AGARWOOD INCENSE (EAGLESWOOD INCENSE, ALOESWOOD INCENSE) 53 sticks per tube

Description

AGARWOOD INCENSE
To me, and I would think to most, there is Bhutanese incense and Agarwood incense (from Japan, China, Vietnam, etc).
There is little to no in-between, save for the occasional outstanding Tibetan or Indian incense.
Now there is a huge difference in styles between Bhutanese incense and the producers of Agarwood incense, as well as the various types/locations of the Agarwood itself. But that being said, I’m going to speak today about this Agarwood incense I’m offering.
I acquired this in 2010 in Guangzhou, China from an extremely reputable incense purveyor. This is rare Hainan Agarwood incense. The aroma is outstandingly subtle and rekindles the “iron fist inside a velvet glove,” idiom.
An incredibly subtle clove-like note, followed by a muskiness and beautiful woodiness. There’s a faint hint of salt and an incredibly complex note of just-cooked bacon fat; that smokey, slightly sweet, meaty perfume of a scent. One can pick up aromas of talc and leather. Amazing notes of 30-year-old dried mandarin citrus skins (chen pi) and the fragrance of a damp forest. A slight hint of asphalt. A resiny quality found in only the finest incense. This is not a “perfumy” incense, but more of a “cologne,” masculine-like aroma.
The purveyor, though this is virtually impossible to determine, told me that a portion of the agarwood used in this incense is comprised of approximately 3% sinking grade Agarwood. I myself am not expert enough, frankly, maybe only a handful of people on this planet are, to discern if 3% is sinking grade Agarwood and 97% is Agarwood, is true. But I can tell you that the aromatics given off by this incense, no oils or perfumes etc are used, are of such sublime enjoyment that it doesn’t matter to me one bit. All I know is that this is quality.
I burn only one stick per day: either in the morning to quietly ease into the day with peace and good thoughts, or in the evening to relax and look back on the day just past and to count my blessings, which are many, both occasions which are accompanied by a cup of tea. Though I’d like to burn closer to 10 sticks/day, the sad reality is that I don’t have much of this to offer.
This incense is sold in wooden tubes that contain 53 sticks. Each stick is approximately 7.825” –
8.125” long. And the incense weighs approximately 19 – 20 grams total. Each tube is USD. About .58/stick. For the many minutes of olfactory and spiritual fulfillment, it’s a very good deal. I am selling only 13 of the tubes of this incense that I have, as I'd like to keep some for myself.
There are no returns, exchanges, etc for this item. What I will do, if you want, is offer you the following:
Recognizing that any scent is very personal and subjective, if you want to purchase a tube or more of this item, you will be charged for the item and the appropriate shipping charge (shipping charge will also include the cost of sending either via registered mail or proof of receipt etc). What I will offer is to send you, post your order, in a plain envelope, approximately 1/3 of a stick. You can light the incense and determine if you like it. If you do like it, I will ship your previously purchased order of the entire tube or more to you. If you don’t like it, I will cancel your order and credit you back the USD plus all shipping charges, less any charges levied by eBay, Paypal, etc. If you live in SF, CA, or relatively close within 15 miles, I'd be happy to meet you in a public place to both our comfort and deliver to you the sample to inhale either on the spot or to take with you and enjoy at your leisure.
Please keep in mind, that this will be sent in a regular envelope and may break into smaller pieces. I could wrap it up a little and send it to you in a padded envelope, but you would incur further shipping costs for the sample.
I don’t think that breakage into smaller pieces would be much of an issue, as the purpose with this is to just get it lit so that you can smell its fragrance. If the pieces are too small to put into an incense holder and burn, you can always use an incense burner or hot plate of sorts, but exercise caution and be careful if you do.
The wooden tube of this incense is a work of art. The purveyor didn’t know exactly what kind of wood it was, other than to say it was “native Chinese wood.” That being said, I asked several wood merchants what they thought it was and the majority of them speculated it was a variety of tightly grained maple or padauk. I’m not sure myself. But what I am sure about is the high quality of the tube itself. It is made with such a tight tolerance that the removable top piece fits onto the main tube portion with an almost vacuum seal-like grip. It practically snaps into place. It’s really an amazing piece of wood, made with a fanaticism rarely seen in wood-making these days. The off-white ring between the top piece and main tube is believed to be decorative and its composition is something that is not known by the merchant or myself.
I will not ship Internationally or to PO Boxes or US Protectorates, APO/FPO, etc. I will only ship domestically to the 50 USA states. I will allow for local pickup or delivery in the San Francisco, California area. For everyone's concern, the pickup or delivery place will be a public venue in a well known and well attended area that is agreeable to both parties. I will provide free delivery within 15 miles of SF for any order of 2 tubes or more, and for you to pickup your order in SF for any order of 2 tubes or more. I'd be happy to deliver your order in the San Francisco area if it's farther than 15 miles, but then a delivery charge equivalent to the gas cost of the round trip distance, at approximately .70/gallon of gas (30 miles worth) applies. So let's say you live up in St. Helena, CA, the total round trip miles are approximately 140. Subtract the free 15 miles (30 miles round trip) and that gives you 110 chargeable miles. That cost, 110 miles divided by 30 miles, equals 3.67, then 3.67 x .70 = .80. Now, that sounds uneconomical for 1 tube, but should you want to purchase several tubes, then it might make financial sense. I will only deliver at the total round trip mileage limit of 150 miles (75 miles one way). Please note that any pickup or delivery in the SF area will not occur until funds for any payment of the order have been paid in full and released to me from Ebay/Paypal, etc