Edwin Jagger Sandalwood Vs Art of shaving and Taylor of Old Bond St Sandalwood

Hello all,

I was back in NYC this past weekend and got to stop into Pasteur's and an AOS shop. My only experience with Sandalwood scents currently is with Edwin Jagger's sandalwood cream, sent in a sample pack with my replacement Best Badger Brush (Kudos to them on service, btw).

I would describe the EJ sandalwood to be sweet, with a slight hint of leather (or wet badger - I've only used it with my new BBB) and a very slight amount of that woody sharpness. It's pleasant, and I like it very much.

When I walked into AOS, I smelled their sandalwood display cream. It was woodier - sharper in the nose with more of a cedar feeling than EJ.

TOBS was similar - I opened one of the jars at Pasteur to take a whiff. Cedary, sharp in the nose, very woody and similar to AOS.

Granted, I wasn't in the best testing situation, and I didn't have much time at either place to deliberate. Though I have read glowing reviews about the sandalwood products from AOS and TOBS, I decided not to purchase because it was so different from the EJ sandalwood. It was shocking, and I didn't have time to decide whether I liked these variations on sandalwood. Also, I expect that SWMBO, who is also fond of EJ sandalwood, will gift some to me this season.

Anyway, is EJ's sweetness (and slight leatheriness) unusual in sandalwood scents? Are AOS and TOBS truer? I read LSbrodsky's thread, and he believes that EJ, AOS, and Vintage blades have the truest scent, but to my nose, the EJ is vastly different than AOS. What am I missing? Keep in mind, I am by no means experienced in describing or parsing scents.

I know that you read my thread but to expand a bit...I think the purists consider the AOS and EJ to be more more true to the essential oil of sandalwood. We all have different noses but I don't detect any wood in those or in Vintage Blades. All of the other sandalwoods I tried, including TOBS, had a spicy nature to them ranging from baked cookies to cedar. In the end, if you really like one just stick with it. I love all of the aspects of EJ Sandalwood, except maybe its price.
Larry

ive only used the edwin jagger and tobs versions of sandalwood, and im beginning to realize there is a huge disparity on the interpretation of this scent. Let me preface my thoughts by saying that my descriptions of scents are not pro level or anything but to me the edwin jagger was more of like a smokey, mellow scent. The taylors is much sharper and spicier to my nose. Maybe muskier? Just to throw in something else, i also have the green pond sandalwood and i find that to be somewhere in the middle of the EJ and the TOBS....not as spicy as the taylors, but def a lil more edge than the EJ. I prefer the TOBS by a longshot over the other two though..but then again i am a fan of more spicier sharper scents when it comes to sandalwood. I plan on trying trumpers and AOS next probably.....

EJ are great creams, but as someone said above a little bit on pricey...That said i discovered the Muhle creams are the same product, just rebranded EJ. Well, good news indeed......being cheaper i have the 3 fragrances on my sink:Sandalwood, Aloe and Sea Buckthorn but Muhle stamped on. Daily rotation, excellent performers.

Ya know, it doesn't really matter which one is a truer scent. What's important is that you like it.

-Clarke

AOS sandalwood cream is one of the best best creams I have tried scent wise and EJ is one of the worst. But YMMV.

What no Geo F. Trumpers Sandlewood? Better scent than AOS and Taylors IMHO