There are mainly two types of tricks behind agarwood fakes on the market: oil injection and essence. Understand them, and you're more than halfway to authentication.
Ordinary wood is soaked in oil to make it darker and heavier, looking "full of oil lines." The flaw lies in the oil lines: natural agarwood oil lines vary in depth and run naturally; injected material's oil lines tend to be overly uniform, float only on the surface, with no corresponding structure inside. Even more caution is needed—oil-injected material can also be sinking grade, so sinking grade cannot be the sole criterion.
Ordinary wood is soaked in liquid essence to pass off as natural fragrance. This type fears the "smell" most: natural agarwood has top, middle, and base note changes, while essence fakes smell the same from start to finish—sharp, cloyingly sweet, and stuffy after prolonged smelling. If you smell "perfume" rather than "the smell of wood being heated," be on guard.
First, check whether the oil lines are natural; second, smell whether the fragrance has layers. If unsure, compare with samples first, and don't order high-value goods online based on photos. Wubaiyi's ¥9.9 public-benefit authentication is there to help incense lovers keep the "fakes" outside the door first.
Fakes fear close inspection; inferior goods fear comparison. Authentication is no mysticism—it relies on looking more, smelling more, and comparing more.
Explain your specific situation clearly, and we'll give the corresponding judgment and advice—sourcing, personal use, and authentication are all covered.
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