Potassium alum mineral salt, the potassium double sulfate of aluminum, is a unique mineral because it has antiseptic and astringent properties that are particularly useful for wet shavers.  When rubbed on wet skin, alum provides a mild stinging sensation similar to that of an alcohol-based aftershave splash and it helps to close pores and tighten the skin while also sealing any small nicks from shaving.  Prior to the invention of antibiotics, alum blocks were used regularly to prevent infections that might have occurred from nicks or cuts. While alum blocks are typically cut into square or rectangular blocks, a more innovative alum product has been designed for the traditional wet shaver, the RazoRock.

Sometimes it is difficult to get a good, usable lather from a shaving soap or shaving cream, depending on the hardness of the water, floppiness of the brush, and properties of the product. Shaving 101 has published two articles that break down the building process step by step for two beloved, but challenging, products. Both Tabula Rasa and Mitchell's Wool Fat Shaving Soap are fantastic products that everyone should try at least once -- if not regularly. This article reiterates the "Load/Hydrate Technique" and offers instructions on building the perfect cushioning lather.

The Harvard is not one of the more common Simpson models that you see around. This particular shaving brush came from an old stock of Simpsons from several years ago. This was back in the days of the Manchurians, before the buzz about shedding and quality issues came about. This brush is the largest of the Harvard models. The knot is large and extremely dense, so that it hardly blooms at all even after intense lathering.