Buying incense is consumption; making incense is a memory. In our hands-on session, you can blend a tube of incense of your own under the shopkeeper's guidance.
Several basic incense materials are laid out on the table, each with its own character: some bright and airy, some mellow and rich. The instructor first guides you to smell each one, helps you settle on the theme you want to make, then picks one or two to complement it. This step is much like what the ancients called sovereign, minister, assistant, and envoy—first the lead, then the supporting notes.
Mix the incense powder evenly in proportion, add an appropriate amount of natural binder powder and water, and knead it into incense paste. What matters is moisture and force—too dry and it cracks, too wet and it collapses. Once kneaded, slowly extrude thin strips with an incense extruder, straighten them, and dry them in the shade; a stick of incense is formed.
With incense you blend yourself, you know exactly what each ingredient is, and smelling it feels more like your own involvement. It may not be as perfect as the standard products sold in the shop, but it is your scent, with a story whether you give it away or keep it.
A tube of incense made by your own hands burns the materials but remembers that afternoon.
The hands-on session requires advance booking and places are limited; see the contact page for the specific schedule. Before coming, you can think about the style you want: a bit fresher and more elegant, or a bit mellower and richer—then get straight to work when you arrive.
Freshly formed incense contains moisture and needs to dry in the shade for a day or two before it is suitable for burning. We usually keep the incense you make until it is fully dry, then notify you to pick it up or ship it out; if you are in a hurry, you can also take the moist incense home and dry it in the shade yourself. Either way, that tube holds a scent that belongs only to you.
Explain your specific situation clearly, and we will give the corresponding judgment and advice—sourcing, personal use, and appraisal are all welcome.
Ask about agarwood-related questions