Collection: Agarwood Chips - Oud Treasure

Quick Buying Guide

Ten types, all chips, but each need has its chip. Shorten your path from here.

Why buy chips from Oud Treasure?

What distinguishes chips from the other forms?

Chips did not become the most famous form of oud in the Gulf by chance. Their first advantage is flexibility: a single pack serves more than one use, so you pick a small piece for the electric burner on a quiet night, a large piece for the charcoal when the majlis is lively, and grind the small crumbs for a ma'mul blend. The second is scent preservation: the whole piece traps its oils in its core and exposes to the air only its outer surface, so its cold scent stays preserved for years if well stored, unlike powder that exposes every particle of it to the air. The third is the ease of judging quality: the chip is read by the eye and hand, its color and veins and weight in the palm, and this is what makes it the preferred form of the experienced.

As for the randomness of the sizes you see in the pack, it is not a flaw but the signature of nature: the wood is cut along the resin-concentration areas, not on a mold, so the pieces come out varied as the tree shaped them. What we commit to is transparency of sorting: we clarify in each type the nature of the size mix, and we balance the packs so the medium pieces dominate. And a final consideration we say honestly: the very small crumbs are of less value than the pieces, and any natural chips produce some amount of them during cutting and transport. Our handling of it is clear: the hand-sorting excludes the excess of it before packing, and what remains is a small natural proportion not counted as filler, and whoever wants clean crumbs for deliberate grinding has the incense-making oud collection.

Our chips by origin

Ten types from five main origins, and with them the other form for whoever prefers it.

How do you judge the quality of chips? Then the grade scale

Chips are the most honest form of oud with the buyer because they are tested by the bare senses. Start with the weight: weigh the piece in your palm and compare it to its size, for the resin is heavier than the wood's fibers, and the full piece surprises you with its weight while the empty wood is light however large it is. And from this came the old sink test: the pieces that sink in water are the highest summits in density, and between them are grades. Then the eye: the dark color and the clear resin veins penetrating the cross-section are a sign of fullness, and the pale white wood a sign of emptiness. Then the nose: break off a small edge and smell the cold scent from the fresh break, for good oud wafts cold before it touches a fire, and the scent of the fresh break is more honest than an old surface whose fragrance has dispersed.

And so that the judgment does not remain a personal effort, we placed all our chips on a declared grade scale of five ranks: the daily grade for ordinary burning, then the commercial grade the backbone of shops, then the excellent grade the middle of the fine scale, then the luxury grade for occasions, and its summit the collectors' grades for the rarity that is collected and not merely consumed.

Who are these chips for?

How do you choose your chips step by step?

The chips' journey: from the tree to your pack

Chips begin as raw wood in the hands of the network of oud harvesters we deal with directly in their origins, large pieces carrying the resin in their core as the tree's years formed it. Then comes the cutting: the blocks are cut along the resin-concentration areas by a hand that knows where the fragrance dwells in the wood, so the chips come out in their varied natural sizes. Then the hand-sorting, which is what separates one type of chips from another: the pieces are separated by their fullness of resin, their color, and their weight, and the excess crumbs and empty wood are excluded. Then the grading: each type is placed in its rank on the grade scale by size and resin density together, so the daily does not mix with the luxury. And finally the inspection and preparation in our centers in Malaysia: a final review, then packaging that preserves the chips from moisture, and documented international shipping with a tracking number. The full story is on the about us page.

Related collections

The chips' educational guide: know the form of your oud

The forms of oud in the market: which suits you?

Oud reaches your hand in four main forms, and each form has its arena. Chips are irregular pieces that keep their scent in their core, and they are the most flexible in use: for the charcoal, the electric burner, and grinding together, and the most suitable for long storage. Slices are flat pieces cut lengthwise along the fibers, their exposed surface larger so they release their scent faster, and they are the preferred for whoever wants an immediate smoke, and you find them in our Sumatran collection. Powder is ground oud ready for ma'mul and blends, sparing you the effort of grinding and giving a complete uniformity, and its collection is in oud powder. And finally oil, which is the distilled oud oil rubbed onto the body and not burned, the most lasting of the forms on the skin and the farthest from the burner, and you find it in natural oud oil. So if your question is where do I start, the tested answer is: chips first, for they do almost everything.

The art of burning chips: the piece size against the fire's heat

The secret of good burning is a single equation: the larger the piece, the calmer the fire. The large piece needs a calm charcoal coated with its ash so the heat is absorbed to its depth and its scent comes out layer after layer, whereas placing it on a blazing coal scorches its surface and traps the fragrance of its core. The small piece is the opposite: it suits the electric burner at a medium degree, or the calmer edge of the charcoal, and gives what it has faster. And the rule of holding back is more important than the rule of placing: let the smoke build its presence in the place before you judge that it needs reinforcement, for good chips are unhurried then fill.

Breaking the large pieces: when and how?

Buy large and break small, this is the rule of the experienced: the whole piece traps its oils until the moment of use, so break only what you will burn soon. And when you break, do it correctly: a clean cloth beneath to gather the shards, a plier or heavy tool, and a break along the direction of the veins, not against them, so the piece splits a clean split with the fewest crumbs. And the small resulting shards are not thrown away: gather them for the electric burner or for a coming ma'mul blend, for every gram of it you paid for.

Storing chips: how do they live for years?

Chips are the most patient form of oud with time if well kept. The rule: a tightly sealed container, glass or metal, in a cool, dry place away from direct sun, and isolated from other perfumes and ouds so the personalities do not mix. And do not store in thin plastic for long, and do not open the container except when needed, for every opening disperses something of the cold scent. And well-stored chips do not spoil with the years, indeed some of the experienced see that their fragrance grows firmer with the length of good storage.

Frequently asked questions about oud chips

What is the difference between chips and slices?

Chips are pieces irregular in shape and size as they came from the cutting and sorting, and slices are thin flat pieces cut lengthwise along the direction of the wood's fibers. The difference is in the form, not the essence: both are real oud wood, but chips are more flexible in use because you choose a piece the size of your burner, and slices are faster to release the scent because their exposed surface is larger. Our Sumatran slices have their own collection, and this whole page is chips.

Why are the piece sizes unequal?

Because this is the natural form of chips: the raw wood is cut along the resin-concentration areas, not on a geometric mold, so the pieces come out in varied sizes following the resin's formation in the tree itself. Perfect equality in oud is a sign of manufacturing, not a sign of quality. What we commit to is the sorting: every pack carries a balanced mix dominated by the medium pieces suitable for the charcoal and the electric burner together.

Is the presence of small crumbs in the pack cheating?

No, and we will explain the reality honestly: any natural chips produce some amount of crumbs during cutting and transport, and the claim of a pack with no crumbs at all is an unrealistic claim. The cheating is stuffing the pack with crumbs to raise the weight, and we do the opposite: the hand-sorting excludes the excess crumbs before packing, and what remains is a small natural proportion suitable for the electric burner or for grinding and not counted as filler.

Which chip size is best for the electric burner?

The small to medium pieces, about the size of a thumbnail or less. The electric burner's heating surface is limited and its heat gentler than charcoal, so the small piece contacts it well and brings out its full scent, whereas the large one heats from one side and stays cold on the other. And this is the advantage of chips: in the same pack you find the electric-burner size and the charcoal size together. More in the electric-burner oud collection.

How many pieces do I need for one session?

For the electric burner, a single small piece consumed at leisure is enough. And for the charcoal in a usual majlis, a medium piece to two, the second added after the first has given what it has. By weight: the home session usually consumes 3 to 7 grams, and the lively majlis 7 to 12 grams depending on its area and the generosity of your hand. The rule: start with less than you think, for adding more is available and going back is not.

Can I break the large pieces myself?

Yes and easily, and this is one of the advantages of large chips: you buy the large piece and split it when needed so it keeps its scent trapped until the moment of use. Use a plier or heavy tool over a cloth that gathers the shards, and break along the direction of the veins, not against them, so the piece splits with the fewest crumbs. And do not break your whole stock at once: the whole piece keeps the scent longer than the broken.

Chips or powder for making ma'mul and incense?

If you are going to grind anyway, the ready powder spares you the effort and gives a uniform fineness, and you find it in the oud powder collection. But many blend-makers prefer to buy the chips and grind them themselves for two reasons: they inspect the pieces' quality before grinding with their own eyes, and they control the grind's coarseness to their recipe. The small chips and clean crumbs are the most economical for this purpose, and the incense-making oud collection is built for it.

Why is Sumatran oud not on this page?

In full transparency: because it is not chips. Our Sumatran comes in the form of slices cut lengthwise, and this page gathers the chips alone so its name is honest with its content. Had we inserted the slices among the chips it would have been easier classification for us and less precise for you. You find the full Sumatran slices in their own collection, with an explanation of when the slice is more suitable than the chip.

Is the piece's weight an indicator of its quality?

A strong indicator, yes: the resin is heavier than the wood's fibers, so the piece full of resin feels heavy in your hand compared to its size, while the empty wood is light however large. And so the experienced test chips by their weight in the palm before their scent. But it is not the only indicator: add to it the darkness of the color, the clarity of the resin veins, and the cold scent, for the combination of signs is more honest than the singling out of one.

Are samples of the chips available before buying a quantity?

Yes, all the types on this page are available in a 100-gram sample pack drawn from the sale inventory itself, from Black Kalimantan at thirty riyals to the Vietnamese Tiger, the most premium we have. Try the chips by actual burning in your majlis, compare two or three origins, then adopt what pleases your nose. Start from the sample-request page or the sample-packs collection.

I am a merchant: how do I buy chips wholesale?

The same quantity scale applies to all chips: from a 100-gram pack to the kilogram then five kilograms at better per-gram prices, and above 10 kilograms with a custom quote via the quote-request page. Chips are the backbone of the wholesale oud trade because they are the most in-demand form in the Gulf, and the full details of shipping and commercial documentation are on the wholesale oud page.

How are chips shipped and how long does it take?

Documented international shipping with a tracking number from the preparation centers in Malaysia to the Gulf states, and chips are the easiest form to ship because they are less prone to breakage than the thin slices, and still we package them so as to preserve them from moisture and pressure. The duration varies according to the destination and customs procedures, and the tracking details reach you with the order. And if what reaches you contradicts your order, contact us upon receipt.

How do I store oud chips for the longest period?

In a tightly sealed container, glass or metal, away from sun, heat, and moisture and from any other perfume near it. Well-stored chips do not spoil with the years, and their advantage is that their whole pieces trap their oils inside them, so break only what you will use soon. And do not store in thin plastic for long, and do not open the container except when needed so its cold scent does not disperse.

What is the return policy?

If the chips reach you damaged or contrary to their declared description in type or weight, contact us within days of receipt with documented photos, and we address the matter with replacement or compensation per our declared policy. As for a difference of personal taste, that is not a defect in the product, and this is why we insist on starting with a 100-gram sample: try for a small amount before you commit to the large quantity.

And for commercial quantities of chips, the full price scale is on the wholesale oud page, or talk to us via contact us.