Bevel—Addressing the Minority Shaving Problem
Finally a killer startup for black guys
I admit, I’m a little late on this one.
I just found out about new Silicon Valley shaving startup Bevel last weekend, and believe me, you won’t want to sleep on what this brand is doing.
Now, I know what you’re probably thinking—for real, another shaving company? How many more of these are coming?
I have no idea, but what I do know is that this one is different, and here’s why.
Bevel, and founder Tristan Walker, are directly tackling the single biggest issue that black guys face with shaving—razor bumps. As a black guy, I can vouch for this problem, and I’m actually surprised no one’s addressed it sooner.
What I like about Bevel as a company, aside from the actual product which we’ll get into in a little bit, is the branding behind it, the message that Tristan is putting forth. One of the issues that I personally have a problem with when it comes to black consumer goods products is that they simply don’t speak to me. They seem outdated, lackluster in their message; not up to par in their branding or packaging, any of it. I’m a millennial, and trust me, when we are your target audience that stuff matters, especially to black guys like myself who are used to a certain standard when it comes to products we support.
Needless to say, it’s pretty clear that Tristan knows what’s up.
He’s speaking a specific language that black guys like me get. When I went to the website, I was instantly hooked. The packaging was spot on, the website design was clean and straightforward, and at the bottom there’s a promo video that helps to hammer home exactly what Bevel is about.
You see nostalgic black-and-white clips of smoky jazz sessions and 60's-era barbershops, there’s a relatable looking dude in a tasteful, masculine apartment, and he’s talking about throwbacks and just general good shit.
The message is clear and it just feels right. Best of all, there’s no silly music with ukeleles, tambourines, or whistling with some effeminate guy explaining the product (about time), nor does the narrative revolve around a better shave to please some chick, and not for your own benefit (never a good look). Bevel is speaking to the successful, educated, health- and style-conscious black guy, who likes things done a certain way and seeks premium quality. Everything flows together seamlessly, and after taking it all in, I simply nodded in approval.
Bevel, you have my respect. And you speak my language.
Now back to the product. Tristan has made it clear that he’s not trying to introduce another razor brand. His company is addressing a specific problem and it’s more of a comprehensive, end-to-end solution to that problem, than another direct-to-consumer razor startup.
Rather than simply selling razors, the concept is the entire shaving system. It comes with a single blade safety razor (a precision instrument our grandfathers used) made from hefty high-grade brass, a shaving brush that lifts hairs and exfoliates the face, as well as a proprietary primer oil, shaving cream, and aftershave that are all specifically formulated to reduce razor bumps.
And so far, it sounds like it really works well:
What’s got me really impressed is the fact that Bevel is the ONLY brand out there focusing on this niche in such a precise way. Black guys have been trying all sorts of solutions for quite some time with very little luck, and now there’s a product that speaks our language, is run by someone who gets it, and fully addresses the single biggest shaving problem we have. Think about if Bevel is able to completely dominate the market by being the first entry. They certainly have that potential based on what I’ve seen, and by teaming up with Josh Kissi and Travis Gumbs of Street Etiquette, two guys who have MAJOR clout with black fashion heads (one of Bevel’s core audiences), they’ve started out of the gates in a big way.
Silicon Valley seems to agree with me, as Tristan’s been able to secure $2.4 million in capital from the likes of Andreesen Horowitz, SV Angel, Sherpa Ventures, and others.
Oh, and for you hip-hop heads out there, Nas is also on board.
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