The start of my passion

#1
In a past trip to Istanbul I experienced my first smell of oud. It was absolutely amazing, and soon after smelling it I went straight home and started to explore this wonderful world. I soon stumbled upon Ensar's website and was absolutely amazed. I had no idea that oud was so diverse and it felt like something that resonated perfectly with me. I quickly knew that this would almost certainly develop into a passion for myself.

You see, due to my background I have always been perplexed by attars, and my family was always keen to aid me on this journey. They always saved a bottle to give me on eid, every year and I amassed a small collection of them. But I soon got tired of the bland and un complex notes from attars and felt a bit lost, starting to wear them less and less. Now, I have heard about oud from the documentary on Al Jazeera called "Scent from heaven", but I always believed that oud was far too expensive for someone like me, and was reserved for the rich. This was, until I found some at a shop in Istanbul selling oud. Though the oud might have been fake it still was an amazing and complex scent to me, and I soon took up a liking to what was branded in all of these shops as "white oud" It's smell is very nice, with an ever present buttery and green scent, followed by a bit of smokiness. Even if the odds are that this oil isn't real it really was a very good introduction for me.


Though I might be a bit young now, over the years I hope to learn more about oud oil, and hope to one day have my own collection that I can sample at any time. But for now, I will stick to my tiny bottle of "white oud". In the near future however, I think I will turn to burning oud, and save up all I can to get myself a bottle of genuine oud oil.
 
#2
In a past trip to Istanbul I experienced my first smell of oud. It was absolutely amazing, and soon after smelling it I went straight home and started to explore this wonderful world. I soon stumbled upon Ensar's website and was absolutely amazed. I had no idea that oud was so diverse and it felt like something that resonated perfectly with me. I quickly knew that this would almost certainly develop into a passion for myself.

You see, due to my background I have always been perplexed by attars, and my family was always keen to aid me on this journey. They always saved a bottle to give me on eid, every year and I amassed a small collection of them. But I soon got tired of the bland and un complex notes from attars and felt a bit lost, starting to wear them less and less. Now, I have heard about oud from the documentary on Al Jazeera called "Scent from heaven", but I always believed that oud was far too expensive for someone like me, and was reserved for the rich. This was, until I found some at a shop in Istanbul selling oud. Though the oud might have been fake it still was an amazing and complex scent to me, and I soon took up a liking to what was branded in all of these shops as "white oud" It's smell is very nice, with an ever present buttery and green scent, followed by a bit of smokiness. Even if the odds are that this oil isn't real it really was a very good introduction for me.


Though I might be a bit young now, over the years I hope to learn more about oud oil, and hope to one day have my own collection that I can sample at any time. But for now, I will stick to my tiny bottle of "white oud". In the near future however, I think I will turn to burning oud, and save up all I can to get myself a bottle of genuine oud oil.
Welcome to a journey of no turning back...[emoji16]
 
#3
In a past trip to Istanbul I experienced my first smell of oud. It was absolutely amazing, and soon after smelling it I went straight home and started to explore this wonderful world. I soon stumbled upon Ensar's website and was absolutely amazed. I had no idea that oud was so diverse and it felt like something that resonated perfectly with me. I quickly knew that this would almost certainly develop into a passion for myself.

You see, due to my background I have always been perplexed by attars, and my family was always keen to aid me on this journey. They always saved a bottle to give me on eid, every year and I amassed a small collection of them. But I soon got tired of the bland and un complex notes from attars and felt a bit lost, starting to wear them less and less. Now, I have heard about oud from the documentary on Al Jazeera called "Scent from heaven", but I always believed that oud was far too expensive for someone like me, and was reserved for the rich. This was, until I found some at a shop in Istanbul selling oud. Though the oud might have been fake it still was an amazing and complex scent to me, and I soon took up a liking to what was branded in all of these shops as "white oud" It's smell is very nice, with an ever present buttery and green scent, followed by a bit of smokiness. Even if the odds are that this oil isn't real it really was a very good introduction for me.


Though I might be a bit young now, over the years I hope to learn more about oud oil, and hope to one day have my own collection that I can sample at any time. But for now, I will stick to my tiny bottle of "white oud". In the near future however, I think I will turn to burning oud, and save up all I can to get myself a bottle of genuine oud oil.
Respected brother Youssef, you have taken a 'giant leap'. Warm welcome! Oud in reality is 'worlds within worlds'; so every body is new at the point one has reached.
 

RobertOne

Well-Known Member
#6
In a past trip to Istanbul I experienced my first smell of oud. It was absolutely amazing, and soon after smelling it I went straight home and started to explore this wonderful world. I soon stumbled upon Ensar's website and was absolutely amazed. I had no idea that oud was so diverse and it felt like something that resonated perfectly with me. I quickly knew that this would almost certainly develop into a passion for myself.

You see, due to my background I have always been perplexed by attars, and my family was always keen to aid me on this journey. They always saved a bottle to give me on eid, every year and I amassed a small collection of them. But I soon got tired of the bland and un complex notes from attars and felt a bit lost, starting to wear them less and less. Now, I have heard about oud from the documentary on Al Jazeera called "Scent from heaven", but I always believed that oud was far too expensive for someone like me, and was reserved for the rich. This was, until I found some at a shop in Istanbul selling oud. Though the oud might have been fake it still was an amazing and complex scent to me, and I soon took up a liking to what was branded in all of these shops as "white oud" It's smell is very nice, with an ever present buttery and green scent, followed by a bit of smokiness. Even if the odds are that this oil isn't real it really was a very good introduction for me.


Though I might be a bit young now, over the years I hope to learn more about oud oil, and hope to one day have my own collection that I can sample at any time. But for now, I will stick to my tiny bottle of "white oud". In the near future however, I think I will turn to burning oud, and save up all I can to get myself a bottle of genuine oud oil.
Dear Youssef,

Welcome to the forum!

Do not dispair about the costs too much. Instead, why not take up some part-time after studies work? If you can't get out the house for any reason there are always some jobs online that are available on craigslist.

Get creative.
 
#7
Dear Youssef,

Welcome to the forum!

Do not dispair about the costs too much. Instead, why not take up some part-time after studies work? If you can't get out the house for any reason there are always some jobs online that are available on craigslist.

Get creative.
Thank you so much for your kind words! Due to the high demand that my studies puts me under a job would not be an option (to put it short I don't go to a normal high school I go to one made by OSU called Metro read more here: https://www.themetroschool.org/about/our-history/) So I have thought that I might do simple jobs around the neighborhood such as mowing lawns in the summer and shoveling snow in the winter. This is what I am planning to do to save up for my first oud oil. Wish me luck!
 

kooolaid79

Well-Known Member
#8
Welcome Br Youssef to the best Oudh forum around! You are amongst some of the greatest Oudh minds (excluding mine I don't know much about Oudh) If you have any questions, please feel free to ask away. Another thing I want to recommend is to read and read alot about Oudh. There is a wealth of information on this forum and you can always gain something new from each read!
 
#9
Welcome Br Youssef to the best Oudh forum around! You are amongst some of the greatest Oudh minds (excluding mine I don't know much about Oudh) If you have any questions, please feel free to ask away. Another thing I want to recommend is to read and read alot about Oudh. There is a wealth of information on this forum and you can always gain something new from each read!
Indeed, I have already started to learn so much!
 

kesiro

Well-Known Member
#10
Dear Youssef,
A most hearty welcome to Gaharu and the fascinating world of oud. This is an environment with a fantastic group of folks who are not only great scholars of this magical substance but also exhibit a lot of care about each other.

PS: brother Koool is being much too humble. He is an excellent resource of info and experience.
 
#11
Dear Youssef,
A most hearty welcome to Gaharu and the fascinating world of oud. This is an environment with a fantastic group of folks who are not only great scholars of this magical substance but also exhibit a lot of care about each other.

PS: brother Koool is being much too humble. He is an excellent resource of info and experience.
Haha, I have already picked this up from reading all he has contributed to forums. Very knowledgeable indeed!

This is what I love about this community, you all are so close knit it is truly amazing!

Thank you so much for everything
 

PEARL

Well-Known Member
#12
As salaamu alaykum, peace

Besides a hearty welcome, I'd like to give a few words of advice to someone like you who is relatively new to oud.
Sample
~sampling gives you the chance to test an oil before committing to a full bottle. Many here do blind buy full bottles. IMO it's because they have enough experience with different oils from different regions and vendors and are able to decipher what the vendor says about their oils and/or they trust when a vendor recognizes their taste and makes a suggestion.
~sampling is a cost effective strategy to try more oils. For the price of 1 bottle, several samples can be had, again exposing you to different oils and their characteristics, helping you to build your scent library and honing in on what types of oils you favor.
Vendors
~a cursory net query will give you many outlets to vendors ready to take your hard earned cashola and in return give you rubbish. Here's where it gets tricky; an expensive oil doesn't guarantee a better oil, not necessarily anyway. Likewise an inexpensive oil doesn't mean it's trash, not necessarily anyway. That's why the general consensus is this....
~the trusted vendors are Oudimentary, House of Misk, Ensar Oud, Agar Aura(Taha), Imperial Oud, Feel Oud(Adam), Al Shareef Oudh, Agarwood Assam(Zakir, he's on etsy). There are a few more that I can't recall but others may chime in too.
 
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#13
As salaamu alaykum, peace

Besides a hearty welcome, I'd like to give a few words of advice to someone like you who is relatively new to oud.
Sample
~sampling gives you the chance to test an oil before committing to a full bottle. Many here do blind buy full bottles. IMO it's because they have enough experience with different oils from different regions and vendors and are able to decipher what the vendor says about their oils and/or they trust when a vendor recognizes their taste and makes a suggestion.
~sampling is a cost effective strategy to try more oils. For the price of 1 bottle, several samples can be had, again exposing you to different oils and their characteristics, helping you to build your scent library and honing in on what types of oils you favor.
Vendors
~a cursory net query will give you many outlets to vendors ready to take your hard earned cashola and in return give you rubbish. Here's where it gets tricky; an expensive oil doesn't guarantee a better oil, not necessarily anyway. Likewise an inexpensive oil doesn't mean it's trash, not necessarily anyway. That's why the general consensus is this....
~the trusted vendors are Oudimentary, House of Misk, Ensar Oud, Agar Aura(Taha), Imperial Oud, Feel Oud(Adam), Al Shareef Oudh, Agarwood Assam(Zakir, he's on etsy). There are a few more that I can't recall but others may chime in too.
Thank you so much for your information! This will definitely come in handy.
 
A

Alkhadra

Guest
#14
Thank you so much for your kind words! Due to the high demand that my studies puts me under a job would not be an option (to put it short I don't go to a normal high school I go to one made by OSU called Metro read more here: https://www.themetroschool.org/about/our-history/) So I have thought that I might do simple jobs around the neighborhood such as mowing lawns in the summer and shoveling snow in the winter. This is what I am planning to do to save up for my first oud oil. Wish me luck!
When you said OSU I thought you meant Oklahoma State University, which is where I'm currently studying. Now I see that you meant Ohio State University. :(
Darn, being 22 years old I thought I was the youngest around, you beat me by 7 years man! :eek: Welcome to the world of Oud! and May Allah bless your studies.
 
#15
When you said OSU I thought you meant Oklahoma State University, which is where I'm currently studying. Now I see that you meant Ohio State University. :(
Darn, being 22 years old I thought I was the youngest around, you beat me by 7 years man! :eek: Welcome to the world of Oud! and May Allah bless your studies.
Thank you so much!
 

RobertOne

Well-Known Member
#17
When you said OSU I thought you meant Oklahoma State University, which is where I'm currently studying. Now I see that you meant Ohio State University. :(
Darn, being 22 years old I thought I was the youngest around, you beat me by 7 years man! :eek: Welcome to the world of Oud! and May Allah bless your studies.
Go Sooners!