If you’re a guy (or know a guy) with the ability to grow hair on his chin, you have probably heard of Harry’s. At the very least, you’ve probably encountered a Harry’s shave.
Harry’s is the relatively new SoHo-based shaving startup that’s revolutionizing the world of men’s facial hair management.
They’re providing men all over the USA (and Canada, because they give us maple syrup - so, you know, fair is fair) with a really close, smooth shave at an everyman price point. And they’re doing it with pizzaz.
Oh, so now you know Harry’s! Their ads, emphasizing their commitment to providing a close shave any time, any where, are consistently quirky but clever.
Best of all, that style carries over to their NYC manifestation - Harry’s Corner Shop at 64 MacDougal Street in SoHo.
There’s the old school barbershop vibe, but with a Harry’s twist.
But much more interesting is what goes on inside. I sat down with Harry’s Director of Brand Activations, Erik Kimel, and PR Manager, Sloane Wimberly.
Like the company, they’re young and friendly (and clean shaven, though that only applies to Kimel).
Kimel and Wimberly both joined the company around a year ago, within a few months of its launch, and are in the barbershop frequently. They work in the Harry’s office, just a few blocks over, and Kimel makes a point of stopping by at least once a day.
After all, he joined the Harry’s team for “the ability to have such direct interaction with customers.”
Everything they do is about creating “exceptional experiences” for their customers, beginning with the care they took in developing their high quality razors.
The hardest step in bringing Harry’s to life was making the razors, said Wimberly. It was a “really high barrier” to overcome, because an ideal razor blade must be very strong at the base and very sharp at the tip. “We realized how hard it is to manufacture great blades.”
After literally looking all around the world, Andy Katz-Mayfield and Jeff Raider, Harry’s founders, found the perfect blade in Germany.
They just knew the moment that they tried the razors that they had found the perfect partner and, a little over six months ago, purchased the approximately centenarian German razor blade factory.
But enough with the backstory - the Harry’s team is as cool as their product.
Kimel’s favorite razor is Harry’s orange Truman razor (it comes in three other colors, or there’s the chrome Winston) with their signature 5 blade head.
They both know everyone on the team, now of almost 60 employees, and enjoy hanging out together a lot.
A LOT.
There are Team Lunch Thursdays, Team Breakfast Tuesdays, occasional happy hours around NYC, and informal hangouts after work on Fridays. Kimel and Wimberly agree that their favorite event thus far was team karaoke.
Everyone has “such diverse skills during the workday and it’s fun to see people doing something else,” said Wimberly. “We also have some talented singers,” she added.
So there you have it! Harry’s is defined by its high quality product, customer focus, friendly team - and good singers.
When not working, Wimberly enjoys dining at Navy, a new restaurant on Sullivan Street that she recommends for coffee meetings, lunch, or dinner. Her favorite SoHo shopping is “anywhere on Broadway - when it’s not crazy."
Good luck with that on a Saturday afternoon.
Kimel likes pretty much everything about SoHo, as evidenced by his choice to live "a block away” from the Harry’s Corner Shop, which is itself not far from Harry’s office.
Maybe he just needs that regular straight shave service.
