Beaver Tail — Waxed Shoe Laces that Actually Hold a Knot

Beaver Tail Outdoors is an emerging outdoor brand known for its BuzzTek Waxed Boot Laces. 

The last thing hikers and backpackers want to do on trail is pause every few minutes to re-tie laces, or worse accidentally trip on an untied shoelace. Beaver Tail laces eliminate the annoyance, staying snug and secure all day long.

Throughout my interview with the founder, J.J. Krystopa, we delved into what has fueled the brands’ motto of encouraging everyone to, ‘Get your tail on the trail’. We also talked about how Beaver Tail Outdoors honors the communities and people that make small business possible.

Ironically, parallels drawn between J.J. and the beaver symbolizing the brand reveal a profound connection. First and foremost, J.J. has an innate sense of how to build a business just as a beaver has one for building a dam. Secondly, he has perceptive problem solving skills leading to quality craftsmanship. Finally, he is resourceful and mindful of his environment. With meticulous quality and intention in all aspects of production, Beaver Tail Outdoors creates robust gear that withstands the elements while prioritizing sustainability.

Born, raised, and currently residing in Pennsylvania, outside has always been J.J.’s favorite place to be. J.J. and his wife are avid outdoor enthusiasts, spending much of their time together hiking. When perusing the Beaver Tail Outdoors website, you’ll notice some beautiful backdrops which actually came from their time trekking in Hawaii on their honeymoon.

On one such hike, inspiration struck J.J. Atop Glacier Point in Yosemite, with an endorphin-fueled brain, the idea dawned to create gear that tackles real-life trail challenges. While the original product from this spark of bona fide genius is still in development (and a bit classified at the moment, sorry!) the process also resulted in the production of Beaver Tail Outdoors’ current main product, BuzzTek laces.

BuzzTek Waxed Boot Laces are the ultimate addition to your favorite running, hiking, climbing, or working shoes. Made by infusing high strength, lightweight paracord with locally sourced beeswax, BuzzTek laces are guaranteed to hold a knot all day long.

From the beginning, much like a beaver’s meticulously built dam, J.J. firmly established the importance of having full control over each product sold by Beaver Tail Outdoors. This includes how, where, and who crafts the products, with additional focus on sustainability, customer cost, and impact on local businesses. Each product is locally sourced, crafted in the United States, and designed to contribute to the communities crucial to supporting all aspects of the business.

Accruing an abundance of paracord from other product prototypes, J.J. was distraught at the idea of useful materials going to waste. Thriving on a challenge, he synthesized his resources and knowledge of outdoor product needs.

Understanding the advantageous technical features of wax-soaked and infused laces gained through his experience in ice hockey, J.J. saw an unmet market for a comparable product tailored to wilderness adventurers.

With a desire to personally craft these laces, utilizing environmentally friendly resources, J.J. sought a local supplier for the necessary wax coating on his paracord. After introductions were made on Facebook Marketplace, J.J. established a symbiotic relationship with Chris Eckert of Queen of Hearts Honey.

One of the dozens of Apiary Locations (also known as a ‘Bee Yard’!) for Queen of Hearts Honey, located at Brandywine Branch Distillery in Pennsylvania. Photo provided by Chris Eckert.

Chis emphasizes the significance of their collaboration, explaining, “His business supports my business by using and purchasing my surplus of beeswax. The beeswax harvest is the byproduct from when I harvest honey. This allows me to continue to provide important beekeeping education, raw honey, pollination services, and beeswax to our community. What’s made the partnership unique is that J.J. is involved in my operation, participating in honey extraction, learning more about my beekeeping practices, and genuinely an essential extension of my team/ business.” 

Every Friday night, J.J. and his wife dedicate several solid hours to creating their BuzzTek laces by hand. They put on music and crank out laces from spool to packaging. Each pair of shoelaces is cut, refined, wax-infused, capped with ultra-light tips, and packaged — right in J.J.’s garage.

@beavertailoutdoors Making our BuzzTek Waxed Boot Laces is a labor of love. Doing everything by hand ensures that we have complete control over the final product. Available in many patterns and lengths in our TikTok Shop! #beavertailoutdoors #tiktokshop #smallbusiness #madeinusa #buzztek #beeswax ♬ Dj Balada Boa X Pika Pika Kawenimeri - DJ USUP

After nearly a year of dedicated research, development, and testing, Beaver Tail Outdoors LLC was officially created. Finally, a website was launched and BuzzTek laces were ready to grace the shelves of retailers.

Beaver Tail Outdoors works with nearly a dozen local and small businesses and every part of Beaver Tail products are American Made.

After initially reaching out to more than 500 outdoor retailers and beginning to secure sales, J.J. realized that his favorite contacts were family businesses. “Creating relationships with those small business owners that are copying their wife, brother, or son on emails — the culture, the connections — that is the coolest part.”

As Beaver Tails Outdoors continues to grow, “keeping things on shore and supporting small business” will be the goal. This means focusing on needs in the industry, having control over the quality of each product, and sustaining the families and the employees within and behind each business he carefully selects to be a part of the process.

At its heart, Beaver Tail Outdoors not only invites individuals to ‘get your tail on the trail’ but also inspires a ripple effect of positive impact, echoing through the industry and the communities it touches.

BuzzTek Laces by Beaver Tail

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