What does PIF mean?

I am seeing references to the acronym PIF? What does this mean?

Thanks!

PIF
Pay It Forward. Rather than "paying it back" to older members, paying it forward means giving away shaving equipment to newbies. PIF can be used as a noun or a verb.

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It is also seen when someone has a fairly expensive item that others want to try. Some guys will PIF an item to members so they can try it and make sure they like it before dropping a large sum of money.

This doesn't necessarily imply that the item that was PIF'd was done so for free, right? I take it to mean that the razor or whatever was kept "in the family" of B&B members. Would that be a correct assessment?

From the wiki:

PIF
Pay It Forward. Rather than "paying it back" to older members, paying it forward means giving away shaving equipment to newbies. PIF can be used as a noun or a verb.

Click to expand...

IronHammer said:

This doesn't necessarily imply that the item that was PIF'd was done so for free, right? I take it to mean that the razor or whatever was kept "in the family" of B&B members. Would that be a correct assessment?

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Items PIF'd are given Free of charge. Sometimes people ask that shipping costs be covered, but that is it. Example: When I was a newbie, I was PIF'd a starter set from an experienced member. After I was further along and had accrued more stuff, Rather than repaying his gift to him, I created a PIF to give to another Newbie. More people benefit this way.

Another use of PIF is a "Pass It Forward". Where a product (soap, aftershave, razor, scuttle, etc) is passed to a member to try out for a few days. After their trial run, they pass it to the next person, and so on, until the list of those who want to try it is exhausted.

Thanks for clarifying these things, everybody! It's a real pleasure to spend time here at B&B!

IronHammer said:

This doesn't necessarily imply that the item that was PIF'd was done so for free, right? I take it to mean that the razor or whatever was kept "in the family" of B&B members. Would that be a correct assessment?

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Something like that.

A PIF is an item that you pass to someone else.

As an example. You have a bottle of Aftershave, you can use it or not. You decide not to sell it but instead giving it away. You would go to the PIF/Contest/Donations forum and create your own PIF to give that bottle of Aftershave.

When you post, it will be something in the lines of:

I have X aftershave that I want to give away. First person who reply gets it.

Or it could be post a number and you will randomly pick one, etc.

Pay It Forward comes from the unspeakably horrible book/movie of the same name.

The idea is that when you see someone in need, do them a favor with no expectation of thanks or reward with the proviso that they have to do the same for someone else when they're in a position to. One day you might need help, and a stranger will step in to assist.

Around here, that generally means sharing equipment with newcomers or folks in need (starving students, military personnel deployed overseas, the odd guy/gal who just lost their job, things like that). Most of us were the beneficiary of at least one PIF early on, so we 'owe' it to the new guys to help them out. Doesn't happen on any other website I know of.

I still hate Haley Joel Osment, though.

An example of a PIF that occurred yesterday.

I happen to have a few spare Gillette Techs taking up space. I would be happy to PIF you one. That means pay it forward, its free, all yours no cost. I even have a few Merkur blades, and some Parma Violet soap to throw in to sweeten the deal.

And with the luck you have finding razors Mr. Hammer, do not expect a PIF.

I see. I love the concept! And those Techs do seem to be the most common!

I will certainly keep an eye out for these kinds of people and do my level best to help them out.

Thanks for all the great responses!

IronHammer said:

This doesn't necessarily imply that the item that was PIF'd was done so for free, right? I take it to mean that the razor or whatever was kept "in the family" of B&B members. Would that be a correct assessment?

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Actually, the pay it forward concept is that someone provides stuff to you as a 'PIF' without the expectation that you will pay them back. Rather, the expectation is that you will, in turn, provide a 'PIF' in the future to another worthy/needy recipient, and so on...

PIF's are a time-honored tradition here at B&B.

-- John Gehman