Alum and styptic pencils

Mong.

Mong.

doesn't care for Euro Palmolive
Group Buy Associate
2015 Sabbatical
Joined
Aug 9, 2012
Location
Melbourne
I'll stop prefacing all my posts with "Hi guys, can a noobie have some help?" after this one, I promise. I'm going to place an order at bestshave.net for a couple of cheap surplus goodies that can hopefully just sit in my shave bag for yonks until I need them.

A styptic pencil is for stopping cuts from bleeding, right? It's $2.50 and looks like it'll last forever the amount it'll get used, and for that price I'll happily pay for something that'll be handy if I'm bleeding all over the sink. Drubbing has made me cautious about unnecessary wank accessories though.

Likewise, what's the deal with alum? I know it stops bleeding too, but it also seems to have some antiseptic and skin restorative qualities too if I'm to believe what I've read on a few different forums. Some people seem to rub their face and neck with it post-shave before applying an aftershave.

Right now I'm looking for a solution to the post shave nightmare my neck has become. I like the look of the Skin Food aftershaves but I'm not ready to jump into something that expensive when I'm only just starting out. Just wondering if I might have a reasonable expectation of success with an alum block/Arko aftershave as a budget option.

Would love to hear everyones thoughts and experiences. To summarise, $5 gets me a styptic pencil and an alum block. Is this a fiver well spent?

No more bonehead newbie "what's this OMG???" questions after this, I think I've reached the point where I can no longer justify buying stuff and need to just use what I have to work out what's best for me. Lowering skin recovery time will help me do that though, so one more buy before I stop. :embarrest:
 
I use neither the pencil or block, but I agree they're a cheap enough item to chuck in your bag of goodies. I haven't needed them either.

I have read of people using the Alum to quantify the shave quality in respect to skin irritation. i.e. if you rub the alum block around your face and it stings like hell, you probably went too far with the razor.

What is this "Post shave nightmare"? Is your skin hurting, on fire? Or getting cuts? Without more info, I can advise to take it easy, don't go for such a close shave at first.

Don't expect any products to be a miracle cure. Even the most logical people will be swayed by all the chatter about how great some particular cream/balm is. Expensive does not equal good, nor does cheap. I've used witch hazel as an AS splash and it's good for me. I also use the nivea balm that gets mentioned a lot and it's pretty nice too, and my wife likes the smell of that one. I prefer the WH though as it's less oily.
 
I bought a styptic pencil and used it maybe twice. No idea where it is now, I probably binned it.

I've never used or bought Alum, and to my knowledge my shaving experience has never suffered from this.
 
Mong. said:
A styptic pencil is for stopping cuts from bleeding, right? It's $2.50 and looks like it'll last forever the amount it'll get used, and for that price I'll happily pay for something that'll be handy if I'm bleeding all over the sink. Drubbing has made me cautious about unnecessary wank accessories though.

Likewise, what's the deal with alum? I know it stops bleeding too, but it also seems to have some antiseptic and skin restorative qualities too if I'm to believe what I've read on a few different forums. Some people seem to rub their face and neck with it post-shave before applying an aftershave.

Right now I'm looking for a solution to the post shave nightmare my neck has become. I like the look of the Skin Food aftershaves but I'm not ready to jump into something that expensive when I'm only just starting out.
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Styptic is worth having around, you never know when you might do something silly, and it works instantly.

Alum? Meh. It's ok, it's caveman aftershave. Not anywhere near as good as styptic for bloodletting. Blokes who use it a measure of their blade-wieldyness should get their hand off it. Aftershave will tell you the same thing; if you carve your face up, putting stuff on it will hurt.

And that's the main question. You need to find out why you're giving yourself nightmares. My money is on poor lather, too much pressure and not shaving with the grain. Or all 3.

But best tell us what you're doing and you can get help to fix it.
 
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+1 for the above on the lather.i've found that its as important or even more important than the razor and blade that you're using. If you're ordering from bestshave try their 'dalan d'men' shave cream. I've started using it and find it to be excellent. The cost is very reasonable under$3 US.
I've bought and use their alum block. Mainly use a straight edge now and use the alum after every shave. Apply it when my face is still wet and rinse it off before the AS. Think it's worth it. Have a pencil, just incase!:)-).
Try their #6 horse hair brush. Excellent value.
 
Now I remember hwy I don't use the styptic.

I got a tube of Proraso Styptic Gel and that's absolutely great; mind you it's probably just superglue or something. I just put a tiny dab over a cut and it seals it instantly.
 
The proraso Gel is just the same stuff (Aluminium Sulfate) but in a Gel Base along with other ingredients. It's nicer to use than a pencil.

That said, there's no glue in it, Aluminium Sulfate is a Vasoconstrictor and it stems the flow of blood.
 
Yeah I know there is no glue in it; I was alluding in a roundabout way to the old tale of superglue being used for wound treatment on WW1 battlefields.

Glue = blood flow stemming.

O prefer the gel over the stick but when the gel dries it leaves a flaky residue which if you wear a suit (as I do) it can be a bugger.

Solution: don't cut yourself.
 
Got a pencil, used it once on my first shave, have not used it since.
 
JugV2 said:
Yeah I know there is no glue in it; I was alluding in a roundabout way to the old tale of superglue being used for wound treatment on WW1 battlefields.

Glue = blood flow stemming.

O prefer the gel over the stick but when the gel dries it leaves a flaky residue which if you wear a suit (as I do) it can be a bugger.

Solution: don't cut yourself.
Click to expand...

It was actually invented (cyanoacrylate) for front line first aid in Vietnam and people still use it today
 
YOGI said:
It was actually invented (cyanoacrylate) for front line first aid in Vietnam and people still use it today
Click to expand...

There is a medical verson which has antiseptic mixed in, I've seen it used twice on my sons face. Once, when he got clobbered by a swing in the back yard and I don't know what the second one was, probably fell over he was under 4 both times.

I have a styptic pencil I bought when I started shaving 20+ years ago, gets used once every few months. I will probably have it when I die.
 
To elaborate on my current condition, three days or so after my shave my neck broke out in a painful red rash on either side of the 'pipe' (if that makes sense) with some raised red bumps.

My guess is that I tried to shave too close, with too much pressure and a sub-standard lather. Initially after my shave things felt pretty good, but it's become pretty clear that I need to scale it back a small amount. I only shaved WTG, so I don't think that's the problem.

I'll pick up a styptic pencil to chuck in my drawer next time I'm at the chemist, it seems like a handy thing to have and it sounds like a lifetime investment. I'm gunna have another crack with the Derby blade tomorrow, I'll put special emphasis on getting a better lather this time.
 
Usually, I'd suggest sticking with one blade til you get a feel for things, but if a Derby did that, then ditch it and try something else.

Don't go for results. Your first objective is a comfortable shave. It starts with good lather.
 
Drubbing said:
if a Derby did that, then ditch it and try something else.
Click to expand...

My phrasing was crap. I meant that I was going to switch to the Derby, the Merkur did this. I don't blame the blade necessarily, I think it's poor technique to blame. I just thought I'd try a different blade to eliminate the blade as the problem. If it flares up again, technique is obviously to blame. If not, maybe I just need a slightly sharper blade than the Merkur.

I'll try to relax slightly too. As you say, comfort and enjoyment should be the goal first.
 
No, you can blame the Merkur - they're shit.

Derby should provide more comfort, but many don't find them very sharp.
 
Would you recommend an Astra or Personna instead?

Also, little update. My dad went to get a haircut at his barber today and came home with a bottle of styptic solution for which he was fleeced $12. It's a reasonable bottle that should last a lifetime though, and he didn't ask me for coin which was nice.
 
Personna Red or Astra or even a Gillette Black would be better than a Merkur or a Derby.
 
SYD if I had any Derbies I would gladly PIF them your way.

I didn't like them, but that's just part of the awesomeness that is DE shaving.

What might be right for you might not be right for some.

It takes diff'rent strokes to move the world..
 
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