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BEVEL razor?

I'm not so sure it is. I don't have a problem with a company that seeks to address the particular shaving needs of African American men. The problem is, while Walker claims his products are the answer to African American shavers' woes, he fails to explain why his products are any better for those men than any number of other products on the market. Why is Bevel better for African Americans than, say, The Gentlemens Refinery or Art of Shaving, when those products are used in tandem with a DE? The answer is simple: it's not. Walker relies on dubious claims and a shill doctor citing unsubstantiated studies without disclosure of methodology to "back up" said claims. It's pure snake-oil scammery, and that's not even taking into account the all-or-nothing subscription model.

In essence, Walker is banking that his clientele aren't insightful enough to be able to cut through his BS, and will buy into his claims without so much as a thought. The fact that his efforts are aimed primarily at African Americans means a solid argument can be made that Walker is actually looking to take advantage of that demographic, not serve it. His practices should be an insult to any of his customers, however, irrespective of their race.

It's identity marketing, and it is not exclusive to him. Whether it is one's heritage, religion, regional affiliation, gender, or something else, there is an abundance of scams posing as one-to-another consideration. For example, there was an MLM company here that grew big and then collapsed. It was run by a Mormon. The recruiting and motivational literature was full of how Mormon brothers could hitch on to his scheme and get more time for families and service to the community. The "gift circle" scheme, by which women pay to join and collect from those they recruit, is a bald-faced pyramid scheme masquerading as easier money passed woman-to-woman. In the case of Bevel, the prospective customer is to believe that only a black entrepreneur and a black shill doctor know the way to healthy clean-shavenness, and it is worth a minimum of $1.00 per shave, payable to one of their own, to get there. In actuality, it does not matter what your color. There is plenty of gratis information out there for everyone, and it is knowledge that sets one free.
 
It goes to show how the marketing of cartridges has gone so far to create the perception of being the default solution. People don't even think about simple DE shaving any more. Present company excluded, of course.
 
I looked at the Bevel a while back, and I was not impressed.

The gear looks decent, but of course, the way it looks online doesn't really tell the whole story until you actually shave with it.

The company is obviously marketing to African American males as their target audience. By doing this, they are missing the mark and excluding themselves from a much broader selling opportunity. ANYBODY can use Bevel products. Caucasian, Hispanic, and Asian men can all benefit from high quality shave gear, but if they are not being included in the advertising, they might never know about it.

I don't like the subscription model. I've had subscriptions for other items, including coffee, and some exotic grocery items, and I find that my pantry filled up faster than I could use the stuff. So after a while, I had to suspend, and eventually cancel my subscriptions until I had used up the stockpile I already had, most of which had long since passed its expiration date.

With shaving gear, I can't imagine using the same thing every single day. I like variety and options, which is why my shave den is filled with so many different products. With making a one-time purchase from a company like Bevel, I'd be set for at least 5 years worth of shaving before I needed a refill.

And they charge $90 for a 90-day supply? That's about the same cost as cartridges, so where are the supposed savings?
 
I looked at the Bevel a while back, and I was not impressed.

The gear looks decent, but of course, the way it looks online doesn't really tell the whole story until you actually shave with it.

The company is obviously marketing to African American males as their target audience. By doing this, they are missing the mark and excluding themselves from a much broader selling opportunity. ANYBODY can use Bevel products. Caucasian, Hispanic, and Asian men can all benefit from high quality shave gear, but if they are not being included in the advertising, they might never know about it.

I don't like the subscription model. I've had subscriptions for other items, including coffee, and some exotic grocery items, and I find that my pantry filled up faster than I could use the stuff. So after a while, I had to suspend, and eventually cancel my subscriptions until I had used up the stockpile I already had, most of which had long since passed its expiration date.

With shaving gear, I can't imagine using the same thing every single day. I like variety and options, which is why my shave den is filled with so many different products. With making a one-time purchase from a company like Bevel, I'd be set for at least 5 years worth of shaving before I needed a refill.

And they charge $90 for a 90-day supply? That's about the same cost as cartridges, so where are the supposed savings?

I don't think they really promote themselves as being cheaper, a la Dollar Shave Club and the like, just a better way of shaving. And now that you say this, their pricing suddenly makes a lot more sense to me. I never used expensive multi blade carts and used electrics for years, so $30/month sounded shockingly high to me. But maybe it sounds more reasonable to guys used to paying that kind of money for carts anyway.
 
I'm not so sure it is. I don't have a problem with a company that seeks to address the particular shaving needs of African American men. The problem is, while Walker claims his products are the answer to African American shavers' woes, he fails to explain why his products are any better for those men than any number of other products on the market. Why is Bevel better for African Americans than, say, The Gentlemens Refinery or Art of Shaving, when those products are used in tandem with a DE? The answer is simple: it's not. Walker relies on dubious claims and a shill doctor citing unsubstantiated studies without disclosure of methodology to "back up" said claims. It's pure snake-oil scammery, and that's not even taking into account the all-or-nothing subscription model.

I wouldn't go so far as to compare it to snake oil - a few snake oil products did eventually prove to offer some minuscule benefit to the consumer - however he has done a horrible job at marketing the product; bordering the unethical along a razor thin line. While there is truth to the proclaimed benefits of Bevel, Mr. Walker has chosen to apply outrageous, on-the-surface deceptive marketing techniques which will eventually lead to negative business results.

I highly doubt in a year or two that Bevel will still be open for business anyway. He's marketing to a niche inside a niche, inside a niche - and further reducing this niche with poor, deceptive marketing. Black men with a high amount of disposable income that choose to shave with a safety razor is only a tiny portion of a vastly larger pool of consumers he could be targeting, though chooses not to.
 
While there is truth to the proclaimed benefits of Bevel...

Agreed. I'm not saying Bevel, as a product line, is bad. It could be perfectly good for all I know, or maybe even excellent. It's everything surrounding the line - the marketing, the claims, the subscription model, the lack of transparency of the sales terms, etc. - that make it problematic.

Ironically, whenever these threads pop up, I inevitably re-visit the company's website, and I notice changes that have been made since the previous discussion. These changes appear to be in response to criticisms leveled in these threads (e.g., ditching the deceptive $60 introductory price; providing a gift option, which allows people to buy a kit without subscribing, etc.). Walker has posted here in the past, and probably continues to observe comments, which means we're actually providing him with free marketing feedback and consultation. I'd ask for some kind of kickback from him in the form of freebies, but I have zero interest in trying the products.
 
Anyone who tries to convince me to buy a shaving system will never get my money. is it just me or is this "shave system" targetted at men of African origins ? Thats an interesting sales pitch. I am absolutely ignorant if the logic they are trying to apply indeed works for certain hair types and would be interested to know if DEs make a fantastic case for shaving by African men ?
 
Too much. I enjoy my vintage razors.
Now, if anyone could create an open toothed Fat Boy Razor, I would be on that, quickly.
 
and I don't even know what are la carte razors. :001_huh:

It means the razor can be purchased as a stand-alone item, such that you don't have to subscribe or buy the whole gift kit. It's an expression that comes from restaurant menu ordering.

Allowing the razor to be sold separately is a smart move. Most of the interest in Bevel that I have seen on this site comes from people who are attracted to the razor. I wouldn't be surprised if a number of members here order it.
 
The Bevel system has been discussed before. My opinion of the company or its system has not changed since that time. Caveat emptor.

I have a friend, who is also my priest, who has African American, shaving issues. He told me he was happy with the Bevel, razor and products. We had been discussing wet shaving and I gifted him a set.

I opted not to purchase the continuing supply system. I have not dealt with a more: cordial, professional, or courteous group than Mr. Walker and his staff.
 
I have not dealt with a more: cordial, professional, or courteous group than Mr. Walker and his staff.

That's good to know. It doesn't change my opinion of his marketing claims or tactics. One can be cordial, professional and courteous, and still be misleading. (Really, do you think Bernie Madoff kept his investors by being rude?)
 
That's good to know. It doesn't change my opinion of his marketing claims or tactics. One can be cordial, professional and courteous, and still be misleading. (Really, do you think Bernie Madoff kept his investors by being rude?)

I think Bernie's investors were welded to him by GREED. As long as they were getting 18% while everyone else got 4%, and they could brag about it. They wouldn't have cared how he treated them.
 
I think Bernie's investors were welded to him by GREED. As long as they were getting 18% while everyone else got 4%, and they could brag about it. They wouldn't have cared how he treated them.

Perhaps, but I think that misses the forest for the trees. I was using Madoff for the purposes of illustrating a principle, not to debate his actual demeanor*. My point was, good customer service and ill company intent are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, the former can be put into the service of the latter. Walker's marketing and company policies speak for themselves, no matter how nice he or his CSRs may be.


*For what it's worth, a CNN Money article in 2009 described Madoff as, "polite, charming and understated."
 
I haven't used it. The razor does look interesting, and at least for the first batch they don't charge extra for the hardware. Which makes me wonder if it's going to be any decent quality. But I can't imagine the software is worth $90 every three months.

On the lower end, you can get an EJ DE89, a Semogue 830 or 610, and a couple 100-packs of Astra razor blades for about $75 or so off Amazon. Every few months, you can get a set of Proraso sensitive skin products (soap or cream, pre-post, and lotion) for about $35 combined, which is almost 1/3 of what Bevel charges.

I'd rather sink money into some high end hardware (like a Feather stainless razor and a Shavemac brush) and then experiment with different soaps, creams, and aftershaves. It's more fun that way.
 
Subscription model is not going to cut it. For that purpose, gents would prefer using "wet shave club".

I think that's really a matter of personal preference. After learning of Bevel, I researched for options and checked out Wet Shave Club. I learned that WSC is no cheaper at also $30/month, but their boxes are a grab bag of different products every month. That didn't appeal to me personally because I'm more into finding things that work for me and sticking with them rather than trying out new things all the time. I'm not wanting to shell out $30/month for any subscription, but if I did the Bevel model would have more appeal to me. (Not saying their specific products/system--I just mean the model of sending a regular supply of the same items I would use daily.) Now, if someone wants to automatically ship me the specific soap and blades I use daily for $2 a month then we can talk . . .
 
I did look at Wet Shave Club and Bevel early on as I was researching the gear I was going to purchase and was turned off quickly by the price and subscription nature. Admittedly my reaction was strictly based on what I perceived as lack of value without having any knowledge as to what GOOD razors or supplies would entail. I am sure some people who are as equally uniformed as I was might find value in the proposition that system being sold has already been determined to be the best.


...Fast forward to the days after I got my Parker 91R, some Proraso Green cream, a cheap badger brush and some blades. I spent maybe $40 on the set up (I already had an old TTO razor I had used prior to my return to DE shaving) and I was now able to touch and feel the experience with no further obligation should I object. At this point the idea of a Bevel razor or other subscription program still made no sense, if only because I had not committed. I would have to say that from the point I started with my new razor and tools till now, a good part of the experience and joy has been looking at and acquiring new stuff to use/try. If I had subscribed to a system (whoever's it may be) I would never have the opportunity to explore. So the idea of Bevel or any other "system" is in my mind a limiting mechanism. Now if someone either didn't want to or could not explore the options and only wanted to ensure a satisfactory shave without needing to worry about what to get or when to get it, a subscription might be right up their alley.

I tend to be leery of products sold via subscription plans and structured payment schedules as I have rarely seen people I know that are happy with them. If the Bevel razor "system" truly solves a unique problem then I believe the shaving community would rapidly promote it.
 
I learned that WSC is no cheaper at also $30/month...

Yes and no. Bevel charges $30 a month, but only ships every three months. So, each shipment costs $90. At least WSC ships monthly, so you are getting something for your money each month. Direct comparisons between the two companies are tricky, though, given the fundamentally different nature of their offerings.
 
Perhaps, but I think that misses the forest for the trees. I was using Madoff for the purposes of illustrating a principle, not to debate his actual demeanor*. My point was, good customer service and ill company intent are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, the former can be put into the service of the latter. Walker's marketing and company policies speak for themselves, no matter how nice he or his CSRs may be.


*For what it's worth, a CNN Money article in 2009 described Madoff as, "polite, charming and understated."

You failed to cite your source in APA format!
 
I think it's interesting that when questions like "is MdC worth it?" or "is the ATT razor too expensive?" come up, it quite often winds up with "Is it worth is to YOU?" or YMMV. But that doesn't seem to be the case here.

Mr. Walker is targeting a very specific audience: the man of African descent with disposable income. Historically, black men have been pretty much ignored by the wet shaving industry: when was the last time a black guy was in an ad for Merkur razors, Muhle brushes, Proraso soap, or any other of the major players in the business? The common experience for African American men and shaving is bump-crazy cartridge, to sub-par "for black men" electrics, to foul-smelling, skin damaging products like Magic Shave. Now in comes Mr. Walker, offering them a much better experience.

Is $30 a month too high? Hell, yes! But I also think that what Amazon charges for Amazon Fresh! is also ridiculous, yet it's a thriving business. People like to be catered to. They like things showing up at their door without them having to think about it every time they need something. And they're willing to pay more for it. People also like to feel like they identify with what a business is trying to sell them. A black entrepreneur reaching out to a black audience, talking about a challenge that has been plaguing them since the advent of the cartridge razor? Capitalism at its finest.

Now, I am black, but I didn't buy into this Bevel system nonsense. I like to research a product before I buy it. It's almost a hobby. Most people don't. Think about all those canned-goo cartridge shavers out there who can't be bothered to take a minute to try a method of shaving that would rock their world, so to speak. They don't want to do research, they just want it to work. Walker is tapping into the same mindset, only with a different group.

And just for the record: my Progress, Futur, and Weber kick butt, MdC is totally worth it (although B&M is my favorite), and TGN finest brushes rule. Oh, and I don't think I can ever justify to myself the price of an ATT.
 
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