Alum Block - Anyone else have this happen?

[jaybird210]

Resurrecting an older post, but I had the same air pocket issue with my RR alum. after only about 6 months in use (and i only shave every 2 ~ 3 days, so in reality, just a few months use) it has started to crumble significantly, and only one side is usable. The crumbled side is too rough to use now. The photos are from a few days back, but the air pocket is now fully exposed and the one side is just jagged edges.

My only other alum experience was with the Osma brand and I found that to be solid. It was smaller and a little more expensive, but was maybe a better deal considering.

 

[Dru]

Going forward get Osma, I got those first and then tried other brands purely for the case and they all crumbled on the sides, even Razorock. Ordered Osma again, still perfect and fits all the cases!

OSMA is the best in my opinion. Very few fractures and long lasting

 

[Clay S]

Resurrecting an older post, but I had the same air pocket issue with my RR alum. after only about 6 months in use (and i only shave every 2 ~ 3 days, so in reality, just a few months use) it has started to crumble significantly, and only one side is usable. The crumbled side is too rough to use now. The photos are from a few days back, but the air pocket is now fully exposed and the one side is just jagged edges.

My only other alum experience was with the Osma brand and I found that to be solid. It was smaller and a little more expensive, but was maybe a better deal considering.

View attachment 954051
View attachment 954052

A lot of Alum blocks are formed rather than quarried. I think Osma supplies all of the quarried alum that gets rebranded, RR looks to be of the formed type. AoS charged $20.00, so any alum can be considered inexpensive in that light

 

[VerbaVolant]

The definition of value:

...It was smaller and a little more expensive, but was maybe a better deal considering...

 

[andromeda673]

I have the Gentleman Jon alum block and it also crumbled and fell apart and i'm just nursing it along until the end of the year so that I can buy a new one. This is the first alum block I owned and bought when I first got into wet shaving. I'm going to be buying an Osma block though once this current one is toast.

 

[mrlandpirate]

 

[andromeda673]

that's a great call but unfortunately I did not list an expectation so if I were to purchase a replacement I would be out.

 

[naughtilus]

I stopped using alum as my technique improved and started cold water shaves. I rarely get a single weeper. Using no astringents really improved post-shave feel and skin condition.

 

[andromeda673]

I could get away without the alum, but it really helps cool down and calm my skin after shaving. Also if for whatever reason I do get a weeper, it seals it right up.

 

[jaybird210]

AoS charged $20.00, so any alum can be considered inexpensive in that light

True. That does make Osma look like an even better deal.

 

[Tanuki]

One suggestion I have seen for the slippage problem is to put a rubber band or a rubber washer around the perimeter of the block to give a non-slip grip. I haven't done that to my own block yet but it sounds like a cheap, sensible fix to me.

I do this with a nice wide rubber band. Works great, haven’t dropped it since I banded it.

 

[RumpleBearskin]

I've gone through multiple AoS alum blocks with no problems.

I've tried two WCS blocks and they have disintegrated within a couple of months. WCS replaced them and I'm waitng to see if it's a process problem or I just got a bad batch.

 

[Dukbrand]

How long will a good block last

 

[cytus]

How long will a good block last

I purchased an Osma last March. I use it approx. 3x/week. Looks a little smaller than when I bought it. But not by much. Osma is smaller than other alums but does last a long time.

 

[naughtilus]

I could get away without the alum, but it really helps cool down and calm my skin after shaving. Also if for whatever reason I do get a weeper, it seals it right up.

Astringents irritate, dry, tighten and inflame the skin. With alum you are literally rubbing salt on open wounds. Now I only use styptic for the rare once-in-a-blue-moon persistent cut/weeper, but when I had tons of them alum was indeed really useful.

 

[andromeda673]

that's good to know, then tomorrow what I will do is my normal routine minus the alum and we will see what happens and how my face feels.

 

[Clay S]

I've gone through multiple AoS alum blocks with no problems.

I've tried two WCS blocks and they have disintegrated within a couple of months. WCS replaced them and I'm waitng to see if it's a process problem or I just got a bad batch.

AoS has good alum blocks. I just don't like the price. They seem to be quarried alum. I suspect they are rebranded OSMA.

 

[ackvil]

I have had a RR in my travel kit going on five years now. Zero problems. I had a Osma at home and used it up a few months ago. I wish it came in a plastic container rather than a cardboard box. I replaced it with a RR and have been using it daily with no issues.

 

[Sicilian]

I have a Gentleman Jon. No problems unless I leave it wet out in the air too long.

 

[VerbaVolant]

Something to remember when using Potassium Alum: its solubility in water increases greatly with temperature: 14.00 g/100 mL (20 °C) and 36.80 g/100 mL (50 °C)
I always use it with cold water only.