Best Scent Ever -By James Bui

I’ve known about Railcar Finegoods for a while now but I had no idea they were going to release a pomade until I heard word from you guys. I respect the workshop very highly. RFG is my go-to when it comes to denim repair jobs and whenever I need a new pair of custom-fitted selvedge jeans. I am a happy owner of a well-used pair of Spikes X001 that’s gone through two crotch blowouts and subsequently, two darning jobs by Steven. They’re a favorite of mine because of their attention to details…chain-stitched hems, contrast two-tone stitching, selvedge along the button fly….trust me, these details transfer over to the pomade.

This is the pomade. Design and presentation is effing top notch. It stays consistent with overall visual composition of their brand. In addition, it has what I would like to refer to as an organic/natural feel to it. I’m not talking about the formula, I’m still talking about the presentation. Please notice the attention to detail. You have the standard “Railcar Finegoods Arcadia” logo altered to say “Railcar Finegoods Pomade”. Above and below, you have text describing the hold and type/base of the pomade. This may be digitally printed (by a very nice printer, no lie) but the original text was handwritten. This carried over from their denim line where all their tags are handwritten. 

Railcar Pomade is not just some normal pomade, packaged and sent to you without a care. Like the rest of their products, Railcar Pomade is a proud and finely crafted creation that is offered to the discerning consumer.

The presentation of a pomade is just as important as its actual performance.

Opening up the 4 oz. jar, you will experience THE greatest aspect of this pomade. Its scent. Now, I love the scent of Byrd, PND, and TDB…but this was absolutely next level shit. It is refreshing and ‘California’ like Byrd…yet, its cologne hint is much stronger than PND. Then, an overall floral/rose-like scent (similar to that of TDB) is present to compile the entire scent all together.

Believe me. I wish I could have this scent ooze from my pores 24/7.

Moving on, the appearance of the product itself. Beautiful. Nice to see someone depart from the standard Coca-Cola colored water-based pomade. The burgundy-rose color glows and is effing gorgeous.

Application

When I initially scooped out the pomade, it reminded me a lot about Admiral Pomade — this is a very good thing. Few other water-based pomades have matched the amazing consistency and texture of Admiral. Because of this, Railcar Pomade was not only super easy to scoop out…its texture was a pleasure to work with and apply to my hair.

It is very easy to spread around and get an even distribution of product throughout the hair. However, the product does tend to start drying after a few minutes IF you’re working with straight up dry hair. So, it’s best to start off with somewhat damp hair. This will NOT take away from the product’s strength, but it will give you a little more styling time to get every right.

Styling

Time. Average. You’ll spend a normal amount of time styling with this product. It offers a lot of control, which tends to make me want to perfect the hair before calling it done — thus, making me consume more of my time. However, if in a rush or just being careless, you can style with this product in very little time — pomp, combover, whatever.

Slickness. This is a category that water-based pomades typically do poor in…but honestly, Railcar Pomade didn’t disapoint. I usually have an issue with stray hairs when it comes to using water-based products. This was probably well-aided by styling while my hair was slightly damp. The product will eventually dry mostly matte, but that’s nothing a lil Dax Super Neat can’t remedy if you want shine.

Strength. Actually, this product offer a lot more hold than I expected. I still consider it a medium but a proper spot would put it somewhere between Admiral and Reuzel WB. My hair is probably twice as long as your guys’ hair right now…if it can style mine properly, it can style yours easily.

Conclusion

This is a fine product. Definitely joining the ranks of my go-to water-based pomades and receiving my seal of approval. 

To wrap everything up, this pomade is truly well-formulated. It has the styling and application characteristics of Admiral Pomade but with more hold and control. The scent is absolutely next level and has no comparison in the pomade world.

You are not buying any normal pomade or pair of jeans when you invest in Railcar Finegoods. This workshop and what Steven Dang stand for garners the utmost respect from me. There are those who do shit for the money. Then, there are those who do it because they love to do it. When the latter is the case, you can be assured what you receive is of the best quality. As a fellow engineer and ‘maker of things’, I empathize and revere the mindset that Steven embodies. This all comes out in the denim that he and his workshop creates. 

This review has been brought to you by the courtesy of Mr. Pomade of Pomade.com. Currently, it is the most affordable way to get your hands on this good stuff, so you can find more information about it here.

For more information on Railcar Finegoods, you’ll find it here. You’ll find a fine selection of selvedge (and 1 non-selvedge) jeans…along with shirts, jackets, and accessories. I’m currently deciding between their Spikes X005, X014, and their apron. Can’t decide whether I want some nice summer selvedge, a dark indigo heavy, or a sweet-ass apron for working in the machine shop.

-James Bui A.K.A. The Pomp