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The Awesome Story Behind Duke Cannon

duke cannon thick body wash old glory
Duke Cannon

Which new bourbon are we pumped about? What does it take to be a master journeyman? Where are we excited to travel to next? Each week, The Manual Podcast invites an expert, artisan, or craftsman for a roundtable discussion on what’s new, exciting, and unique in their trade.

For this week’s episode of The Manual Podcast,  Nicole, Greg, and Sam sit down with co-founder of men’s grooming brand Duke Cannon, Sam Swartz.

A men’s grooming brand that’s been around for around a decade, Duke Cannon grew out of the wish to create a grooming brand for men that stood out from the Axe body sprays and Old Spice shower gels of the world. Swartz and his co-founder, Anthony Albanese, decided, then, to create Duke Cannon. After bandying some other names about — hearing what they are makes this episode worth it alone — they settled on DC.

From there, they began with a single product, a big ass bar of soap. Now, ten years later, the Duke Cannon line covers just about every men’s grooming product you could think of. Swartz takes the team through that timeline, discussing how one builds a brand, how they decided on what their scents and products were going to be, and much more along the way.

Also along the way, hear about the different collaborations Duke Cannon has completed, how many times a day (on average) at least one member of the podcast smells their pits, and one member’s (possible) failed experimentations with Axe body spray.

Do you use Duke Cannon? Do you have a different favorite grooming brand? Have you ever thought that you need to take care of your body and hair and are eager to find out how?  Let us know. We want to hear from you. If you ever have a question or comment for The Manual Podcast folks, give us a shout at podcast@themanual.com — we’re always around! Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter so you can join the discussion. Don’t forget, too, to rate and review the podcast where you download it.

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