@Rasoul S Thanks for not taking my post the wrong way! I certainly was kidding...
Almost forgot that you are not (yet) a fan of old school Hindi oils...
Totally understand what you mean about about impartiality, and i have seen many of your posts praising the work of other artisans as well.
Now i am relatively new to the oud world, and in the little bit of exposure i have had here it is clear that Ensar has just had the largest variety of offerings, and many that don’t really have any direct comparables. So its not really even about favouring one, its just they have a lot to offer across the board, and i guess being the pioneer in the artisnal oud world gives them the edge. Also, given the consistent quality of the oils brought to market, it is easy to see why Ensar Oud is the go to source for many. Perhaps in years to come the relatively new players will catch up...who knows what might be sitting in vaults & shelves aging away...
To add to that, i have found the customer service to be exceptional as well. When making my first couple of purchases i had contacted a couple of vendors, and some i heard back from, some provided partial responses, but Adam took the time to answer each one of my questions & concerns.
Also, i know some may disagree, but i really appreciate the write ups for the oils, even more so when i knew nothing about oud. It is a brilliant way to market oud, and the story makes it that much more special. Most of my full bottle purchases from Ensar have been blind, except when they sent samples of TW95 & TWR at my request, but the combination of the write ups plus forum posts were what i went by, and so far have not been disappointed...
Ensar & team’s passion & dedication is obvious.
Now i am yet to try any attars from Ensar, i did receive a sample of Borneo Zen...it was nice & i enjoyed it, but i’m here for the O.U.D.
In any market category, whether its cars, daily use stuff products, any product really...there is brand loyalty and certain aspects of the products or the producer that just click with us...when i was into knives (collecting mostly) i too favoured one company over all others, CRK, they made an excellent product, took years to perfect designs, attention to detail without compromise, had excellent customer service and a great warranty...(my insta account..don’t really post any more...
https://www.instagram.com/416istoronto/). There are many others who may have similar attributes, however there was something about these guys that just really appealed to me...perhaps their attention to detail, design simplicity...the story...whatever....Although Chris has retired now, and the company now caters to customer demands that Chris may never had agreed to...
They make a knife called the Green Beret, for years when Chris was running the show, despite customer requests he never made one without serrations, as they were essential to the original design & intent of the knife. So even though they might have sold alot more of them, to stay true to the essence of the product, refused...its acually easier to produce to a plain edge..soon after his retirement, they made a plain edge...Wow i went off track!
Bottom line we all have our favourites & there is absolutely nothing wrong with that...
Totally agree with the above points. Your views, input & reviews are much appreciated...
