Let me start off by admitting that I am not the target audience for this system. I am a 37 year-old Caucasian male that has no interest in using one product every day for the rest of my life. I have zero issues with razor bumps or irritation (for the most part) with the current large rotation of products that I own. I am not affiliated with Bevel or any of its investors or subsidiaries and I purchased the gift set (non-subscription) from Bevel as I really wanted to try the razor. While I am not a fan of Pure Badger brushes, pre-shave oil, shaving cream and after shave balm in general, I figured since I shelled out the cash I might as well test them out. I also decided that since there has been a few discussions at the various forums lately about the razor and Bevel system in general I would document my experiences. Today I will share with you my thoughts after a week and a half of constant use.
The Bevel gift set is presented as a 30 day supply without subscription. The set includes: The Bevel razor, shaving brush, 20 stainless steel razor blades, 60mL shave cream and restoring balm, 30mL priming oil, instructions and a thank you note from Bevel's founder. The boxed set is very well designed and exudes class. From the thick textured cardboard outer box, to the formed plastic inserts nothing feels cheap.
Since the main purpose of purchasing this kit was to get the razor I thought I would share my opinion on this piece first. The design is very unique with the base plate curving upwards to cover the ends of the blade. The long thin handle has no knurling yet resists slipping even when gripped with wet hands. Although Bevel doesn't go into mentioning where this razor is made or what it is made of they do mention that it is "weighted with brass". The balance of the razor is head-heavy making me assume that the base plate is brass but I doubt the top cap is and am unsure that the handle weighs enough to be brass as well. Aesthetically, the Bevel is one of the most beautiful razors I have owned (and that is no small number in itself). In use the proper angle is easily found (and well explained in the insruction booklet), the shaving experience is very reminiscent of other modern high-quality razors that I enjoy such as Edwin Jagger and Giesen & Forsthoff, that is: very efficient yet mild in feel. The blades included in the kit seem to be of decent quality and have no harshness to them from the onset, easily stretched to five shaves with smooth and moderately sharp edges, however I feel that after three shaves they are past their prime. With 20 blades in this 30 day supply kit there is no need to try and stretch them even that far.
My favorite aspect of this hobby is shaving brushes, with over 100 in my current collection and another 150 plus that I have sold, I know what I like and have experienced everything from the Tweezerman to vintage Plisson High Mountain White. Bevel has included a shaving brush with their starter kit that is both beautiful and comfortable to hold. Upon the initial inspection the brush gave up dozens of loose hairs just by brushing against my dry hand. The knot measures 23mm at the base but then flares out with a prominent glue bump to 26mm. The loft is set at 50mm, but that same glue bump extends 15mm up the length of the hairs making the effective loft 35mm. I was honestly not expecting much from this brush, but I pressed on by putting it through my normal brush break-in routine. The brush lost several more hairs (I didn't even bother to count) throughout a shampooing and a couple test lathers. These hairs were very short and I'm assuming that most were breaking off at the glue bump because I can't imagine this many short hairs being used in the manufacturing process. While face lathering with this brush there is some moderate scritch and despite the short effective loft it does not feel stiff, in fact it is probably a good comparison to other high-end "pure badger" brushes in face feel. I was only able to tolerate the pure badger knot for two shaves before it was put aside for the remainder of the evaluation. Bevel does mention that they will replace any defective brushes, but I'm not even going to bother as I would rather install a nice 2-band knot in this handle so I have a brush that I would actually enjoy using.
The software included in the lot include priming oil (pre-shave), shave cream (lather) and restoring balm (ASB). All of these products are developed and made in the USA as indicated on each bottle (which leads me to believe that all the hardware is imported since it is missing this endorsement throughout Bevel's marketing and packaging) and all appear to use what I consider to be high quality ingredients. Although these products are marketed as unscented, each have their own mild scent which are easily traced back to the ingredients list (for instance the restoring balm has a nice mild menthol fragrance). I shaved for seven straight days using all three products exclusively and I have to admit the results were fantastic. For the final three days of the testing I omitted one product in the equation to see if the shaving experience and end result would be effected. The only product that I didn't notice much of a difference in the lack of it's use was the shave cream, however I substituted the Art of Shaving unscented cream in its place which is a pretty good performer in it's own right. On the day where I skipped the priming oil I didn't use any pre-shave and on the day where the restoring balm was left out I used a basic splash (Pinaud Lime Sec).
The priming oil goes on thick, but the five drops that I settled on as being ideal for my routine seemed to absorb quickly. I don't normally use pre-shave products (other than Noxzema for my pre-shave face wash) but will be doing some more controlled experiments with this and other options going forward as I did notice a different and seemingly better shaving experience when the oil was used.
The shave cream lathers very easily and provides ample protection and adequate slickness. The required amount of shave cream to complete three passes seemed about double, perhaps slightly more even than what I am used to needing with other brands with the majority of the 60mL bottle being used in those ten days, however Bevel recommends two passes at most in their directions with one pass being ideal for those suffering from razor bumps so perhaps this 60 mL could be stretched to last a whole month, but I can't imaging somebody getting 90 days of shaving with just another 40mL unless doing one pass every few days.
The restoring balm is the real star of the system. It also goes on a bit thick and leaves the skin semi-glossy for about an hour while it fully absorbs. At no time does my face feel tacky or oily, as is the case with most every other balm I have ever tried including raw unrefined shea butter (one of the prominent ingredients), instead the skin feels very supple and smooth. Once the balm is completely absorbed the skin has a polished feel to it and any missed stubble sticks out like a sore thumb. If this balm were available separately on the open market it would likely be a top seller and would replace Nivea Sensitive as the sole balm in my den.
Conclusions: The Bevel line of products, brush excluded, offer a very fine line of shaving products that even a well-experienced wet shaver can appreciate. I won't be subscribing to this system, nor can I comment on its claimed benefits to those suffering from razor bumps as I fortunately have never suffered from such. I will be keeping the razor and would recommend that those that appreciate an efficient razor on the mild side of the scale to pursue acquiring one themselves. The brush that I received is pure rubbish except for the handle, though if it weren't a shedder it would make an excellent alternative to those that enjoy a scrubby and scritchy exfoliating experience. The software is good, very good even, but I can't see paying $90 per shipment as there are likely products as good available and I prefer having a rotation of products anyway. However, Bevel has done a great job of putting together a system that gives a fantastic experience and undeniably great results and I wouldn't bother trying to talk somebody out of subscribing if they were looking to switch from electric or cartridge systems. Thanks for reading my efforts of an honest review and I'll be happy to answer any questions about MY experience to the best of my ability.
The Bevel gift set is presented as a 30 day supply without subscription. The set includes: The Bevel razor, shaving brush, 20 stainless steel razor blades, 60mL shave cream and restoring balm, 30mL priming oil, instructions and a thank you note from Bevel's founder. The boxed set is very well designed and exudes class. From the thick textured cardboard outer box, to the formed plastic inserts nothing feels cheap.
Since the main purpose of purchasing this kit was to get the razor I thought I would share my opinion on this piece first. The design is very unique with the base plate curving upwards to cover the ends of the blade. The long thin handle has no knurling yet resists slipping even when gripped with wet hands. Although Bevel doesn't go into mentioning where this razor is made or what it is made of they do mention that it is "weighted with brass". The balance of the razor is head-heavy making me assume that the base plate is brass but I doubt the top cap is and am unsure that the handle weighs enough to be brass as well. Aesthetically, the Bevel is one of the most beautiful razors I have owned (and that is no small number in itself). In use the proper angle is easily found (and well explained in the insruction booklet), the shaving experience is very reminiscent of other modern high-quality razors that I enjoy such as Edwin Jagger and Giesen & Forsthoff, that is: very efficient yet mild in feel. The blades included in the kit seem to be of decent quality and have no harshness to them from the onset, easily stretched to five shaves with smooth and moderately sharp edges, however I feel that after three shaves they are past their prime. With 20 blades in this 30 day supply kit there is no need to try and stretch them even that far.
My favorite aspect of this hobby is shaving brushes, with over 100 in my current collection and another 150 plus that I have sold, I know what I like and have experienced everything from the Tweezerman to vintage Plisson High Mountain White. Bevel has included a shaving brush with their starter kit that is both beautiful and comfortable to hold. Upon the initial inspection the brush gave up dozens of loose hairs just by brushing against my dry hand. The knot measures 23mm at the base but then flares out with a prominent glue bump to 26mm. The loft is set at 50mm, but that same glue bump extends 15mm up the length of the hairs making the effective loft 35mm. I was honestly not expecting much from this brush, but I pressed on by putting it through my normal brush break-in routine. The brush lost several more hairs (I didn't even bother to count) throughout a shampooing and a couple test lathers. These hairs were very short and I'm assuming that most were breaking off at the glue bump because I can't imagine this many short hairs being used in the manufacturing process. While face lathering with this brush there is some moderate scritch and despite the short effective loft it does not feel stiff, in fact it is probably a good comparison to other high-end "pure badger" brushes in face feel. I was only able to tolerate the pure badger knot for two shaves before it was put aside for the remainder of the evaluation. Bevel does mention that they will replace any defective brushes, but I'm not even going to bother as I would rather install a nice 2-band knot in this handle so I have a brush that I would actually enjoy using.
The software included in the lot include priming oil (pre-shave), shave cream (lather) and restoring balm (ASB). All of these products are developed and made in the USA as indicated on each bottle (which leads me to believe that all the hardware is imported since it is missing this endorsement throughout Bevel's marketing and packaging) and all appear to use what I consider to be high quality ingredients. Although these products are marketed as unscented, each have their own mild scent which are easily traced back to the ingredients list (for instance the restoring balm has a nice mild menthol fragrance). I shaved for seven straight days using all three products exclusively and I have to admit the results were fantastic. For the final three days of the testing I omitted one product in the equation to see if the shaving experience and end result would be effected. The only product that I didn't notice much of a difference in the lack of it's use was the shave cream, however I substituted the Art of Shaving unscented cream in its place which is a pretty good performer in it's own right. On the day where I skipped the priming oil I didn't use any pre-shave and on the day where the restoring balm was left out I used a basic splash (Pinaud Lime Sec).
The priming oil goes on thick, but the five drops that I settled on as being ideal for my routine seemed to absorb quickly. I don't normally use pre-shave products (other than Noxzema for my pre-shave face wash) but will be doing some more controlled experiments with this and other options going forward as I did notice a different and seemingly better shaving experience when the oil was used.
The shave cream lathers very easily and provides ample protection and adequate slickness. The required amount of shave cream to complete three passes seemed about double, perhaps slightly more even than what I am used to needing with other brands with the majority of the 60mL bottle being used in those ten days, however Bevel recommends two passes at most in their directions with one pass being ideal for those suffering from razor bumps so perhaps this 60 mL could be stretched to last a whole month, but I can't imaging somebody getting 90 days of shaving with just another 40mL unless doing one pass every few days.
The restoring balm is the real star of the system. It also goes on a bit thick and leaves the skin semi-glossy for about an hour while it fully absorbs. At no time does my face feel tacky or oily, as is the case with most every other balm I have ever tried including raw unrefined shea butter (one of the prominent ingredients), instead the skin feels very supple and smooth. Once the balm is completely absorbed the skin has a polished feel to it and any missed stubble sticks out like a sore thumb. If this balm were available separately on the open market it would likely be a top seller and would replace Nivea Sensitive as the sole balm in my den.
Conclusions: The Bevel line of products, brush excluded, offer a very fine line of shaving products that even a well-experienced wet shaver can appreciate. I won't be subscribing to this system, nor can I comment on its claimed benefits to those suffering from razor bumps as I fortunately have never suffered from such. I will be keeping the razor and would recommend that those that appreciate an efficient razor on the mild side of the scale to pursue acquiring one themselves. The brush that I received is pure rubbish except for the handle, though if it weren't a shedder it would make an excellent alternative to those that enjoy a scrubby and scritchy exfoliating experience. The software is good, very good even, but I can't see paying $90 per shipment as there are likely products as good available and I prefer having a rotation of products anyway. However, Bevel has done a great job of putting together a system that gives a fantastic experience and undeniably great results and I wouldn't bother trying to talk somebody out of subscribing if they were looking to switch from electric or cartridge systems. Thanks for reading my efforts of an honest review and I'll be happy to answer any questions about MY experience to the best of my ability.
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Nice stuff and great photography, BTW.
