DavidB said:
I find it odd that the dinosaurs, carnauba paste waxes, are among the most frequently discussed products on Autopia. Why is this? Will carnauba wax ever die?
If Klasse, Zaino or NXT came in a paste form, would you choose it over the liquid? If so, why?
I do admit to finding some comfort in holding a can of wax and dabbing at it with an applicator to massage into my paint. There's something soothing about it.
db
It's a function of the forum and the community. It's tied into a lot of the stuff that is also a point of contention among some members. I'm posting from work, so I can't dissertate, but I'll synopsize.
Learning how to do this stuff is a revelation. There's nothing really magic about it; it's hard enough to not be obvious, and it requires some skill, but just about anyone who wants to learn to detail can do it. And, the payoff is really rewarding.
So, many of us do it again, and again. And then we do it for friends and neighbors, and it's not only rewarding to the ego, but also to the pocketbook.
The thing is, the forum is a social place. And, once you've learned how to do this stuff, there's not a lot to talk about. You can only post "Look what I did!" so many times. So, we look for something else to talk about, and the first thing that comes to mind is... product.
Now, I've tried a lot of products, and in appearance they're all really nice. There are differences, but the similarities in appearance from the farthest extremes of products are greater than the differences; the differences are nuance. There are differences in durability, but
for most of us here, durability is a non issue. NOT FOR ALL OF US, I know, but for many of us. You Zaino guys, you don't put that 75th coat on because it will last 5 days longer.
So, why do we try all these really cool products, and why do we go back to the waxes when there are all these sealants?
Because there is a huge range of variation in waxes that isn't present in sealants; a huge variation in color, scent, packaging, and useage. Face it, one aminofuctional silicone polymer or resin is physically pretty much like the next, and they all smell like chemicals, really. But waxes, waxes all look different (in the jar), smell different, feel different, and are packaged differently.
The urge to buy and try different waxes has nothing at all to do with detailing. It is the same thing that drives people to collect stamps, coins, baseball cards, matchbox cars, butterflies, rocks, birdwatching, or whatever. It gets talked and asked about here ad infinitum for that same reason; people like to collect and share information. We like to inspect minor variations. It's part of the curiosity that makes us humans.
I'd like to write more and give more examples and show more similarities, but I think I've covered the basics.
Tom
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They also don't sell everything from the website. The orders do get shipped quickly, though.
