In search of pure Indian sandalwood oil that is reasonable

[kai]

Another quote from Alan on the synthetic sandalwood oils he has been using: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpo...3&postcount=21

Originally Posted by Alan

All this talk of incredibly expensive essential oils makes me a little bit embarrassed.

Makes me feel like a bit of peasant --- or even worse:- an outright cheapskate.

For 30 or 40 years I've used European produced sandalwood --- undoubtedly synthetic --- that I have bought in bulk from sellers of essential oils in Solo, Jawa. What I have been using since I began using the Javanese scented oil approach is exactly the same as everybody I have ever known involved with keris in Solo uses.

The raw materials are not collected from mystical 500 year old trees standing on top of haunted mountains.

Sure, its not distilled in gold pots over a slow fire of ebony wood.

Its not conjured over by wizards who use secret methods handed down from ancient kings.

Its not stored in crystal cylinders suspended by gold cords in sub terranian chambers.

But it is cheap, and it smells OK.

I used to buy "Sandescan" by Schimmel & Co. a German firm.

My current bottles bear the brand:- H&R = Haarmann & Reimer, another German firm.This oil is labelled "Sandescone"

I think H&R were taken over by Symrise AG a couple of years ago. This is another German firm.

I buy by the kilo, not by the gram, and I have never paid anything like the prices you other gentlemen are paying.

If we only have a few keris to anoint from time to time, I guess the gilt-edged approach is not too expensive, but if we need to look after a lot of keris, these cunningly hand crafted oils are just too expensive