The RMC Story
Hello and welcome! I'm so happy that you're here!
I'm Marcel Martin, 36 years old, proud father of twins, an EDC fan and passionate photographer and sewer. Oh yes, and I'm the founder of my little brand RMC (Real Men Carry).
I sell handmade EDC Hanks that are made with the utmost care and quality right here in Winterberg, Germany. But let me tell you how all this came to be - a story I never expected to write.
In 2018, my wife gave me the incredible gift of twin boys. Since then, our lives have completely changed. You may be wondering what this has to do with EDC Hanks ? Let me explain.
In 2020, after two years of being a father, I realized that as a father of young children, you use two things like crazy: diapers and paper towels (both wet and dry). While diapers are indispensable, I thought about the paper towels... And then I remembered my grandfather. He always - and I mean always - had a cloth handkerchief in his pocket. Whether he was blowing his nose or wiping something else, the cloth handkerchief was his constant companion.
So why not grab an EDC Hank to clean my boys' faces and fingers instead of wasting paper towels?
Instead of buying EDC Hanks , I decided to sew my own from my father-in-law's old work shirts. I carried them in my back pocket every day, and it felt great. Not only did I reduce paper towel usage, but I was able to reuse fabric.
At the same time, I was already active in the EDC community on Instagram - a group of people who love everything related to "everyday carry" like pocket knives, flashlights, wallets and more. On February 22, 2020, I posted a picture of one of my self-sewn EDC Hanks . Before I knew it, I received a message asking if I would sell it. And that wasn't the last message.
That's when I knew I had to try. So on March 6, 2020, I decided to sell my EDC Hanks . I quickly designed a logo, had labels made, and went to the fabric store. I bought red/black flannel fabric and beige thread. Then I sat down at my sewing machine, clueless but determined. I folded the fabric, layered it, and started sewing - even though I had no idea what I was doing. My first EDC Hanks weren't perfect, with raw corners and all, but I was proud of them.
On March 13, 2020, I posted my first EDC Hank on Instagram (without labels yet). When the labels arrived, I took new photos and posted them on Instagram. I wasn't expecting much, but within 20 minutes, all 10 EDC Hanks were sold out.
That was a turning point. I knew I couldn't stop. So I continued to learn about fabrics, threads and sewing techniques. I watched tutorials, improved my skills and perfected the quality of my EDC Hanks with each new batch.
In September 2020, I registered RMC as a side business and opened my online shop. Since then, the quality of my EDC Hanks has steadily improved - both in terms of production and the materials used. I have found the perfect yarn and know exactly what to look for in the fabrics to offer you the best EDC Hanks .
I'm excited about the future and all the new ideas I have to expand my collection. I'm also in close contact with other artisans to create new collaborations. So stay tuned, there's a lot more cool stuff coming!
Thank you for your support and for reading my story!
Cheers,
Marcel