LooBlade - a revolution in toilet-cleaning!

LooBlades by the pallet load
over 9 years ago – Mon, Oct 17, 2016 at 09:26:12 PM

Here’s what full pallets of newly forged LooBlades look like. We’re making almost fifty of these. A very pleasing sight, after a long haul!

During the process of running the overmoulded handle part at volume we have hit an issue with the rejection rate. The percentage of run that is below design quality was proving too high to be acceptable. Our partners at Sauba/Prover focus heavily on quality on our behalf and they have worked on this through last week, and devised a solution. The handle tool is back in the workshop as of Friday for modification. It will be back in action later this week to complete on the run.  

We’re aiming to do a final formal firm-up of dispatch dates in the course of next week and we’ll share as soon as we can.

There are almost 50 original backers from KS who haven't yet completed their original survey regarding product choice and address. We'd be very grateful for their response when we send the system reminder again.

Once again thanks to all for their patience and kind comments.

Not only water closets...
over 9 years ago – Sun, Oct 09, 2016 at 12:41:03 AM

As a fresh flush of change in the otherwise earnest world of loo paraphenalia, please do explore the KS project launched recently by my friends and colleagues at ER Magazine.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1720724620/er21

'ER21'- which celebrates 21 years of The Erotic Review Magazine, in a limited edition volume of literary highlights.

ER Magazine is a national cultural treasure of Britishness. The creation célèbre of (the honourable) Jamie Maclean, a true homme universel, and fellow Scot, yet longtime London embedded sleeper agent. Notably, his father is the illustrious Sir Fitzroy Maclean, writer, historian, soldier and confidant of Marshall Tito, and much speculated as one of Ian Fleming's inspirations for James Bond (alongside his once brother-in-arms, and founder of the SAS, David Stirling, another Caledonian!)

Jamie, I think of as a warrior poet in his own right in the realms of art, freedom, publishing, enlightened sexuality, equality, openness, and all round joie de vivre. Think, Hefner with brains and class. ER Magazine is his creation and nurtured to its unique ascendancy on the London scene, it's now under the deft navigation of Lisa Moylett, a further voortrekker in the pantheon of literary bon vision.

It has been rumoured that the colourful, storied and eccentric tableau of ER's nascence and rising success has been optioned by the talented Rachel Weiss (by Jungian synchronicity, spouse of the current soigné portrayer of Bond, Daniel Craig). We couldn't possibly comment...

So please lend them your support, and share in a cultural phenomenon that has attracted contributions from many lettered and illustrious names including Booker prize winners, front-rank politicians, great journalists and many cultural commentators.

I also recommend a new collection of short stories published this week by 'Head of Zeus' in London; 'Desire', stories chosen by the irreplaceable Mariella Frostrup, in close consort with ER Magazine. The august and varied company comprises, Nabokov, Joyce, Lawrence, Nin, Miller, Reage, Bataille, Fowles, Dahl, Stoker, amongst many others. There's even a literary excursion by one 'Garry Stewart', pg. 463., who sounds slightly familiar...

The book was featured last night at the Cheltenham Literary Festival, UK, with readings by the actress Anna Chancellor ('Duckface' in 'Four Weddings...', she'd kill me for that...) , and Mariella & Lisa, themselves, rocking the show!

Quick update
over 9 years ago – Mon, Oct 03, 2016 at 10:15:16 PM

There are now almost two thousand more LooBlades in the world than there were two weeks ago. 

Production has been a little slower than planned as we gear up and refine the process, and one of the raw materials for the handle was later in arriving than expected but our manufacturing partners have got process and supplies tied down now.  

We expect to be completing the initial batch to fulfil backer pledges towards the end of next week, and then onto assembly the following week at our second facility, Shipping will then commence the week after. Surveys will be coming out in the next two days.

Once the shipping process begins you'll get advice on dispatch and expected delivery dates.  

Thank you again for your superb patience and support as we've worked to bring you something that fulfils our aims and visions. 

LooBlade- coming to a toilet near you soon!!

LooBlades are go!
over 9 years ago – Sat, Sep 10, 2016 at 11:35:22 PM

Waahay! We have a fully working tool set producing great quality parts and we are ready to go at long last. The handle tool just needed that extra bit of finessing, and the teams at Prover and Sauba have worked late into the nights testing, retesting and reworking until we got what we needed. Terrific effort and acheivement on their part, for which we thank them. 

So we will commence production this coming week. 

Thank you again for your tremendous patience and generous support all the way through this. 

Finishing line in sight!
over 9 years ago – Tue, Aug 30, 2016 at 12:29:56 PM

Sorry that we’ve been focussed on finalising production and firming dates.

Thanks to everyone for their kind comments and support.

When we began running the handle in quantity last week we were finding that the overmold element was not sufficiently consistent to achieve the quality we are aiming at. Head and holder are great however! 

Our experienced partners at Sauba and Prover, have pondered the issue and they’ve found a solution. The tool is back to the workshop for the modification and due back tomorrow for a further test run. We’re looking forward to sharing shots of the complete units once we begin running again. 

We are confident that this will achieve the result we are after and the plan is then as follows: 

Production begins -Week 36 

Assembly and packing by Augustinum Disability Workshop Week 37/38 

Shipping commences -Week 38/39 

We will be sending out Backerkit surveys to finalise address details etc. in the course of next week. 

There are still 49 original KS Backers who haven’t given any details at all yet, so we’d be very grateful if they could respond when the final survey comes out. 

Thank you all so much for believing in LooBlade. We’ll get back to plugging to get these out to you!