Oddfellows, Capitol Hill,Seattle, WA.
Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
Today we're featuring Stan Soldan, the proprietor of the Pomade Shop. Stan runs his premiere online shop featuring the top pomades of the world from his home offices in Munich, Germany. In our book, the Pomade Shop is one of the top three pomade stores in the world, helping to spread the rich heritage of pomade to the masses. Stan's passion for pomade is deeply rooted in his lifestyle and business. Here are a few questions we asked him recently:
G. Tell us how you got interested in pomade.
Since my childhood in the eighties, I have been fascinated by old movies of the 1940s and 50s which aired on television in the afternoons. I especially loved the brilliant and incredibly well-kept hair of the male actors and singers. Cary Grant, Rock Hudson, Clark Gable, Lex Barker, and of course Elvis Presley were my big role models, and for me the epitome of elegant hairstyles. But actually it was the whole aura of elegance and charisma that came from their glossy hairs which made me want to become like these stars of the 1930s, 40s and 50s. When I flew for the first time to Australia to visit my mother, I found a whole new world. In an old barber shop in Sydney I discovered products saying "Pomade," "Hair Dressing," "Murray's," and " Sweet Georgia Brown." Beautiful tin cans shone at me like the Holy Grail. I was blown away! I had never heard of something like this before in Germany.
G. What gave you the idea to open up the Pomade Shop?
In Fall 2007, I brought an old-school friend, Holger Wilken, a sales professional in the IT industry from Italy, a can of Brylcreem Hair Dressing and told him the ingredients, the application and effect, immense history, and he said "Stan, you must open a shop and share all your knowledge of pomade with others!" I had not thought of a shop at all. That very night I began to explore the idea of an online shop, and six months later the Pomade Shop was live.
G. How is the European market compared to the American market? I noticed the European customers embrace the pomade/grease culture wholeheartedly.
From my perspective, America is THE country, where the pomade culture is still maintained and where most of our brands come from. It is the country where many young barbers keep up the tradition and brew their own pomade, handmade in the traditions of the past. Most Europeans today, who did not grow up with the shining era of pomade, know only of the mass market products like gel, hairspray or wax from the supermarket or a hair dressing salon. But a classic pomade is something very exciting - the glamorous pomade history is coming alive again. Holding the same pomade in your hands that Elvis or Johnny Cash would have used to get their magnificent hairstyle is a big "bang" for you and your hair. Pomade users who are used to the easy handling of gel but also love the flexibility and natural shine of a pomade can be satisfied with a gel-pomade like Grant's. The fact that you cannot get these great products everywhere makes one also feel somewhat special. So my experience is that Europeans value these products of the past and love discovering the fascinating world of pomades.
G. How many countries do you service in the EU? Which countries are your strongest supporters?
Pomade Shop services all European countries. Since our website is in German, and of course also in English, our strongest supporters are in German-speaking countries, like Germany, Austria and Switzerland. But we ship a lot to Great Britain, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Italy, France and Spain. The biggest barrier are the shipping costs, which vary in Europe, and whether you feel like being super saturated by global mass products. People in eastern European countries still prefer modern products, but still discover that past the mass market products there is a much more fascinating world.
G. Any personal tips on using pomade (water-based and wax)?
The best thing about pomade is that you can, and should, experiment with them - take only a little or a lot, use the pomade on dry hair, use it on wet hair - then you will be surprised by the outcome again and again. And check out their effects after a few minutes and after a few hours. Try using a hairbrush in addition to a comb. Brush or comb your hair only once and leave the hairstyle, or comb it as often as you feel like, and again check out the result. I find that water-based pomades can dry out your hair a bit, so I combine it with a classic soft pomade to add more moisture and shine. If I want more hold, I add a heavy weight pomade. And when I wash it out in the evening or morning, I find that the water-based pomade helps to remove the heavy weight wax from my hair.
G. Thank you Stan! For more insight into the Pomade Shop and to purchase a tin of Grant's, please visit: www.pomade-shop.eu
Stay tuned as we feature more interviews with intriguing "pomade people." Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
The weekend's here again folks. Depending on where you live, this nasty weather might be keeping you indoors. If that's the case, we highly recommend you rent a copy of Stop Making Sense, a concert film featuring Talking Heads from three live gigs in 1983 at Hollywood's Pantages Theater.
Stop Making Sense could very well be one of the greatest live concert films to date. Everything in this film is flawless: the most important element - the music, the performances from David Byrne and the entire band/background singers, the energy level, the lighting, the angles of the shots, the staging. Although Byrne came up with much of the staging concept (and the funding) for this film, director Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs, The Manchurian Candidate, Neil Young: Heart of Gold), put it all together the way a concert film should be presented. If you're a Talking Heads fan, or you just appreciate good music, you won't be disappointed.
Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
photo:bob towers via life
Gold Rush Day Feb. 4th !
stay golden Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
tokyo 1947 by john florea via life
germany 1967 by ralph crane via life
korea 1950 by carl mydans via life
shanghai 1945 by george lacks via life
the universal timeless motto: "stlye is everything"
Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
all photos:al fenn via life
Hats off to the hardworking men & women who have to work outdoors everyday in this frigid cold.
Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
Our top shop in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn: Smith + Butler just received a restock of our golden pomade. For those in search of old world Americana head east of Manhattan via the F & G subway lines and stop by this one of a kind rugged boutique. Need some: Red Wing boots, utility fashion, locally crafted jewelry, RUSTic antiques or even a vintage motorcycle, they got ya covered. Don't forget to grab a tin of Grant's.
"tell 'em Johnny sent ya"
Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
manhattan, lights out
lootin' in bed stuy, free for all? photo:tyrone dukes/ny times
son of sam nabbed. psycho killer ~ qu'est-ce que c'est
talking heads. ocean club, tribeca. photo:allen tannenbaum
bowery bum at cbgb (r.i.p.) photo:h.wang
1977: The first Apple computer goes on sale. Star Wars opens. Punk Rock is the new. Elvis dies at 42. Carter becomes president.
But it was the Summer of 1977 in New York City that people will always remember - a time and place of extreme highs and lows: Lighting strikes a Con Ed substation along the Hudson River setting off a chain of events resulting in the massive New York blackout, leading to mobs, fires, and looting. The Son of Sam murders terrorizes a city already swallowed by crime, violence, drugs, financial crisis, and decay. But it's also when the New York Yankees win the world series and uplifts the city, even for just a moment. And ultimately music saves the broken city - everyone from the Ramones to the Talking Heads to the Dead Boys to Patti Smith takes the stage at places that would later become legendary, like CBGB.
Great respect to Allan Tannenbaum for capturing the scenes of the most high-strung, prolific, eclectic city in the world.
Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
feb. 1969 photo:george silk
dec. 1947 photo:michael rougier via life
dec. 1948 photo:cornell capa
have a little patience, we are at the will of mother nature. stay warm ~ stay golden
Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
golden graveyard 1942, dust in the wind. photo:myron davis
jt's bowtie business coupe, frenched headlights & shaved door handles ~ work in progress
our buddy max's old truck at jj's old compound. desired artillery rims w/silvertown whitewalls
steve mcqueen's 3100 half ton. a "man's-man truck". his daily driver: hollywood hillbilly hauler
decker's recent work of art - rare one of kind 1952 vincent custom. our friends grand master piece
the little one. king of the road
more pics from our “old gold” scrapbook, an “homage montage” to yesterday’s technology. dedicated to those who uphold the traditions of old. “style is everything” friends.
Grant’s Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
Well, on a strange day years ago. We don't know what day and year these photos by George Silk were taken, this was the first time these folks saw snow in Los Angeles - an event obviously so rare that people were literally packing snow in the trunks of their cars. For some people, snow is just a pain in the ass, but for the rest of us that don't get to see snow very much, it brings out the kid in us.
All photos copryight LIFE/Time, Inc.
Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
We would like to introduce our newest top shelf account ~ The Motley. An extraordinary online apothecary store offering a curated collection of the highest quality and most conscious formulas for men. We wrote a piece on 5 Basic Barber Bullets to look for in your quest for that Golden Barber. Stop on by The Motley for your premiere grooming needs.
Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
photo:nina leen via life 1945
look sharp ~ stay golden
need a new comb? visit our online store
Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
only the best use the best
Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
Here's to good times on a budget.
Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
Our friend Per from Sivletto in conjunction with Blue Highway just opened a top notch men's clothing boutique ~ Unionville in Stockholm, Sweden. The store features the timeless styles from the 50's, the pre-war era, the Great Depression and even earlier. Their main specialty is jeans, they: produce, alter, repair and sell jeans. Congratulations on a good looking & high quality store for the Gents.
Unionville Katarina Bangata 69, Södermalm, Stockholm, Sweden
Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
diner 1962 photo:john loengard via life
1908 new orleans news stand. photo:copyright detroit publishing co. via shorpys
"life saving tamales" brownsville, texas 1939. photo:carl mydans via life
Keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive, stop into your local "mom and pop" shops when you can, and work hard the way our ancestors did. Stay positive.
Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
We just sent over another shipment of Grant's Golden Brand Pomade to Tommy Guns barbershop in New York City. Go stop by for one of the city's finest cuts. And if you've have HBO, Tommy Guns was recently featured in HBO's Boardwalk, set against the backdrop of Prohibition, brought to you by Martin Scorsese and Terence Winter. Congratulations Russell and Tommy Guns! Check the clip here.
Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
We at Grant's have the stereo on 24/7/365 listening to all genres of music. From Dylan to Devo, Stevie to Strummer ~ one thing remains constant: we love good music. Who has time for sub par tunes these days?
On that note, we received an email from Jim Gaudette a master guitarist and a loyal customer of Grant's. He introduced us to his music and gave us a little insight into his life. We love discovering new great music, thanks Jim.
Jim has been a staple in the New England music scene for over 20 years. He is an accomplished guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and music instructor, who has also been taught first-hand from many of the original music legends of the genres he specializes in. Praised by and received words of wisdom from: Johnny Cash, Brian Setzer, Carl Perkins, Scotty Moore, Billy Lee Riley, Reverend Horton Heat and legendary drummer Buddy Rich. Jim notes his favorite genres to play are: gypsy jazz, rockabilly, surf and classic country style. What more can we say, the guy has talent!
If you want to catch an uplifting show or learn from one of the best contact Jim.
tune in and turn it up Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA
larger than life concrete troll. note the vw bug under his hand
lookin' up his nose. note the gum - classy
the next time you are in the artsy neighborhood of freemont, wa. make sure to visit the notorious troll sculpture that resides under the bridge. beware: he eats humans!
Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA