Don't eat the alum.

Yesterday as I was finishing the shave routine and applying the alum the missus decided she would sneak up behind me and give me a surprise. The only surprise I got was the alum block right in the mouth. For those of you who have never chowed down on alum I have some sage advice for you, don't do it. The taste is indescribable and the effect even worse. It reminded me of a 3 stooges routine where they are cooking and one of them adds alum to the recipe by mistake and the result is a very funny sight routine.

This wasn't funny and you can't just rinse the taste out of your mouth. Not only that the taste leaves you with psychological memory of the experience and every time I see the stuff the taste comes back.

Now I know what you are all thinking, good thing I wasn't holding the razor but she knows well enough not to do that...I hope.

I never "ate" one like you did, but did get some on the lips and most certainly avoid getting a taste of it if at all possible....YUCK!!!!!!

When I bought some, my girlfriend wanted to know how it tasted.... She licked the block and had a funny face (to me anyway) for over an hour.

This thread is already bringing back nightmares. When I was a kid, I would get pretty bad canker sores inside my mouth from being anemic. To heal them up, my doctor suggested using alum. Horrible taste and sting but worked wonders on the sores.

Made me chortle reading this!
She wanted to know what it tasted like? Why? Pmsl!

For overpowering hot sauce the best thing to do is sprinkle salt on your tongue. It takes the sting away better than drinking cold water, at least for me. Maybe that might work for accidental alum ingestion.

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Originally Posted by Theseus

This thread is already bringing back nightmares. When I was a kid, I would get pretty bad canker sores inside my mouth from being anemic. To heal them up, my doctor suggested using alum. Horrible taste and sting but worked wonders on the sores.

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Replace doctor with grandmother and you've got my story exactly. It really does work though. Powdered alum, YUCK!

You know, this has made me think about how much of a prankster I am...oh how to get teh alum to the victims lips...ya got me to thinking.

There is a Bugs Bunny episode where he shrinks an opera singer's head by putting alum in his water.

I guess, at least be glad that didn't happen to you.

You'd see it in Tom & Jerry as well.

Horn

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Yesterday as I was finishing the shave routine and applying the alum the missus decided she would sneak up behind me and give me a surprise. The only surprise I got was the alum block right in the mouth. For those of you who have never chowed down on alum I have some sage advice for you, don't do it. The taste is indescribable and the effect even worse. It reminded me of a 3 stooges routine where they are cooking and one of them adds alum to the recipe by mistake and the result is a very funny sight routine.

This wasn't funny and you can't just rinse the taste out of your mouth. Not only that the taste leaves you with psychological memory of the experience and every time I see the stuff the taste comes back.

Now I know what you are all thinking, good thing I wasn't holding the razor but she knows well enough not to do that...I hope.

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thank you for the strong advice :) i had wondered a few times what it tasted like and did contemplate touching it to the tip of my tongue as it looks like nothing more than a crystal. im now glad i didn't however i might be able to convince the mrs to try ;)

also even with your good advice you know that someone reading this thread is going to think "hmm it cannot be that bad" and give it a go haha

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Yesterday as I was finishing the shave routine and applying the alum the missus decided she would sneak up behind me and give me a surprise. The only surprise I got was the alum block right in the mouth. For those of you who have never chowed down on alum I have some sage advice for you, don't do it. The taste is indescribable and the effect even worse. It reminded me of a 3 stooges routine where they are cooking and one of them adds alum to the recipe by mistake and the result is a very funny sight routine.

This wasn't funny and you can't just rinse the taste out of your mouth. Not only that the taste leaves you with psychological memory of the experience and every time I see the stuff the taste comes back.

Now I know what you are all thinking, good thing I wasn't holding the razor but she knows well enough not to do that...I hope.

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Alum is a fantastic products for mouth sores just chip out a little chunk put it right on the sore in your mouth let it slowly disolved
couple days after its gone!!

Spendur, I had to laugh, and then my first thought was that you should bless your wife! She is keeping you young wondering what she will do to you next!

Best Regards,
Joe

Am I the only one who doesn't mind the taste? I wouldn't chow down on a block but it has a kind of lemony Angostura taste. But I also pound back gin and tonics dosed heavily with Angostura bitters so...I'm kinda used to it.

Alum... Gin and Tonic... Bitters... yup. That must be why it rolls ok for me when I get that inevitable lip-drip! I don't think I'll take it any further though... with age comes wisdom. Theoretically...

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Originally Posted by KrazieSj

Am I the only one who doesn't mind the taste? I wouldn't chow down on a block but it has a kind of lemony Angostura taste. But I also pound back gin and tonics dosed heavily with Angostura bitters so...I'm kinda used to it.

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What kind of Alum are you using?

Mine don't taste like that. No way no how.

It's not just the taste itself. Alum has a definite physical effect on your mouth. That's why there are many comedy skits from the 1930s and 40s using it.

PICKLES

YOU've all eaten it. It's what makes Pickles crisp!:
INGREDIENTS:
4 quarts cucumbers
6 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup salt
6 heads fresh dill, more or less if desired
4 cloves garlic
alum, 0.25 ts per quart

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Originally Posted by Theseus

This thread is already bringing back nightmares. When I was a kid, I would get pretty bad canker sores inside my mouth from being anemic. To heal them up, my doctor suggested using alum. Horrible taste and sting but worked wonders on the sores.

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Yuck. But I think the Silver Nitrate sticks we use these days for Oral Aphthae might be worse.

Well I had to be the one, after shaving last night I saw my alum block sitting there and was reminded of this thread, now when i get a little on my lips and accidently lick them it's not so bad (not something I look forward to) but just straight living the block not so much tastes bad but the way it makes my mouth feel is just bad. But just had to try lol
-dan-

Ammonium Alum.

Or if you were inquiring as to brand I got the Crystal Deodorant.

If I lick it I'd get the pucker you're talking about. But just the drip on the lips, doesn't bother me in the slightest.

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Originally Posted by KrazieSj

Ammonium Alum.Or if you were inquiring as to brand I got the Crystal Deodorant.

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IIRC, the type of alum used for post-shave is potasium alum.

I eat the stuff all the time. One good cut above the lip and it'll run into your mouth. I think the taste of Alum was a big factor in learning to shave. LOL

When I used to have my styptic pen, I decided to lick it one day because I'm an idiot. I found the results of eating it are similar to applying it to a fresh wound. Terrible.

I've been told SOP for Navy Seals about to go on an exercise is to eat a block of alum. It puts them in the proper state of mind.:rofl2:

I've eaten a lot of it. I always forget to close my mouth when rinsing it off, or when putting it on.
It's a very sour metallic taste that takes hours to go away. god i love it.

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Originally Posted by medicevans

Replace doctor with grandmother and you've got my story exactly. It really does work though. Powdered alum, YUCK!

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Same here.

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Originally Posted by rearviewmirror

I've eaten a lot of it. I always forget to close my mouth when rinsing it off, or when putting it on.
It's a very sour metallic taste that takes hours to go away. god i love it.

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Every once in a while I give it a lick because it gives me that same kind of weird pleasure licking the top of a 9V battery does.

Sweet, puckering, slightly painful, but addictive.

anyone ever bitten an un-ripe persimmon? pretty much the same thing as licking an alum block or a styptic pencil.

When cutting myself I use alum. If using alum proportional I think the taste that gets in your mouth is not so bad at all. It gives me a hygienic feeling.

I am by the way stunned by the impact of alum on cuts. It has an enormous healing effect and cuts seam to disappear like snow for the sun. Never imagined that.

For me hot sauce usually responds to a teaspoon of sugar. Did you ever bite into an unripe persimmon? You'll pucker for an hour. I wonder if it's due to the same chemical?

Also, if any of you are like me and loved Warheads and Crybabies as kids, the primary component of the sour kick, along with citric acid, is alum.

Bubba