# Detailingworld™ Review - ODK Waxes Empire Mk2



## fozzy (Oct 22, 2009)

*Detailingworld™ Review of 'ODK Waxes Empire Mk2'*










http://www.odkwaxes.co.uk/

I'll start as usual by thanking the guys at ODK for sending out this 200ml of waxy goodness for the review team to get stuck into here at detailing world. Secondly I'll apologise whole heartedly for me taking so long to get this review out, for one reason and another it's taken weeks but such is life.

*Introduction:*

This is the second instalment of empire wax from ODK and is advertised as a starter wax for anyone wanting to get into the world of top quality carnauba waxes without breaking the bank.


*They say :* 

*Empire is full of the very finest ingredients housed in a light blue glass jar. Empire will leave a very nice optical, reflective finish on any colour paintwork. On darker colours Empire will also give a warm, glow to the paintwork. Great hydrophobic protection and resistance from the elements. Empire is a great starter wax for anyone looking to experience a luxury wax but at a affordable price. As with all ODK's product range, Empire has a great Orange and Passionfruit scent and durability around 3 months.*

It's been a three years or so since ODK introduced themselves and since then have been developing top quality waxes for for the detailing industry and have gained an excellent reputation amongst it's customers and competitors.

As this is labelled as an entry level wax I decided a day off for me was called for and a trip to the son-in-laws was set in place with the wax and applicator in a bag ready to attack his work horse 2010 VW Polo which spends most of it's life parked on a building site. 



















*The Product:*

The wax arrived in a High quality coated cardboard box with a sponge cutout inside holding the 200ml glass jar. The wax pot is instantly recognisable as part of the ODK brand because it has……. ODK splashed in huge letters on the label  there is also a small (approx 65ml) soft black sponge applicator included in the box, a nice simple touch that you don't see very often. On opening the jar the smell from this stuff is amazing, even the wife came onto the front as she could smell it on the back garden once I'd started using it. ODK state Orange and Passion fruit, for me it was citrus perfection. The wax itself appeared to be soft in texture but more on that shortly.

*The Method:*

So the car was cleaned before my arrival and I arrived just as the frying stage was coming to an end. The paintwork on this thing is in a bit of a state and it only took a 2 minute conversation to with Rob (Son-in-law) to get a free day sorted between us in the near future to remedy it properly.
Now I would class entry level as beginner so I had no worries in handing the pot over sitting back and observing how he got on leaving the bonnet and roof for me just incase his application method application was a disaster.

I was first up on the bonnet so the small ODK applicator was gently wiped over the freshly opened jar which almost covered the applicator, this stuff is soft, soft and oily, so a quick swipe over the edge of the jar saw 50% of it go back inside.










That first swipe saw more than enough product to cover the entire bonnet and most of the drivers side wing. I seem to have been detailing white cars for months so it's a pleasant change to see pop and sparkle appear as soon as the product is wiped on.










The colour change this stuff brought to the paint during application was incredible, a good full shade darker which left me wondering just how much gloss this would add to the finished look.










another single swipe saw the entire roof covered before the pot was handed to my new apprentice for a novice's opinion.










The oily texture of the wax meant the application process was a breeze and completed in a little over ten minutes. I now realise after watching Rob applying the wax just how bad this detailing OCD can be, I really had to sit on my hands and grimace as I was watching him over apply in some sections and miss others all together. So once he'd done his best I had a quick run over the whole car to make sure the application was perfect 










The first swipe test was done after 20 minutes to see if it was ready for removal but it clearly had some way to go. 40 minutes after application saw the hazing coming on nicely but it was almost an hour before it was ready to be removed. Now this could be down to the temperature but it was only 17 degrees so I'm presuming it was the oily texture of the wax just taking it's time.









Finally hazed and ready to buff

Once hazed to perfection both of us set about the bodywork with fluffy clean cloths ready to reveal some ODK shininess. The removal took a while and felt a little grabby, in some areas more than others. This could have been down to the condition of the paint as there had been no other prep involved prior to application other than a quick wash and it was crying out for a Decon session.
Where it was getting a little to much work I did have to grab the QD for a little assistance.

Finally removed, it left a sparkle that I haven't seen before on the little Polo, you know the sort of thing "Ohh it's got metallic paint" 
The warmth it added to the dark blue paint was very impressive from all angles and the overall appearance was darker, quite a bit darker, making the reflections really 'Pop'.
Here's a few of the final result























































*ODK EMPIRE is Priced at just*

*£12.99 for 50ml* 
http://www.odkwaxes.co.uk/store/product-details.php?page=wax&product=carnauba-waxes-empire-50ml

and

*£39.99 for 200ml *
http://www.odkwaxes.co.uk/store/product-details.php?page=wax&product=carnauba-waxes-empire-200ml

*Would I Use It Again :*

I had to think about this for quite a while, The final results were excellent, the Battered Polo has never looked so good after the hard unloved life it's lived even though it's seriously in need of a few sessions with a polisher. I wasn't expecting the ODK empire to give the warmth and depth to the paint that it did and it stands up there with waxes costing a fair bit more but for me the removal process spoiled the fun a little so probably not.

*Conclusion :*

So for full disclosure this was the second time I'd tried ODK Empire V2 with an issue on the first applications images and 'Photobucket' Losing them, but the first applications findings were echoed almost to the letter in this one. The end result is excellent giving depth shine and sparkle, all the things we look for in a good wax but it does take a little more time to get there. Over application is easy with the texture of the wax especially if soft waxes are something your not used to using regularly, however put the effort in and your rewarded with serious, serious bling normally only found in high end carnauba waxes.


"Detailingworld™ reviewer has followed the Manufacturers Instructions and accepts no responsibility to any circumstances arising from any member using these products or following this test "


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## Brian1612 (Apr 5, 2015)

As there is already a full blown review written up here for the ODK Empire V2 I have decided to add my findings onto this review as additional information.

The wax was sent onto me after Fozzy had tested it out. Arrived in the same quality packaging and container as above.



I particularly liked this as it looked very upmarket within the black box embellished with silver writing and the light blue pot looked great. The added foam applicator was an nice touch and was the perfect fit for the wax, unfortunately there was now a fair old indentation in the middle meaning the wax only touched the outer edges of the applicator when twisted level in the pot. (thanks Fozzy!) 



The wax itself has a slightly yellow tinge to it and the scent was very strong. I didn't pick up the quoted orange and passion fruit scent and thought it was more like butterscotch or something extremely sweet. It smelled nice from a distance but due to the potency the actual scent within the jar was a little too much for my nose. Finger swiping the wax revealed a very oily texture that was also quite soft. I personally really liked the soft, oily nature of this wax as it usually represents something that will spread extremely well on application.

Upon application that proved the case, the wax was easy to load onto the applicator evenly and also spread very well on the paintwork. Half the bonnet could be coated with only a half turn within the pot.



This is where my review again differs. I found the curing to be roughly around 10 minutes on an average 15 degrees day in September. A swipe after 10 minutes revealed it was ready to remove although a little pressure was needed for the swipe test to leave a fresh line of paint on view.



It wasn't as effortless as some but after the initial first pass were it was a bit grabby, the remaining haze came off easily. This isn't to say it wasn't easy to remove, I'd say it was about average on removal and buffed up to an extremely nice finish. The paint darkening effect claimed above was certainly noticeable to me as well with my paint looking very dark and extremely glossy. There was plenty of depth and wetness to the bonnet where Empire was applied.





At £40 for 200ml I think it is priced quite well and a great introduction for anyone to the ODK range on a budget but... would I use it again, personally I don't think so. The scent for me wasn't something I liked and it was just a little too potent. That is just my own personal preference though and I think if someone was looking for a wax that gives a cracking finish, at £40 this would certainly be worth considering at that price bracket.

The beading was pretty good also for a wax labelled as 'Entry Level' in the ODK range.



"Detailingworld™ reviewer has followed the Manufacturers Instructions and accepts no responsibility to any circumstances arising from any member using these products or following this test "


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