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.

As a guy that's now fast approaching 50, I vividly remember this stuff from the '80s. My uncle, grandad and step-dad all had a bottle each, no doubt from some Christmas gift set, and even back then it was seen as a novelty thing and the Hai Karate team themselves seemed to revel in it. I had a soap on a rope of it as kid shaped like a hand doing a karate chop, they definitely didn't take themselves seriously. As a collector I just had to buy a bottle to sit proudly amongst all my niche stuff like Gents Scents always has his Drakkar Noir, but I've got to admit, I was really pleasantly surprised when I had a whiff. It's actually quite nice - definitely old school fougere/barber shop vibes of that there's no doubt and it's most undoubtedly for a man over 40, but I like it nonetheless. It's nuclear as well. One splash (I got the aftershave version) lasts a good 10 hours. When I first got it I opened it and sampled it on my stairs landing, and left the bottle on a shelf near the toilet. For days I could smell it whenever I was in the loo. I could actually smell a closed bottle in a box. That's how strong this stuff is. I have the updated release in the black/white bottle and box (£9.99 on Ebay UK) and the juice is off white, not green like the original, but if my scent memories aren't letting me down, the new formulation is true to the original. For something I bought as a joke, I'm more than happy to wear this unironically, the same as I do with Grey Flannel and Paul Sebastian Cologne. They're all unashamedly grown men's fragrances, nothing unisex or fuccboi about any of them. Someone in a card shop asked me what I was wearing as she liked it on the one and only occasion I've worn this out, and when I told her it was Hai Karate she laughed and thought I was joking. I didn't correct her. It actually reminds me a bit of Amouage Epic Man, not fully, and there's a clearly a massive disparity not only in quality but price too, but they definitely share the same space.

I got my (full!) bottle for $10 at a second-hand shop. It smells great. Reminds me of Shalimar, but with the patch and civet turned down. I don't understand the hate (or former hate) for this one, except to say that times change and the things that represent the recent bygone era get turned on QUICK! The marketing for this seems to have been akin to the modern Axe sprays. "You'll need karate skills to keep the women from ripping you to shreds!" type stuff. Maybe that's where the idea of cheapness comes from. If I had to guess the notes, I'd say bergamot/citruses, tonka, patchouli, vetiver, musks, soft spices (nutmeg?), maybe some vanilla.

My brother used this when he was a teenager, and I remember it being, as the other reviewers said, strong and powdery. I think there was quite a bit of citrus as well. It was rather nice-smelling, actually, and I wish they would bring it back in the original formula.

Memory’s of Valerie with this one, lime was the best, but not quite as good as Jade East, smelt better on me when I was young in the 70s than now. Lol

Similar to Pinaud clubman but smell less synthetic. Smell is long lasting. Its opening is like Pinaud but dry down is more like sweeter part of brut aftershave. Definitely dated and pleasant at the same time.

Hai Karate Cologne & Aftershave Purchased On eBay Blast from the past! In the 70s, this was my uncle Pete's cologne. Every time he paid us a visit at my West Palm Beach family home, this scent permeated the air because he put on too much of it. I don't know whether or not it's been reformulated. I love the scent and out of nostalgia I bought a bottle of the cologne and the aftershave from eBay. Smells exactly as I recall. In today's context, this is terribly old school. If it had to be compared to similar scents, this is of the drugstore cheapie brood of cologne like Dana Canoe, Stetson Coty Brut and most like Old Spice. If you like Old Spice, chances are you'll like it. Opens with a chemical strong note that I can't describe. I suppose it's an alcohol or aldehyde. Very strong. Then the citrus notes show up just as quickly. Smells of sour lemon, sharp medicinal citrusy scents. The citrus is followed by some green notes like neroli leaves around oranges. These scents are potent and take a while to settle down. When this softens it smells like oily green tea. Almost exactly like an herbal aroma of green tea. This I suppose would match up with the imagery that perhaps it tries to evoke: a Japanese dojo or teahouse. Smells of being relaxed after a work out or training session of karate or judo. I have trained in various dojos in my life including even in Tokyo Japan so I'm familiar with the realistic Asian theme of this cologne. I find it soothing as it does soften into a powder eventually. I don't get any floral notes out of this, not even lavender. Possibly orange blossom or neroli but it's not that big a note. It's also redolent with some Oriental notes, amber, musk, sandalwood, bamboo. There might be no bamboo at all but the woodsy notes in the dry down/base are evocative of bamboo. There's definitely musk. This part reminds me of leathery belts and masculine scents of leather shoes. The dry down is good and this cologne is long lasting and good for an every day use, anywhere, any season. Nothing unisex about it or feminine. It's masculine but it has a citrus into powder development that maybe some more daring gender-bending females might enjoy especially if they like fragrances like Dana Love Baby Soft or Shalimar Eau de Toilette. A very nice nostalgic piece of perfumery that has been overlooked and forgotten by the mainstream but continues to have a cult following of drugstore cheapie fans. Some of us have fond memories of encountering this fragrance. It is certainly much better than Brut though I remember smelling that one a lot in the 70s-80s. Hai Karate delivers and is the perfect introduction to citrus-Orientals for young men. A good vintage cologne that is finally being cataloged on Fragrantica. Thank You! Stephen Bozer

Yesterday at my local supermarket I discovered Hai Karate (by pure accident) semi-visible on the display shelf. Without thinking I snapped it up at an RRP of only 3 GBP! Hai Karate was a happy find as I've wanted to try this classic aftershave again after not seeing it anywhere since the late 1980s! Back then it was well marketed and popular, bearing a good reputation. My father used Hai Karate in a rotation of Old Spice, Brut and Quorum. I'm currently sporting Hai Karate and simply put..."I like it", it brings back childhood memories. The scent in bottle is completely different in comparison to the dry down. On opening the bottle top it smells very pleasant like a fresh, sharp, medicinal citrus tonic. In contrast, the dry down has a Brut 33 feel to it, that watered-down quality but nice all the same. Green and powdery, it's kind of like a green tea scent with a bit of amber in the background. Hai Karate is fresh, clean and smells good. It is without doubt part of the '80s classic scent family. If you enjoy Old Spice, Brut, Denim, Blue Stratos, etc. then add some Hai Karate to your collection.

A friend brought his dad's vintage bottle to work today so I could try it (after watching those awesome TV ads, I was curious...). First of all, the date stamp is 1966, a year before it supposedly launched. Second... this is some wicked stuff. Notice there are no notes listed above? That's because Hai Karate is not made from notes. It's pure sweat, wrung from the post-workout gym wear of Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. I believe it was outlawed by the Geneva Convention. Holy Hai Karate. This stuff will put hair on your chest and then burn it right off. At least 90 proof. After the initial crane-kick to the face, the drydown is very powdery and lingers long... I literally splashed one drop on my wrist and it's going strong five hours later. Amazing. We decided that before our next 3 hour faculty meeting, we are going to douse ourselves with it and enjoy the fallout. Thumbs up.

I have a splash bottle, with box and "instructions to fend off women". Hilarious. I remember the TV commercial as a kid in the 1960's. Not bad. Generic 1960's masculine toiletry scent. Earthy, spicy, a bit powdery. Not very similar in profile to Gucci Envy for Men. Not too far off Canoe. A bit different from Pinaud Clubman but in the general wheelhouse. Not too similar to Brut or Shalimar. Very very light being an aftershave.

I couldn't believe how much this cost. I was shocked to say the least. I thought I could get a gallon for about $5.00...Scent memories with this one for sure. My Dad, uncle's, cousin's, friend's, friend's Dad's~~ they all wore this or one of it's stablemates back in the day...I remember my Dad's med cab...Old spice, Brute, English Leather, Clubman, Hai Karate....and a styptic pencil...The smells....ahhhhh....

I was too young but it left me with an impresion that Valerie Leon would stalk me. Probably the most sexiest women in the world. I think after seeing the Hai Karate advert was the precursor that suddenly I would become a sex god. Alas had I saved all the money I have spent on fragrances, I could have had used the money to turn my wife into Valarie Leon. But then see would have left me for Onslow!

My Dad used to wear this back in the 70’s and 80’s. I remember as a kid going into the bathroom and having a contest to decide which of his aftershaves I liked best. This one was always my first pick, followed closely by Aqua Velva Ice Blue, then Brute. Too bad we can’t buy it anymore (aside from outrageous eBay prices). It would be nice to try it again to reminisce.

I read Elvis wore this....I've never smelled it and feel no need to. As a child, I remember a neighborhood friend's father wore this and he'd give his son a splash of this and he'd go kicking his feet up and karate chop the air around himself. We all stood back so's not to get sprayed by his sound effects. He didn't really impress us girls!

The clear juice in the modern square bottle. Few dabs I was in nostalgic heaven of 70s Christmas then as it wore on....Caron Royal Bain powder, which isn’t a bad thing but not what I was hoping for. I bought denim edt the new black bottle and that hit the spot more so I will enjoy that one for butch days. Karate can be for bedtime.

My Daddy used to buy and wear this as a joke in the early '90s! He was a jokester, who always wore nice colognes and aftershaves. I always thought Hai Karate smelled pretty decent, lol. I guess the joke's on me...