By Phil Spano
Remember back in high school when Candies for men was all the rage? You grew out of that and into more masculine scents but those bottles are a pain to carry around with you even when you keep it in a backpack or sling bag. Well there’s a solution for that.
All American Maker, an American company that uses 100% made in America products to blend together various balms, waxes, candles, and solid colognes.
If you don’t know what a solid cologne is, it’s exactly how it sounds, a cologne that is solid….
No more pesky spray bottles weighing you down or getting confiscated at TSA checkpoints, the solid cologne comes in a metal tin that stashes away easily in your pouch, pocket, or backpack. You can get these in 1 or 2oz tins which take up little to no space in your carry device of choice.
All American Maker is a brand that uses 100% made in America products to create 100% made in America products. The man behind the brand is Brendan Halbohm, who’s been going at it since 2015 when he started Made Candles, a company that made various candles for over 500 different companies with materials sourced from the US.
From there it blew up and in 2019 he started All American Maker where he strives to find companies that are 100% made in America to showcase them on his YouTube channel with unboxing videos and partner with to fill his shelves at his store in Jamestown, NY.
Brendan believes that by supporting and showcasing other makers that are US based using Made in USA products, will produce a better community with a huge support system. He believes that no one is an island, and as his business grows, then others around him who have supported him or he has supported will grow too and no amount of support could ever be too much.
The Goods
A few weeks back Brendan sent me 4 of his solid colognes. These were all in those 1oz tins and each one with a different scent that he produces.
Every tin of his solid cologne has 100% American produced all natural ingredients such as, jojoba oil, bees wax, essential oils, and shea butter. The scents I received were, Pacific Woods, Urban Camper, Oakmoss and Amber, and Leather and Cedar.
The Pacific Woods smells like something out of a movie. Picture a setting where you’re exploring the woods and you have that smell of the pine trees in the air as the wind rushes though the black pine needles on their branches and then all of a sudden you come across a beach. The salty sea air mixed with the black pines, and then you toss it in a tin and you have Pacific Woods.
Imagine sitting in a lounge somewhere in small city. You’re sitting in a leather chair, cigar smoke filling the air while you sip some delicious bourbon. The fireplace is roaring and just adding to the aroma of the old Victorian house turned cigar shop, that’s what Urban Camper smells like.
Now you’re at work, making furniture out of cedar planks while wearing your worn in leather apron. Put the 2 of those together and you have the beautiful scent of the cedar and leather solid cologne. For me this one is perfect. I’ve always had a love for the smell of cedar but when it’s mixed with that distinct aroma of leather it takes it to a whole new level.
Now put all of those scents together and you have the Oakmoss and Amber, which seems to be one his most popular scents. I’m not sure if it’s just me but it’s my least favorite of all of them. It isn’t bad by any means but to me I get a hint of menthol mixed with leather, cedar, and the faint smell of campfire. The menthol really ruins it for me but it’s all subjective really. I’ve seen other reviews where some don’t enjoy the cedar and leather at all, and that’s okay. There’s a variety for a reason.
There’s no doubt that you’ll find the perfect scent for you with all of these options available. They come packed fresh to last as long as you want them to basically. Use as much or as little as you need to to maintain your scent throughout your day. I have no doubt that you’ll enjoy at least one of these solid colognes by All American Maker, but don’t take my word for it, jump on the cologne club and check out new scents every month!
Black Flag Survival 