I got a comment on the blog from a guy at Shavex, an Indian company that sells alum bars. I decided to give them a go, found that the minimum order was two bars. Okay. Got the bars quite quickly, BUT: tiny. 55 grams. WAY overpriced. Avoid.
Shavex alum bars: warning
- Thread starter Leisureguy
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #2
I just got an email from the guy at Shavex, and I thought in fairness I should post his response:
Shavex, has lately stopped producing custom sized alum as our experts have fixed up a single size for Alum. Alum has been found to remain highly consolidated when made in cubes of our current dimension. As a result our 55g (approx.) alum blocks last 2-3 times more than even 100g alum blocks of other Alum Block companies, and is twice as effective with lesser stinging effect.
Shavex, has lately stopped producing custom sized alum as our experts have fixed up a single size for Alum. Alum has been found to remain highly consolidated when made in cubes of our current dimension. As a result our 55g (approx.) alum blocks last 2-3 times more than even 100g alum blocks of other Alum Block companies, and is twice as effective with lesser stinging effect.
sniff sniff..................is that BS I smell.
C'mon, the fact their alum block is smaller probably means that you're less likely to drop it, that's all!
C'mon, the fact their alum block is smaller probably means that you're less likely to drop it, that's all!
- Thread starter
- #4
I report, you decide. 
Leisureguy said:
Okay, let my try this from a physics approach. "Remain highly consolidated" - unless I misunderstand, this sounds like he is saying that their alum is more densly packed, which (not knowning much about the packing factors of alum) sounds possible. However they are only 55g compared to the others' 100g blocks, under normal use this means maybe aproximate 55% the life. Now maybe if it was very dense it may not be used as quickly but using less does not equate rationally with twice as effective in this case.
I don't know, sounds like a typical instance of a scientist/engineer telling someone from marketing a few advantages of product A over product B and the marketing agent, who understands nothing about science, making a marketing claim that in truth completely misrepresents what the scientist originally claimed all because the marketer didn't understand what was actually told to them and thus they just took key words and threw them together into something that sounds appealing from a marketing standpoint.
I could be wrong, but that is how that statement sounds to me.
My understanding is that alum is a natural mineral that is mined and then cut into shapes and sold ! The Blocks I have are round and the size of a Spalding ball- 3.99 ....
55g of alum vs 100g of alum. Sounds like the old "which is heavier, a ton of feathers or a ton of steel?" thing to me.
55g grams of alum is 55 grams, it's density (or I think what is being eluded to should be more correctly termed mass) will be a related to the chemical composition of alum and have a fixed value per molecule.
I don't see how 55g alum could ever be twice as effective as 100g or last longer, presuming all other variables are constant (rate of use, number of times used etc. etc.)
I'm still smelling :9898:
55g grams of alum is 55 grams, it's density (or I think what is being eluded to should be more correctly termed mass) will be a related to the chemical composition of alum and have a fixed value per molecule.
I don't see how 55g alum could ever be twice as effective as 100g or last longer, presuming all other variables are constant (rate of use, number of times used etc. etc.)
I'm still smelling :9898:
Simple solution- buy a 100g block and snap it in half. Now you have two blocks, which, according to Shavex, should last 4-6 times longer than the original. 
Yes, but they say that it is with their current size... So does that mean that they only last that long when they start out as 55g? If so breaking a 100g into two 50g blocks might end up with a size that gets used 2-3 faster than a normal 100g... Oh the possibilities they create confound me so!
Sounds like they are about as confused as the C&E Employees with the Sweet Almond Oil Cream...
woodbane said:
Isn't density the relationship of mass/volume? If I'm wrong someone please tell me becuase I hate to have incorrect thinking muddling up my brain. You can have two of a substance with the, both with the same mass but they take up different volumes depending on their density.
An example would be pure carbon. A diamond is is a form of pure carbon that has been subjected to tremendous pressure as well as heat. The pressure results in a "compressed" form of carbon. A better example would be water. You can have a certain vollume of water and it will hae a certain mass. If you freeze that water it still has the same mass but now takes up a larger volume. Again, if I am wrong please tell me.
Creslin said:
You are correct. Density is the relationship between volume and mass. Hence why I said their "remain highly consolidated" comment sounded like they were making a comment on the density of their block since the "highly consolidated" sounds like it has a greater mass in a smaller equal volume to that of an ordinary alum block.
fuerein said:
Yeah..................what he said................(c'mon, high school chemistry and physics was a loooooooooooooooong time ago!!)
I wish I had seen this thread before I placed my order.
I would have to agree with everything Leisureguy said -- prompt shipping, but the alum blocks are, indeed, miniscule. They're basically almost exactly the same size as a Zippo lighter.
Here's a picture I snapped (apologies for the quality) to illustrate the size of a Shavex alum block:
I would have to agree with everything Leisureguy said -- prompt shipping, but the alum blocks are, indeed, miniscule. They're basically almost exactly the same size as a Zippo lighter.
Here's a picture I snapped (apologies for the quality) to illustrate the size of a Shavex alum block:
While I'm not sure about the Shavex explanation, I was dealing with Charles at QED, who is going to be offering alum blocks in the near future.
He is also selling 55g blocks (likely for about $8 each) and said that they will last as long as the 100g blocks because they are denser.
I referred him to this thread and asked what was meant by a "denser" block and how it could last longer than an obviously larger/heavier block.
In this regard, denser means exactly that - the 55g bars supposedly have fewer cracks/airspace than the standard uncompressed/less dense blocks. This should increase how long they last as (i) water will not get into cracks/airspace - therefore there it is coming into less surface area, which, in theory would reduce the rate at which the alum dissolves and (ii) you are unlikely to have bits of your block crack off - which can happen after water gets into a crack at the corner of your alum block - having bits fall off would certainly decrease the usable amount the alum block/decrease lifespan.
I cannot vouch for the science behind this, but it does make sense - think about the speed at which a pound of snow would melt if spread out thinly on a packed surface vs the same amount of snow compressed into a brick. We all know which would melt faster (don't bother explaining how snow has different properties than alum or that you can't compare melting involves temperature/insulation issues and the effect of water on alum doesn't - its just an illustration of how density impacts the physical characteristics/properties of a material)
Anyone willing to do a wear test on a standard 100g and a compressed 55g block? (BTW I'm not volunteering!)
I'll likely buy a block or two from Charles (for work and gym shaving kits) and I'm really not worried about how long they last, as I cant remember when I bought the block I use at home everyday, which still has at least a couple of years left before it dissolves away to nothing.
Anyhow just my (more than) 2 cents.
He is also selling 55g blocks (likely for about $8 each) and said that they will last as long as the 100g blocks because they are denser.
I referred him to this thread and asked what was meant by a "denser" block and how it could last longer than an obviously larger/heavier block.
In this regard, denser means exactly that - the 55g bars supposedly have fewer cracks/airspace than the standard uncompressed/less dense blocks. This should increase how long they last as (i) water will not get into cracks/airspace - therefore there it is coming into less surface area, which, in theory would reduce the rate at which the alum dissolves and (ii) you are unlikely to have bits of your block crack off - which can happen after water gets into a crack at the corner of your alum block - having bits fall off would certainly decrease the usable amount the alum block/decrease lifespan.
I cannot vouch for the science behind this, but it does make sense - think about the speed at which a pound of snow would melt if spread out thinly on a packed surface vs the same amount of snow compressed into a brick. We all know which would melt faster (don't bother explaining how snow has different properties than alum or that you can't compare melting involves temperature/insulation issues and the effect of water on alum doesn't - its just an illustration of how density impacts the physical characteristics/properties of a material)
Anyone willing to do a wear test on a standard 100g and a compressed 55g block? (BTW I'm not volunteering!)
I'll likely buy a block or two from Charles (for work and gym shaving kits) and I'm really not worried about how long they last, as I cant remember when I bought the block I use at home everyday, which still has at least a couple of years left before it dissolves away to nothing.
Anyhow just my (more than) 2 cents.
Well, my BS meter just pegged.
I can explain how this particular alum block works. On another forum, John Q. Shavex offers a free alum block with the purchase of, and I quote,
an
alum block. Later, we discover that it is a free alum block with the purchase of two blocks.
Apparently, this is the same math used to bring the alum molecules closer together.
There. That should make it clear. As clear as an unmuddied lake. ... clear as an azure sky of deepest summer.....
I can explain how this particular alum block works. On another forum, John Q. Shavex offers a free alum block with the purchase of, and I quote,
an
alum block. Later, we discover that it is a free alum block with the purchase of two blocks.
Apparently, this is the same math used to bring the alum molecules closer together.
There. That should make it clear. As clear as an unmuddied lake. ... clear as an azure sky of deepest summer.....
ouch said:Well, my BS meter just pegged.
I can explain how this particular alum block works. On another forum, John Q. Shavex offers a free alum block with the purchase of, and I quote,
an
alum block. Later, we discover that it is a free alum block with the purchase of two blocks.
Apparently, this is the same math used to bring the alum molecules closer together.
There. That should make it clear. As clear as an unmuddied lake. ... clear as an azure sky of deepest summer.....
I agree that the comment about the alum molecules being closer together smaks of BS.
I do think that the explanation that there is less air space is more plausible.
What do I know? I'm still stuck on that 1=2 thingy.
This thread is still going 
Similar threads
