Straight Razor Place Forums

The 444 Alum Block is a big block, it is made by the Portuguese company 444 who produce shaving needs at a low price. This Alum Block is no exception, at 3.95 Euro from The Vintage Scent it is a real bargain.

The 444 Alum Block does what an Alum Block should do; stop bleeding, close pores and sting of course. I have only used a Styptic Pencil before and the Block has some clear advantages. You can use it on your whole shave face and also it, unlike the pencil, does not dissolve. This block can probably serve me well for years to come.
Well what about the 444 Alum Block? It is a big block at 7.5x5x2.5 cm (3x2x1 inches) which has its advantages and disadvantages. A big block is clumsier than a smaller one, but on the other hand it covers a lot of real estate.
As an Alum Block it does the job fine, what one would expect an Alum Block would do. A good thing is that Alum Blocks gives you feedback on your shaving, where you need to improve technique it stings..and sometimes with a vengeance this way you know how your technique is.
One bad thing that I have noticed with the 444 Alum Block is that it has quite sharp edges that can be a little "hurtey" on a newly shaved face, perhaps one could sand the edges smooth?
But still at that price it is a great buy, great value for an essetial product, at 3.95 you can't go wrong.

About the seller
As stated before I ordered the Alum Block from The Vintage Scent, through the SRP member Leon. One can only say he is a nice gentleman, easy to talk to and easy to contact. I fist ordered a block that was defect due to water damage I suspect. But Leon was kind enough to offer me a new one free of charge and in perfect condition.

Pros
Price
Size of block (covers much of your face)
Does the job

Cons
Sharp edges
Size of block (can be a little clumsy)

Final Grade
4/5