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Hai Karate

post #1 of 31
4/1/09 at 8:15am
Thread Starter 
I was wondering if anyone here can tell me a little about the fragrance being sold in this eBay auction...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HAI-KARATE-RET...1%7C240%3A1318

Am I right in assuming it is only an immitation? If so, does anyone have any info on it like who makes it and is it actually legal? It's supposedly the 'Orient Spice' version and various sellers are selling it. And has anyone actually bought it and can comment on how close to the original it is?

Just curious!

Thanks!
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post #2 of 31
4/1/09 at 8:30am
It doesn't look legit to me and I've used it

http://www.basenotes.net/ID26120738.html
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post #3 of 31
4/1/09 at 10:15am
Thread Starter 
http://www.basenotes.net/ID26122501.html

That's the one it's proclaiming to be. I didn't think people on eBay were allowed to sell anything 'immitation'? This has been knocking about on there for a while now.
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post #4 of 31
4/1/09 at 10:21am
(shocked)

I've never seen that. It looks nothing like the original (which looked like a joke in the first place).
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post #5 of 31
4/1/09 at 12:30pm
HaHa I love this thread, I was helping my friend clean out her parents house last weekend (don't worry they didn't die) and we found a unopened package of Hai Karate in a closet, it you ever get a bottle of this stuff, be sure to read the insruction pamplet in the box, it's hilarious
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post #6 of 31
4/1/09 at 12:54pm
There are 7 reviews in the BN directory, but none of them say what the notes are. No matter how bad the stuff is, it has to smell like something (indoles or skatoles even). So can anyone speak to this?
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post #7 of 31
4/1/09 at 1:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lightgreen22 View Post

HaHa I love this thread, I was helping my friend clean out her parents house last weekend (don't worry they didn't die) and we found a unopened package of Hai Karate in a closet, it you ever get a bottle of this stuff, be sure to read the insruction pamplet in the box, it's hilarious

Its not funny its serious. The woman will maul you and you need to learn how to protect yourself. I think it was discontinued because of too many lawsuits or something . . .
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post #8 of 31
4/1/09 at 5:26pm
I remember when this stuff was the new thing. It was colognes like this one that account for long lapses in the use of fragrances by decerning individuals. Park this out back with your English Leather and Old Spice.

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post #9 of 31
4/1/09 at 8:11pm
Yeah, the bottle and packaging look very much like of the "brewed in the basement or garage" varieties that sell on the internet.
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post #10 of 31
4/1/09 at 9:23pm
I know I've never smelled it, but I do sort barely remember the commercials for it; it was basically the Axe of the 70's.

English Leather and Old Spice actually were decent mens fragrances back in the jurassic days when men would not be caught dead wearing anything as girly as something from a department store. If you look at some of the old commercials on YouTube they're all men smashing the after-shave into their pusses like punishment: "the mark of a MAN!"

It's kind of funny that 40 years later they still have to sell the idea to guys "Don't stink and you'll get some"
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post #11 of 31
4/2/09 at 4:59am
My dad always had Hai Karate, Old Spice, Jade East, English Leather,Aqua Velva and Mennen in the cabinet.

Mens fragrances in the 1960's were what they were.
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post #12 of 31
4/3/09 at 6:52am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigsly View Post

There are 7 reviews in the BN directory, but none of them say what the notes are. No matter how bad the stuff is, it has to smell like something (indoles or skatoles even). So can anyone speak to this?

I wish I could help but I'm certainly no expert... must be all the years of sever hayfever playing havoc with the nose.
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post #13 of 31
4/3/09 at 6:57am
The original stuff was a vile concoction fit for neither man nor beast.

By the bye, the TV ads for Hai Karate were even worse than the cologne itself. (And that's saying a lot.)
They (the commercials) always involved either a woman attacking the man in the heat of scent-induced passion, or (!!!) the man actually hitting the woman (or the poor guy in traction, as in one commercial) while fending off "attacks."

Terrible juice; even worse ad campaign.
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post #14 of 31
4/3/09 at 7:02am
This is not something you really want to wear nowadays. I can see picking up a bottle for collecting as a nostalgia item, but to have it in your wardrobe is a mistake.....unless you are trying to leave a bad impression on someone.
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post #15 of 31
4/3/09 at 1:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tvlampboy View Post

The original stuff was a vile concoction fit for neither man nor beast.

By the bye, the TV ads for Hai Karate were even worse than the cologne itself. (And that's saying a lot.)
They (the commercials) always involved either a woman attacking the man in the heat of scent-induced passion, or (!!!) the man actually hitting the woman (or the poor guy in traction, as in one commercial) while fending off "attacks."

Terrible juice; even worse ad campaign.

Terrible ad campaign??? What??? Women are crazy sometimes you need to defend!!! and wearing something like Hai Karate makes them rabid.

- Al

I've never even tried Hai Karata I just adore kitsch.
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post #16 of 31
4/4/09 at 12:00pm
Thread Starter 
I agree, the advert was good. Can't speak of the actual scent, but it had a great ad campaign that only feminists will dislike. Just like they don't like Lynx/Axe advertisements.

I'm trying to get a cheap bottle of the original scent still.
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post #17 of 31
4/4/09 at 12:02pm
You'll find one on ebay bro.
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post #18 of 31
4/12/09 at 2:28am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by AromiErotici View Post

You'll find one on ebay bro.

Yep I'm keeping my eyes peeled on there... they appear quite often, but always go for quite high prices! It's also how I spotted the link on the original post.
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post #19 of 31
4/12/09 at 5:31am
Be careful how you use it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAnU9zT87j4
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post #20 of 31
4/12/09 at 2:49pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKenJ...eature=related
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post #21 of 31
4/13/09 at 1:02am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAnU9zT87j4
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post #22 of 31
4/13/09 at 7:15am
Thread Starter 
Funny stuff!
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post #23 of 31
7/17/09 at 7:39am
Thread Starter 
Question... For those of you who can remember or have a bottle of the ORIGINAL Hai Karate and can check, does this scent smell similar to Brut? I just got a bottle on eBay for a quid that is only half full and it's the first try of this stuff and it's VERY close to Brut... which makes me wonder if someone's pulled a crafty on the 'Bay and filled an empty HK bottle with Brut.

But then saying that, if you were gonna do that, surely you would fill the bottle up to the top as you'd get far more for it?
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post #24 of 31
7/17/09 at 7:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robbo1979 View Post

Question... For those of you who can remember or have a bottle of the ORIGINAL Hai Karate and can check, does this scent smell similar to Brut? I just got a bottle on eBay for a quid that is only half full and it's the first try of this stuff and it's VERY close to Brut... which makes me wonder if someone's pulled a crafty on the 'Bay and filled an empty HK bottle with Brut. If the bottle you bought was only half full, you probably have legit juice. Also, I doubt there's a big demand for Hai Karate.

But then saying that, if you were gonna do that, surely you would fill the bottle up to the top as you'd get far more for it?

My grandfather used to wear it back in the 70s, and I do remember it smelling a lot like Brut, but not as good. It was even louder than I remember Brut being. Do you really like this frag? I assume, based on your avatar, that you like old school scents, which is cool, but man, HK is some nasty stuff, IMHO. If the bottle you bought was only half full, you probably have legit juice. Also, I doubt there's a big demand for Hai Karate.


Have you tried Jade East? Another old school fougere from the 60s and 70s (the packaging is similar too/black, green and white), but one that I actually think is quite good (OK, everyone can laugh now). Again, extremely old school, but if you wear it sparingly, I think it smells pretty elegant even today. Plus, if you can find it in a drugstore, it's cheap. I bought a 7 oz. bottle a couple of years ago from Brooks Pharmacy for like $8.
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post #25 of 31
7/17/09 at 9:26am
Thread Starter 
lol yeah I DO like the old skool scents, especially Brut and old skool Axe/Lynx. To be fair, I think HK actually smells very similar to Brut but I find it's NOT as strong... but perhaps the age of the scent in the bottle may have something to do with that.

HK actually goes for a fairly high price on eBay (UK) and usually anywhere between £10 and I've seen a full bottle with box go for over £30!! This bottle is 2/3rds full and I was amazed to only be paying 99p. I'm guessing people only want these sort of rarities when they are full bottles.... so I plan to buy two part filled bottles and combine the two!!! LOL/ Far cheaper!
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post #26 of 31
7/17/09 at 9:28am
Thread Starter 
Haven't tried Jade East but it's hard to come by in the UK. I would like to one day though.

I'm not a fan of Old Spice, Tabac Original or Jovan Musk though... those three old skool scents are what I consider to be 'nasty'.
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post #27 of 31
7/18/09 at 3:40am
It was funny - even as teenagers stealing my dad's Hai Karate, we could tell it was the worst juice in his wardrobe. There was even this bad juice called "Trouble", by Mennen, which got evicted from his vanity to mine, and it was still way better. But he kept his bottle of Hai Karate, probably for the humor factor. Thank God he had Givenchy Gentleman, too!

Yes, HK is somewhat like Brut, but definitely not as good. It smelled to me like a fougère that slightly missed the mark. Not like YSL Jazz, which is a bit funky in an artistic way, but like something that got thrown together as all marketing and no product. A bit too green (in a bad way) and medicinal (also in a bad way). I remember smelling it and thinking that it was just missing something.
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post #28 of 31
7/18/09 at 4:20am
Thread Starter 
Now I got an original Hai Karate and know what it smells like (I've always wanted to know but am too young to really remember it) I'm now setting my sights on an original Hai Karate Oriental Spice. Mainly because I wanna know if that was anything like the 'new' one doing the rounds on eBayUK. (See links above... assuming they still work that is lol.)
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post #29 of 31
7/18/09 at 4:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robbo1979 View Post

Haven't tried Jade East but it's hard to come by in the UK. I would like to one day though.

I'm not a fan of Old Spice, Tabac Original or Jovan Musk though... those three old skool scents are what I consider to be 'nasty'.


I've seen Jade East available online. I know for a fact that FragranceNet.com has it for like $18 for a 2 oz. bottle. I know it's more expensive than what I paid for it, but IMO, if you're interested in collecting old school frags for the actual SMELL, and not just the novelty factor, it's worth the dough. I really do think it's a very good scent, altough many people might laugh at my saying this.
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post #30 of 31
7/18/09 at 9:58am
I seem to remember it having a thick, heavy "play dough" feel. Didn't like it a' tall!
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post #31 of 31
7/18/09 at 10:12am
As a kid, I usually got Brut and Hai Karate mixed up when they were being applied - way too bright for anything I'd personally wear, but my father loved Hai Karate and Brut, with the latter actually calming down to something that was a scent that I remember fondly... Hai Karate not so much.

To me, they smelled the same initially. But those commercials... heh. Low-brow yet intensely funny.
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