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About Us

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About Us

Beard Grease

Barbering and Beard Trimming

About Us

Who are you guys?

The Beardsmith Barber Shop was started in Boise, Idaho by Wendy Rose and Jeff Summers, both from small Idaho towns. The Beardsmith was born from Wendy's lifelong love of facial hair. After working in the corporate world for most of her adult life, she decided to ditch it all and go to barber school so she could play with Beards all day. Everyone thought she was insane. She's now a 4th generation barber, and has created Beard trimming techniques that are unique in the barbering world, ones that preserve the majesty of the Beard.

Jeff worked as a software engineer for over 15 years and fully supported Wendy's crazy idea. When our clients started demanding a quality, affordable Beard care product, he set off to create the perfect Beard concoction. After several months of experimentation, giving out test samples, and feedback, the first formula was introduced. As The Beardsmith has grown, Jeff and Wendy brough on Nathen Snodgrass as third partner due to his passion for hair care and chemistry knowledge,. He redesigned the process and refined the formula we know today. Nathen runs the nuts and bolts of the business, and works on continued product development.

The Beardsmith Wendy Rose and Jeff Summers Jeff and Wendy The Beardsmith Ryne Lothrop Ryne The Beardsmith Kevin Osborn Kevin The Beardsmith Amy Rose Amy The Beardsmith Ariana Osborn Ariana The Beardsmith Avery Avery The Beardsmith Isaac Isaac
Why do you always capitalize the word "Beard"?

Because the Beard demands respect.

What's Occam's Razorworks?

When we started making our products, we soon realized we needed a separation of concerns between our barber shop and our product line. Occam's Razorworks is the company we manufacture and distribute The Beardsmith products under. Both companies are owned and run by us. We still develop and hand-craft The Beardsmith products ourselves.

The name is a play on a problem-solving principle called Occam's Razor, which states that when solving a problem, the best answer is usually the one that is most simple and requires the fewest assumptions. We like to keep things simple. Coupled with the barbering/Beard care space we find ourselves in, along with Jeff's history of employing Occam's Razor in the many debates he's had over the years (his XBox gamer tag, OccamsTacKnife, was even inspired by the term), the name seemed fitting.

Who does the artwork for your logos, labels, signs, etc.?

Kelly Knopp is the mastermind behind all of The Beardsmith's artwork and design. He's a local artist in Boise who creates amazing original artwork. He's particularly well-known for being a member of Swell Artist Collective and for creating all the kickass artwork for Crooked Fence Brewing.

Beard Grease

What is Beard Grease?

Beard Grease is an all-natural hybrid Beard oil / Beard balm developed from our extensive knowledge of Beards. It makes your Beard feather soft, tames the flyaway hairs, and makes you smell like a man should. Made with an array of natural plant-based oils and butters, nothing compares to its conditioning and moisturizing capabilities.

Why is Beard Grease better than any of the other Beard products out there?

Because nobody knows Beards better than we do. That's quite a bold statement, but we have the history and experience to back it up. Most Beard care products are created with input from a limited number of people. In our barbershop, we've worked hands-on with thousands of Beards. We have expertise with every type of Beard imaginable, and we've developed Beard Grease from this experience. We see first-hand how it performs over time on various Beard types. In addition to our own working knowledge, we receive constant, ongoing feedback from clients and customers, and we've made adjustments to our formulas to give guys the product they've told us they want.

How do I use Beard Grease?

Use daily. After showering, towel-dry the Beard. Take a dime- to quarter-size amount of Beard Grease (depending on the epicness of your Beard), and rub between the hands for a few seconds until it melts into a liquid. Work thoroughly through the Beard from roots to tips. Groom with a high-quality brush or comb as usual. Listen as your Beard thanks you. If your Beard feels oily after about an hour, you've used too much, as it should fully absorb into the Beard and skin.

I don't want my Beard to be greasy.

Most guys don't want their Beard to be either oily or greasy. If you use the correct amount of Beard Grease, it should all be absorbed into the hair and skin underneath within 30-60 minutes. If your Beard feels greasy or oily to the touch after an hour, you've just used too much.

What are the ingredients of Beard Grease?

Beard Grease is based on all-natural, plant-based oils and butters that have been shown to promote healthy, moisturized and soft hair and skin. The ingredients are: Coconut oil, shea butter, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, argan oil, almond oil, cocoa butter, lanolin, beeswax and essential oils*.

*All Beard Grease blends are all-natural, with the exception of the Haymaker Blend, which contains less than 2% cosmetic-safe, phalate-free fragrance oil.

 

Why don't you make liquid Beard oils?

We get this question so often we made a blog post on the subject. In addition to liquid Beard oils being a partial solution, there are some other reasons we don't make them. You can read more on The Beardsmith Blog.

Beard Grease used to come in 2 and 4 oz tins. Now they're 1.65 and 3.85 oz. What's up with that?

When we first started, we were flying by the seat of our pants and didn't really know what we were doing. We use tins that hold 2 fluid ounces and 4 fluid ounces. As we started understanding how much we didn't know, we realized that our product is supposed to be labeled by weight rather than volume. The equivalent of 2 fluid ounces and 4 fluid ounces of Beard Grease weigh 1.65 and 3.85 ounces respectively. Bottom line--you're still getting the same physical amount of Beard Grease as when we first released it, it's just labeled with a different (and correct) unit of measure.

Come on, are all those reviews real?

All of our reviews are 100% genuine, from real customers and clients. We don't moderate reviews, they auto-publish when submitted. If you look at the history of our company--both our barbershop and our products--we're not afraid to hear negative feedback. Obviously, our goal is to make everyone 100% satisfied, but we don't always get it right. When we don't, we admit it, do everything we can to make it right, and we accept negative feedback for what it is--an opportunity for us to grow and become better.

Note: many of our product reviews don't have the "Verified" badge. That's because that's reserved for people who have made purchases through our website. We have a large number of local clients and customers who buy from our shop and other retailers, and since they didn't purchase from the website, they can't be given the "Verified" badge.

Barbering and Beard Trimming

Do you only do Beard trimming?

No, we're a full-service barber shop. In addition to specialized Beard trimming and maintenance, we provide precision men's and boys' style haircuts and hot towel straight razor shaves.

It took me a long time to grow my Beard. I get twitchy even thinking about someone coming near my Beard with a pair of clippers.

We understand as well as anyone the time and dedication it takes to grow a long, healthy Beard, and we want yours to be as epic as you want it to be. You'll never see us dive into a Beard with a pair of clippers. Our Signature Beardsmithing begins with a consultation to find out the history of your Beard growth, your goals, and your struggles. We work with you to help you achieve the Beard you want. Using the specialized techniques we've worked hard to perfect, we make your Beard look intentional while preserving the majesty you've been dedicated to growing.

I just started growing my Beard. When should I come in for a Beardsmithing?

A few weeks after starting to grow your Beard is the perfect time to come in for your first Beardsmithing. We'll set your cheek and neck lines based on how your Beard is going to grow in, and give you a good base shape that's appropriate for the kind of Beard you want to grow. You'll want to start using Beard Grease as soon as you start growing your Beard. This will help keep the hair and skin underneath healthy, and it will help prevent the severe itch that often accompanies new growth.

What does a Signature Beardsmithing entail?

It entails 30 minutes of sheer awesomeness. First, we do a consultation with you to find out your history, goals, and struggles. Once we're on the same page about what you want, we begin the trimming/sculpting process using a comb, edger, and scissors. We use a eucalyptus-infused hot towel to prepare the face for the next step (you may just fall asleep during this part, as it's very relaxing and refreshing). Next we clean up the cheek lines and neck line with a straight razor, giving you crisp, defined lines. After some soothing aftershave creme, we do a final cleanup of any stray hairs with scissors. An application of your choice of Beard Grease finishes up the service.

Do you cut women's hair?

We specialize in classic men's and boys' style haircuts. We don't specialize in hair styles traditionally worn by women. We're happy to give anyone the style of haircut we specialize in, without regard to biological or identity factors.

If you're going down the street in your rowboat and all four wheels fall off, how many pancakes does it take to cover a dog house?

Thirteen. Because footballs don't have feathers.

If you've made it this far, congratulations, you just found a deal! Use code FAQ20 at checkout to receive a 20% discount on any item in our All Beard and Mustache Care Products collection!