Lifespan of an Alum Block?

[msouthern]

I am curious if an Alum Block has a lifespan? Or as long as you've got a piece of stone to hold onto, will it still work?

I have an "Art of Shaving" Alum Block that I bought a few a ago... I used it for a while, put it away and recently brought it out again. It doesn't seem to be changing in size or texture at all as much as I use it... Do they last forever? Or is there just a small amount at a time that gets dissolved off of it?

MS

 

[RichGem]

Alum blocks don't go bad or spoil. So, as long as you've got some to use, you're good to go. They do sometimes, get rough or a piece will chip off, but they're easy to smooth out again with some water and a nail file or something similar. Just let them air dry well between uses & don't let them sit in water, and they'll last a very long time.

 

[Northern Bob]

They will last a very long time, or until you drop it.

 

[touchdowntodd]

AOS alum block is $$$$..

my friends had his for like 3 years, i dont think they go bad?

 

[Gregny2002]

They're all the same, imo, no reason to spend twenty or thirty dollars on a AOS or GFT block when you can get the same thing in 'generic' form off of Amazon for a few bucks.

 

[touchdowntodd]

i wish someone local had one

i hate paying $5 shipping on $3 items, and i dont wanna put a big order together

 

[jbaca]

razo rock a nice one its like a deodorant stick in its screw on cap italian barber's product but sold by many 6.00ish

 

[Gregny2002]

i wish someone local had one

i hate paying $5 shipping on $3 items, and i dont wanna put a big order together

You can sometimes find them in local ethnic shops, particularly Indian places. But short of that your best bet is just to buy one of those ali bryikli ones off of Amazon.

 

[zigar01]

Don't they have alum blocks in deodorant stick format? Crystal Stick Deodorant or something like that? (The name escapes me at the moment)

 

[Gregny2002]

Yeah, but from what I understand the deodorant is slightly different from the shaving blocks.

 

[zigar01]

I wonder how different they are, because they're really not that expensive if I remember correctly.

 

[man00ver]

i wish someone local had one

You can sometimes find them in local ethnic shops, particularly Indian places.

+1. I found the "Nice Cool" alum block for $1.99 at two different Indian/Pakistani stores. Get your "Yahoo! Local" on, Todd....

 

[YetiDave]

Make sure you dry it out thoroughly after using it and it will last forever. I bought one made by Bloc Osma and use it after every shave and I fully expect it to last for at least another 4 or 5 months (at very, very least.. it could be much longer). It will probably have cost me far less than £1 a month for its use by the time it finally expires. Well worth every penny

 

[touchdowntodd]

+1. I found the "Nice Cool" alum block for $1.99 at two different Indian/Pakistani stores. Get your "Yahoo! Local" on, Todd....

thanks!

i know of a small indian store ill check out.. if they sell hookahs and food together why not shaving stuff!

 

[njpaddy]

i wish someone local had one

i hate paying $5 shipping on $3 items, and i dont wanna put a big order together

Next time you're at the grocery store, look in the spice isle for Powdered Alum. It works even better than the block for nicks or weepers. If you have a bleeder, you can make a paste from it. Just put it on with a wet finger. If you want it all over your face, dump some in your damp hand and rub it on. If the jar just says Alum (McCormick brand) it's probably crystals. It'll still work, just a bit rougher on the skin and harder to make a paste.

 

[Chadtheguru]

i wish someone local had one

i hate paying $5 shipping on $3 items, and i dont wanna put a big order together

If you're still looking for one locally, I found one in the deodorant aisle at Walgreens. It's Crystal deodorant in a purple container. It looks like girls' deodorant, but it says (of course) guys or girls and it's around 6 bucks if you can't catch it on sale.

 

[TenorClef]

I buy my alum blocks from a local Asian store and i pay 59 pence per bar(UK currency)

 

[mftoms59]

I've had mine ~5 months, 70gram block, and use it daily after shaving and as a Deodorant, i NEVER dry it after use, it's weighing in at slightly over 25 grams

 

[willyb]

they last about 100 years, give or take a day or 2

 

[Mike'sWorld]

I use Lafe's. I use it daily on my face.

I bought it at a local Whole Foods store about a year ago.

It was originally about three inches tall and now it's about two inches tall.

So it should last about three years.