Hai Karate

Hai Karate gets some bad press online. Some people seem to think it's overpowering, cheap and trashy. The truth is that HK is a rather traditional barbershop scent in the vein of Canoe and Pinaud Clubman. These are classic retro scents that are in excellent taste. What makes HK stand apart from others is the pronounced amber in the drydown, making it a more sensual option. This was probably always the intent; to capitalize on the popularity of Canoe and so creating a budget version that would be popular with young men for the purpose of attracting women. This was where the memorable marketing came into play. "Be careful how you use it", and all that. Hai Karate has been out of production since the 1980's. With the exception of the reformulation only available in Great Britain, HK is pretty much dead. In the US, your only options are the clone oil made by Hayward Enterprises and limited batches of Lo Haiku produced Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements. I've compared the oil to the vintage juice and it's an excellent performer. The HK oil is my favorite barbershop scent overall. It performs better than Canoe's current formulation and better than Kanon. It works perfectly with the scent of Pinaud aftershave, shampoo, hair gel and powder. Some days I like to pair it with Pinaud Special Reserve aftershave. Even though the two smell different, they compliment each other very well. You really can't go wrong with HK clone oil! Look for it on ebay or at Hayward Enterprises' website. I'm not going to lie, I have gotten attention from ladies when wearing this scent. It is so different from what people wear these days that it stands out. UPDATE: sadly, Heyward Enterprises has discontinued the Hai Karate oil. I emailed them and they say it's now even available for bulk order. However, I tried Lo Haiku and it is extraordinary! It is an excellent quality replica of HK, the presentation is stellar, and the scent is extremely naturalistic. It contains 70's amounts of oakmoss and it's just a pleasure to wear. Pay whatever they're asking for and just get it! It's absolutely worth the money.

Okay, I bought a full vintage bottle of Hai Karate after shave as a gag, or maybe less of a gag as curiosity. Have heard about it forever, loved the Valerie Leon campy "Carry On"-esque commercials and wanted to experience what the swinging 60s/70s was about. Seeing those old commercials got me back interested in trying new scents again. Opened up the bottle expecting an eye-watering obnoxious 70s hit you in the face cologne, but was pleasantly surprised. I dig it! A citrusy/greenish opening that wasn't too strong. Put some on lightly and it calmed down into a very clean, patchouli/citrus, spice, lightly soapy scent. I could really like this. Has definite barbershop vibes. And even incense vibes. Finding myself smelling my hands a lot (have to splash it on) and enjoying it. Asked others what they think (won't be insulted) and it has got all positive responses. Definitely masculine, but I think it could work for a cool hippy chick because it's fairly light and has that incense undertone to it. Mine didn't come with the self-defense instructions so I'm wary of wearing it out.

Every time I put on Hai Karate somebody get's pregnant. That is in no way a complaint either, because without Hai Karate, I'd have never been conceived. If you want something that smells good, get some good ol' whatever it is.. But if you want to chisel the women off every single time you step outside, get Hai Karate. It makes a great stocking stuffer, graduation gift, birthday gift, and is a good way to give your hand a rest when you're in a funk. I rate it 20 out of 10. All joking aside, I absolutely love Hai Karate. My girl just got me a vintage bottle from 1968 and I couldn't be happier.

LoHaiku from Phoenix Accoutrements is a recreation of the original. My dad wore this, I remember the profile, so if you want the experience at a non-EBay price go with Phoenix. They have so many great items. Clearly a fan, but for good reason. The splashes have a cologne longevity in most cases so they last fairly long on skin. Cheers.

I immediately pick up the same heliotrope note that you find in Canoe and in Jil Sander's Background. It's a ridiculously dated fragrance, but beautiful nonetheless.