity is another falsehood.

[malocchio]

ok...so ,why is ammonium alum looked down upon ? too much burn ? doesn't work well ? what makes it inferior ?

[KAV]

Erases chalkboard with notes on badger hair grades.
Alum is a chemical family that can derive from and hold different combinations of aluminum,potassium and ammonium sources. Ammonium has an acidic PH and is the common deordorant. As such some people may feel mild irritation= negative associations. I believe potassium is more common in styptic pencils, which is funny considering how much a good weeper can sting compared to a itchy armpit.
Are you more mixed up now? I am and will go back to talcum powder and my aftershaves as soon as my alum falls out and explodes on the floor, or sell it as drugs