I think people do a good job of making it known that Fatips have that one, glaring, easily fixable, frustrating downside. I don’t think anyone would order one based on a recommendation without knowing about the blade alignment thing, so it shouldn’t sneak up on anyone.

One other neat thing about the Gentile is the safety bar makes for a really good visual reference for the blade being aligned. The open comb Fatips are more difficult to align IMO.

When it comes to wardrobe, I find relish a better option than mustard.

December 2, 2024

• Brush: Maggard 24mm SHD Bulb
• Razor: Fatip Classic Testina Gentile
• Blade: Polsilver Super Iridium (3)
• Lather: Barrister & Mann - Lyssa - Soap
• Post Shave: Barrister & Mann - Lyssa - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Goodfellow & Co. - Face Lotion - Kelp & Sea Mineral
• Fragrance: Brut - EdT

I really like the Fatip Gentile. I think it’d probably be a good “beginner” razor recommendation, and I might do a side-by-side comparison with a Merkur 34C soon. Both are on the mild side, but with good technique you get really nice close shaves.

Pros:

1. Built like a tank with all brass construction
2. Mild
3. Under $40USD

Cons:

1. Blade needs to be manually aligned, which isn’t for everyone
2. New shavers might complain that the shave isn’t close enough, so a beginner might need to be reminded to focus on comfort, with closeness coming after developing good technique.
3. Uses different threading than other razors, so compatibility with other razor heads/handles is limited.

Central Texas Soaps - Down By The River

A nice fresh scent, even though the scent description talks about dirt and mud for some reason.

December 1, 2024

• Brush: Maggard 24mm Synthetic
• Razor: Fatip Classic Testina Gentile
• Blade: Polsilver Super Iridium (2)
• Lather: Viking Shaving Soap - Norway - Soap
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Varen - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Goodfellow & Co. - Face Lotion - Kelp & Sea Mineral
• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. - Varen - EdT

Nice!

Why would it be in a Russian newspaper?

November 30, 2024

• Brush: Summer Break Soaps w/Maggard 28mm Silvertip Badger
• Razor: Fatip Classic Testina Gentile
• Blade: Polsilver Super Iridium (1)
• Lather: Barrister & Mann - Promises - Soap
• Post Shave: Noble Otter - The Night Before - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Goodfellow & Co. - Face Lotion - Kelp & Sea Mineral

Late post. I tried posting earlier using my Nextcloud spreadsheet on my phone, but got frustrated with not being able to click on the drop-downs. I guess I’ll keep my Google sheets version for when I’m out and about.

This marks the return of the Fatip Gentile to my selection of razors. The last time I tried to use it I couldn’t find it, then realized I had sent it off to a fellow shavers to try. I sent it just before the Lather Games so naturally we both forgot about it. I told them to keep it and ordered this one from Maggard. It’s just as good as I remember. Nice and mild, and efficient enough.

It was a pleasure reading all about the different razors and I learned a lot. Unfortunately there was a database error and we have to restore a 3 week old backup, but I’m sure you’ll understand.

Just kidding!

I almost installed Racoon yesterday, but didn’t. I’ll have to check it out.

🥧🥧🥧

This type of spruce produces needles instead of rings. So there are 9,000+ needles on the tree, and they add on a hundred or so years to account for people picking them off in passing.

Yeah, it was sort of surprising because each pie gets 1.5 cups of brown sugar… so mine wasn’t not sweet.

My pumpkin pie won the “Family Favorite” award. My competition was a store-bought pie from a really good local bakery. Theirs was much sweeter, with less spice.

The whipped cream turned out really good, too. We have plenty of pie left over, so I’ll get to enjoy it again later today.

November 29, 2024

• Brush: Summer Break Soaps w/Maggard 28mm Silvertip Badger
• Razor: MMOC Gen 2
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (5)
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Bespoke #1 - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Santa Noir - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Goodfellow & Co. - Face Lotion - Kelp & Sea Mineral

If this was my first experience with this soap base, I would be very dissapointed! My brush was too wet, and oof. Puffy and almost useless. Totally different than yesterday with the same soap! I imagine when people say this soap base isn’t very good, this is what they’re referring to. Luckily I normally do it correctly and load with a relatively dry brush, and the lather is fantastic.

Agree, 100%. I was in charge of Pumpkin Pie today and made 2 practice ones leading up to it. We bought one from a really great local bakery, and I made one. It wasn’t a double blind test, but mine was gone by the time the other one got half-way eaten. Big win!

Ah, that must have been the mistake I made the time I made mashed potatoes years ago and they ended up horribly stiff and hard. Nobody ate them haha. I must have gone overboard with trying to make them creamy and fluffy.

Pie++

November 28, 2024

• Brush: Chisel & Hound “Rob’s Finest” w/25mm Paragon Synthetic
• Razor: GEM Pushbutton
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (4)
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Bespoke #1 - Soap
• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. - Frankie & Myrna - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Goodfellow & Co. - Face Lotion - Kelp & Sea Mineral
• Fragrance: Barrister & Mann - Lavanille - EdP

I really like Bespoke #1. I should give away all the soaps that are just sorta mid to make room for scents like this. (I only have a sample for now)

I was looking at my aftershaves trying to decide if I had anything in the same ballpark to pair with the soap, and I picked Frankie & Myrna. I’m looking at the scent notes of Bespoke #1 now and Frankincense in Myrrh are both in there, so I nailed it.

Following along with @djundjila@sub.wetshaving.social’s NovGEMber, today is Pushbutton day. This was my first GEM razor and although I prefer some other GEMs at this point, this one still shaves really well.

Happy Thanksgiving!

That whole series never appealed to me, and I never even looked at the scent notes. A small part of me wishes I had at least gotten samples, though.

Ok, then change it to 10% and do the same math. If it goes up 10%, loses 3% to inflation, and they’re required to spend 5%, that leaves a 2% return. Next year they’ll have 2% more money, so 5% of that is even more… etc.

I was just saying Adam in the video makes it sound like 5% is bad?, without saying why it should be higher.

RMDs for some personal retirement accounts are in the same ballpark of 5%. Should people in retirement be required to withdraw more?