Murray's

In 1925 CD Murray started selling pomade out of his barber shop in Chicago with the aim to provide a quality product at a fair price.  Sticking to those principles for almost 90 years Murray's is still going strong as what most people view as the gold standard in pomade worldwide.  Sure there's all kinds of fancy stuff out nowadays, fine tuned products with amazing scents and different holding properties but sometimes the tried and true always shines through.. after all if it's not broke, don't fix it.  With Murray's you know what you're going to get, what you're going to pay, and you know it's going to work.  This is why they still pour out these cans every day by the bundle before they make their way to store shelves all over the world.  

In 1959 the company made the jump from Chicago to Detroit where Harry Berlin, a pharmacist who had been stocking Murray's in his store, purchased the company.  Berlin worked with the Murray family when taking over and stuck to their original formulas and philosophies, which still hold true to this day.    

I've been living in Detroit for several years now and stay about 3 blocks away from their headquarters, always meant to drop by so I finally did.  The staff was nice and I want to thank them for letting me stop in and get a tour.  Walking in, like opening any good can of grease, I noticed the smell!!  Though I'm sure the workers are sick of it, I'd like to hang my clean clothes in there to soak up the scent, forget dryer sheets!

We walked by the offices and toward the factory where the magic happens.  Wow, it only got better the further I got.  Nothing like fresh poured hot pomade in the air to circulate through your senses.. I felt like Charlie in the Chocolate Factory, do we get to swim in the molten pomade river?  Pomade ice cream cones and cologne?  Hahaa, well.. maybe not a river but a big vat of petro perhaps.  Moving in they showed me where the trucks drop off the secret sauce and drain into the tanks.

They've been using the same tanks for over 50 years.  If you've got a can of Murray's in your closet it came through these babies right here.  I equate this to those restaurants that have 100 year old grease lurking in their deep fryers to give the food a taste that can't be replicated.  From here the grease is pumped through some contraptions that mix everything and drop it down from heaven or uhh the ceiling into the cans where they go down the line.

Can I get my head under one of those spouts?

rolling rolling rolling, keep those doggies rolling

I could just sit by those fans and pickup the fumes.

6 pack to go?  I'll take 2 please..  So that's where it all goes down, every damn can of Murray's in the world has came down this line.  Simple and effective, what else do you need?  Well, maybe little orange oompa loompas running around but beside that it was really something to see the inner sanctum of Murray's Pomade.  I've been to some big beauty supply stores, but nothing compares to this! 

When you use something day in and day out for years and years, it's pretty cool to see what happens on the other end of the can, how it all comes together.  

Definitely a great experience to get a glimpse behind the scenes.  Was also nice walking around the rest of the day smelling like fresh pomade, new cologne coming soon!  A lot of history and experience goes into every product they make and I'd like to thank the people at Murray's for having me, and for doing what they do keeping the classics alive.. besides pomades never die, they just go to that big can in the sky.