Mr. Kratom

Okay, I've tried it. I don't want to say anything definitive right now, but my initial feeling is that the stuff is not as strong as I was expecting.Now, my expectations were based on the reports I've read on this board - so maybe my hopes were a little too high. Don't get me wrong, the stuff works fine, but I was anticipating better for the price. I need to reserve my final judgement until I've had a chance to compare it with a few other sources. Speaking of which, do any of you have any Kavaman Kratom from an earlier purchase? And if so, could I buy some of it, or, alternatively, I could send a sample of mine. I want to confirm that what I have is at least as good as what he has been selling in the past. Those of you with direct experience with Kavaman's Kratom, I would greatly appreciate it if you could summarize your experiences here, or via private message. If I recall correctly, I believe one or more people have commented that Kavaman's Kratom smelled and tasted better than other sources. Well, mine does not smell or taste particularly great. Mine is powdered, I don't know if that makes a difference. Anyway, feedback would be appreciated! Thanks, Mike, aka Mr. Kratom

I see you've already edited your message, but - as idplugg said - nobody sent me any money, I paid for it all myself, upfront. And, also as idplugg said, not everyone in on the deal lives in Oz.fyi. Mike

Well, it took a HELL of a lot longer than the two weeks that Kavaman promised, but I FINALLY have the Kratom, right now, in my house! I picked it up earlier today at the airport. Anyway, I just wanted to give everyone a heads-up. I'll post back after I've had a chance to test the stuff out. Mike, aka Mr. Kratom

Whew, okay - I just received a copy of an Air Waybill showing that the Kratom is finally en route to Kavaman's current location. Once he receives it, he will then need to ship it to me here in the U.S.So, it looks like we're finally getting closer. FYI. Mike, aka Mr. Kratom

I have a similar problem with spider mites. A little while back, I tried spraying the plant with a mixture of Kratom tea and Murphy's oil soap. I figured that the alkaloids the plant produces might be part of a natural defense mechanism (I don't know that for a fact, I just didn't want to use strong chemicals). Anyway, it seemed to work for a few weeks, but they're back now. I have a few other plants in the same room, and the buggers don't seem to be bothering them. Seems insects love Kratom as much as humans?? Mike

Just another update...still no Kratom! I'm trying to find out exactly what is going on. I'll post when I find out. FYI. Mike

Note: Please don't be offended by the following comments - I'm trying to be logical, not emotional.Theo, I think your post is rather ironic, in that it is a perfect example of exactly what is wrong here in America: Polarization. The problem is that there is no compromise anymore. Everyone has their own special interests, and no-one is willing to give an inch on those interests. Lets take the environment, for example. I personally think that safe air, food, and water should be the top environmental priorities. And although these ideas are likely shared by all environmentalists, there are sub-factions that have other, higher, priorities - species protection, wildlife habitat protection, and so on. Instead of trying to reach a logical, common-ground, and realistic list of priorities, each faction insists that their own agenda must come first. The result is anarchy, and it makes it difficult to gain wide public support because of all the differences of opinions between factions. Furthermore, America is a very culturally diverse country. Every culture has its own agenda and priorities. Lets take blacks, for example. I think it is probably fair to say that blacks (in America) share moral views that are more in common with typical right-wing Christians - i.e. Republicans - rather than left-wing Democrats. Rich or poor, black families tend to have strong religious beliefs. Yet, blacks tend to vote Democrat, primarily because of the Republicans historical opposition to Affirmative Action. Americal also has a lot of poor immigrants. These people often have very different priorities than others. Take Cuban exiles - they'll vote for anyone opposed to Castro. And, going back to your opinions on Iraq - your statements are rather extreme - referring to "crimes against humanity". Now, I agree that Bush didn't tell the truth about WMD. Yet, I also think that in the long run, Iraq will be better off without Saddam. He did kill a lot of innocent people, you know. And, yes, the U.S. may be better off as well. Or it could all get worse, and never improve. Regardless of the motive, I am glad that Saddam is gone. Only time will tell whether the lives lost as a result of the invasion were in vain, or not. I'm not a stupid, nor ignorant, person - yet I have these views. Clearly there has to be room for negotiation between your view on Iraq and my own. Also, let me share my views on Israel and the Palestinians. My opinion is that in any conflict between the powerful and the oppressed, it is the powerful that must make concession. Those who are oppressed - the Palestinians - do not have anything to lose. Thus, Israel must make heavy concessions in order to solve this conflict. Argh, I have to go to a meeting, so let me wrap this up: Due to vast cultural differences, it will always be difficult to reach reasonable compromise. However, the various special-interest groups could help this by reaching compromise amongst themselves first. Everyone - including you and me - should strive to avoid polarization of views. Try to compromise - try to see the other side. If enough people could do this, we could form a lobby perhaps strong enough to cause political change. Gotta go. Mike, aka Mr. Kratom

Argh, no, I haven't received it yet Kavaman sent me an e-mail on Tuesday indicating that the Kratom was in transit to him, waiting for the next flight (Friday) to his location (offshore, not in Australia). So, theoretically, he should get it today (er, depending on the time, he may have it now.)Anyway, I'm at the top of the anxious list, since I pre-paid for the stuff up-front Sorry for the delays in updates, though - it's been hectic lately. Hopefully I will have some good news soon! Mike, aka, Mr. Kratom

Another update for those "in" on the deal: I talked to Kavaman, and he said that he has not yet received the shipment from his supplier. He said that heavy rain was delaying the drying process; the stuff must be dry before shipping. Anyway, he said it just needs another day or two of sunshine, and then it should be ready for his supplier to send it to him. Once Kavaman receives it, he will then forward it on to me. I'll keep y'all posted. Mike, aka, Mr. Kratom

That date better hold for reasons of legality. One week USA -> Oz is optimistic for air-mail; two weeks for surface mail. Needless to say, I would suggest using unlabelled (or even mislabelled) packaging. Considering I've never shipped anything outside of the USA before, I'm open for suggestions as to just what exactly I should put on the packaging! "Herbal Tea"?Mr. Kratom

By the way, if anyone is interested in this article, let me know via e-mail - I've already purchased a copy.Mike

A question: Some of you folks seem to know a lot about Kratom sources. Now, I'm already "hooked up" with Kavaman for wholesale quantities, but I wouldn't mind finding other sources (minus the middleman), even for lower grade stuff. Any contacts? Thanks, Mike, aka, Mr. Kratom

My own take on this, based on various things that I've read here and elsewhere, is that "old" "wild" Kratom seems to be the most potent. First, regarding "wild" vs. "cultivated": "wild" Kratom might be more potent due to increased stress likely encountered in its natural habitat; as Torsten mentions above, stress seems to increase potency. In contrast, "cultivated" Kratom is more likely to be well taken care of - thus less stress, resulting in a less potent product. Second, age might be a factor for similar reasons: "old" Kratom trees will have been exposed to more stress over their lifetime than "young" trees. According to Kavaman, his Kratom is harvested from "wild" trees that are over 20 years old. This single data point supports the "old & wild" theory, but additional data from other sources is needed. Additionally, there was an interesting article published just last month (K. Matsumoto et al. / Life Sciences 74 (2004) 2143–2155) that talks about the discovery of a new compound, 7-hydroxymitragynine, that is a minor constituent among Kratom alkaloids. This compound occurs naturally in the leaf, at low levels, but it is very potent - stronger than morphine. My hypothesis (you heard it from me first!) is that this compound may be responsible for the differences in potency among Kratom leaf sources. I.e., perhaps "old" "stressed" plants (such as, presumably, Kavaman's) produce more 7-hydroxymitragynine than "gently cultivated" plants. If its not too expensive, I'd like to perform (or pay someone to perform) a complete chemical analysis of Kavaman's Kratom (once I get it), along with samples of some other sources. Mike, aka, Mr. Kratom

Hi, just wanted to post an update to everyone "in" on the deal: Right now, it looks like I should have the Kratom in my hands by the end of next week (Friday, April 23). If that date holds, then I should be able to ship the stuff back out to you guys by Monday, April 26. I'll send out pm's to everyone early-to-mid next week with explicit instructions on how to proceed. In the meantime, I may be slow to respond, as I am spending a lot of time both at my real job, and also on my upcoming website. FYI. Mike, aka Mr. Kratom

Hi people, Sorry about the delay, but as Torsten mentioned, my user profile was 'eaten'. Anyway - yes, the deal is still 'on' for those of you that got in before I had to close it. I lost all my personal messages, but fortunately, my pm's were being forwarded to my e-mail address anyway, so I think I have everyone. I'll send a pm to all of you later. I wired the money to Kavaman yesterday, and should have the Kratom in my hands within a couple of weeks. Unforunately, due to the size of the order, it will be shipped to me first (here in the U.S.), and I will then re-ship it back out to you guys - so, I'll need to add shipping costs. With regards to getting 'in' on the deal - sorry, but it is too late for that. I've already sized and placed the order - and sent the funds. Will I have extra to sell? Well, yes. As I mentioned earlier, the price was good enough that I decided to max my credit cards and buy a large quantity to resell. So, I'm busy building my website at the moment ;-) In the meantime, and especially if you live in Australia, I recommend that you order from Kavaman. Umm, I think that's it. Let me know if anyone has any questions. Mike, aka, Mr. Kratom