Many of you know that my husband is an Army Veteran. So, I love to support our military and first responders. This year, I am sharing some of our favorite veteran-owned companies. Check out my list and get some Christmas shopping done!
Notch
Notch has managed to put an end to the war between your hat and sunglasses. Notch was founded by a veteran of the US Marines who had always been frustrated with traditional baseball caps because the curved brim would push his sunglasses down onto his nose. Notch was born out of his search for a practical, attractive solution to this problem. He and his wife started Notch out of their garage. Since then, Notch has grown into an established brand with customers and retailers all over the world. They are committed to providing you with personalized, friendly customer service and bringing you the highest quality and most innovative baseball caps available.
Notch has Ponytail Hats, Tactical Operator Hats, Notch-less Hats, Adjustable Hats, Fitted Hats, and Blank Hats. They also have tees & hoodies, patches, stickers, and facemasks. I love the Notch Classic Adjustable Camo Ponytail Operator hat. It features a mesh back to help keep your head cool when you’re out on the range! The slot for your ponytail or high messy bun makes wearing this cap super comfortable and our patented notches will keep your eyewear secure at the same time.
My husband received the Notch Classic Adjustable Athlete Operator Blackout cap which is the newest Athlete Operator baseball cap. It features their patented notch technology that allows you to comfortably wear your hat and sunglasses together at last. This hat has a super lightweight, breathable performance fabric that is perfect for sports, athletics or just hanging out. My husband loves how comfortable it is!
Each hat comes with three options: Standard Notch, Terra Notch, or Notch-Less. The Standard Notch is positioned close to the crown of the hat & works best with wrap-around or sport-style glasses. The Terra Notch is positioned further away for fashion or wayfarer-style glasses. Of course, Notch-Less is for those that do not need a Notch.
Notch offers a 10% discount to veterans, law enforcement, and first responders which is verified through GovX. They also offer a 10% discount for new subscribers to their newsletters. The link is at the bottom of their homepage here: https://notchgear.com/
Lox and Company, LTD.
Lox and Company, LTD. was established in 2016 as Lox Hair Wax Company, LLC. with just one product, Battle Wax Hair & Beard Pomade. After trashing his first pomade for being “hard as a brick,” Miz, the founder, tweaked the recipe and perfected Lox’s very first pomade which remains their top seller.
Miz had even bigger dreams to build a brand for Sharp Savages everywhere with a never quit attitude. All of the grooming products are handmade with all-natural ingredients in small batches. The apparel is all designed at Lox with intentions to embody the American fighting spirit and never quit attitude.
We received a bottle of the Alsvin Handcrafted Beard Oil, the Lip Lox™ Battle Set, Carnival Vanilla Cone Coffee Scrub, Black Diamond Salve All Natural Body Lotion & Tattoo Brightener, Battle Wax Hair & Beard Pomade, Warhawk Natural Deodorant, Dismount Natural Deodorant, and a Sweet Harvest Candle.
The Alsvin Handcrafted Beard Oil is a hand-poured beard oil that will hydrate and condition your beard and skin while giving your beard a healthy shine. The Lip Lox™ Battle Set is made by hand with real local beeswax and all-natural ingredients. It comes in Unscented, The Original Scent (Battle Wax), Peppermint, and Coconut Vanilla. The Carnival Vanilla Cone Coffee Body Scrub is made with real coffee, this scrub will exfoliate your skin leaving it super smooth and smelling irresistible. The caffeine in the coffee will increase blood flow in your skin and cause it to tighten. This means firmer skin, reduced inflammation around your eyes, and a reduction of cellulite.
The Black Diamond Salve All Natural Body Lotion & Tattoo Brightener is a 100% all-natural lotion that moisturizes your skin and brightens your ink. It is rich in vitamins and nutrients that your skin demands to function at its best. Battle Wax Hair & Beard Pomade is made from organic ingredients including local beeswax. It gives the wet look of hair gel and the hold of wax and is lightly scented with vanilla and lime high-grade essential oils. The Deodorants are 100% all-natural and hand-poured in small batches. The Warhawk Natural Deodorant is a vanilla & lime scent and the Dismount Natural Deodorant is a lavender & sagebrush scent. The Sweet Harvest Candle is a natural, all-American, hand-poured, beeswax candle made with coconut oil for cleaner burning and a top-secret fragrance oil blend. Scented like baked pumpkin, sweet cream, and cinnamon – it is delightful!
GORUCK
GORUCK builds the best, toughest rucking gear to equip the rucking revolution. Jason McCarthy founded GORUCK in 2008, while he was in the Special Forces and his wife was in the CIA. The goal was to build a rucksack with life-or-death quality standards that would thrive in Baghdad and NYC. He wanted to show people from all walks of life how to operate smartly and safely in some of the harshest environments in the world.
We received the 16L Bullet Ruck – Laptop Bag. The Bullet is the perfect streamlined ruck that you can use as a daypack or a grab-and-go ruck. Much like the 15L Bullet Ruck this 16L Edition incorporates a bombproof laptop compartment next to your back and a back panel providing additional lumbar support.
We also received a pair of Ballistic Trainers – Low Top – Lunar Rock. One glance at these shoes and you can tell that they are durable and high-quality. I love the overall sleek design, too. The new standard in functional fitness footwear with 3X Support™ and 3X Stability for all three (3) of your arches, making them the best workout shoes for men and women ever created.
Seamless, one-piece engineered warp-knit covers the entire forefoot giving you plenty of breathability and flexibility without cramping your toes. The pattern of the knit is varied — tighter where you need reinforced strength and looser where you want increased airflow.
The lace area, midfoot, and heel is built from two panels of Special Forces grade Ballistic nylon (1680D CORDURA®). You get Ballistic protection from the stress of rope climbs with additional structure and stability in the midfoot and heel.
The forefoot area is resilient and flexible, providing excellent cushioning and rebound from strike to recovery when running, jumping, or performing other explosive movements. The firm heel keeps you grounded on a stable platform when lifting or squatting and the 8mm lift maintains your center of gravity for a versatile mechanical advantage. The forefoot rubber is formulated for increased grip in any environment — wet and dry, inside or out. The midfoot rubber is formulated from a rock climbing compound for the best abrasion resistance and long-term durability — ideal for rope climbs. The rubber in the heel is dense, and tough and won’t wear down after miles of running or rucking.
You can subscribe to their newsletter at the bottom of this page: https://www.goruck.com/
Raised by Wolves Candles
Raised by Wolves Candles was founded after a difficult journey during a cancer diagnosis. The name of the company pays hommage to a rough childhood and the founder’s time in the military. You find that when you are “Raised by Wolves” you either use that experience to sink or swim. The company carries 6oz single-wick candles, 12oz double-wick candles, seasonal candles, and mini diffusers.
I received the Eat Your Breakfast, Embrace The Suck, and Take A Hike 6oz single-wick candles. They all smell absolutely amazing but Eat Your Breakfast took me back to my childhood. It smells EXACTLY like Fruity Pebbles! Embrace The Suck has notes of Sea Salt, Jasmine, and Tonka. It is a nice, relaxing scent. Take A Hike has Earthy, Oakmoss, Sandalwood, and Clove scents. It definitely reminds you of being on a nature hike. You can subscribe to their newsletter at the bottom of this page https://raisedbywolvescandles.com/ for promotions, new products, and sales.
Rollors
Rollors is the next great outdoor game! The founder, Matt Butler, first visualized the game on downtime between deployments overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan supporting combat operations. Upon return, he developed a prototype in his garage that was a hit at BBQs, parties, and other outdoor get-togethers. Around the time of the recession; Matt saw many local veterans out of work that had the resident woodworking skills that helped spark the light bulb onto a means to help them. He then decided he wanted to employ local veterans to help construct the wooden disks and wooden, cone-shaped targets used in the game in their home workshops. Rollors has now turned into an award-winning and unique game that is revolutionizing beach and backyard fun.
The game is simple and anyone can play. You just need two teams. Standing behind the red goal, the blue player/team rolls one rollor at a time toward their blue goal, attempting to land their rollor as close to the goal as possible.
In order to score, a rollor must fall entirely within a 5-foot radius of the center of the goal. A measuring cord is provided to measure this requirement.
Only one player/team scores each round and that is the player/team with the rollor that is closest to their goal. The measuring cord should assist in determining which player is closest. In the case of a tie, neither player/team scores. All rollors of the closest scoring color to the goal receive points. To win, a player must achieve a total of 21 points or more, and must have two more points than the opponent.
It is such a fun game that anyone can play. Perfect for any type of gathering! My kids want to play it all of the time. You can subscribe to their newsletter here: https://rollors.com/ They give military, first responder, and educator discounts. Use discount code SUPPORTVETS for FREE SHIPPING!
Cruise Customs
Cruise Customs Flags began with a passion for the American flag & all that it symbolizes. US Military veteran & Co-Owner, Chris Cruise, understands well the value of patriotism. Seeking a meaningful way to express that, Chris & his wife, Amber, started producing hand-crafted American flags. Each flag is hand-crafted by veterans from the military & first responder communities. Using repurposed Kentucky bourbon barrels, no two flags look exactly alike & are thoughtfully made to capture each customer’s personal story of patriotism.
Look at how beautiful this THE LIEUTENANT – RWB EDITION flag is! It is no wonder that is their best-seller! The grain of the wood, the characteristics of the rustic white oak, and the raised elements that are featured in their flags will truly be a conversation piece in your home. Check them out here: https://cruisecustomsflags.com/
Cruise Customs also has a sister brand called The Wooden States of America. They hand-craft each state in their Kentucky workshop. They make magnetic keyholders, keychains, and wooden stickers. You can check them out here: https://www.thewoodenstates.com/
Conclusion
I hope you have enjoyed this list. These are all truly wonderful companies that are worth supporting this holiday season! This is such a unique list that I know you will be able to find something for your loved ones. I hope everyone enjoys the upcoming holidays! As always, you can follow me on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/hummingbirdandhousewife/ and be sure to subscribe to receive more posts like this one.