Fragrance comparison

Bowmakers vs Arve

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 15 Nov 2026 1,139 ratings analysed

Bowmakers

DS&Durga · 2013

4.091,091 votes

Rank #1,896 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Arve

4.4048 votes

Rank #9,594 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Arve takes 4 of 5 categories.

Bowmakers
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, day or night wear.
Arve
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Bowmakers1/5

Arve4/5

Ratings & consensus: Arve
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Arve
Sillage & projection: Arve
Value for money: Arve
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Bowmakers

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

BowmakersDS&Durga

ArveArve

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.09/ 5 · 1,091 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

4.40/ 5 · 48 votes

Have 47%Had 5%Want 47%

Category winnerArveRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

42%Love

37%Like

10%Ok

9%Dislike

1%Hate

1,091 votes

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityArve

SillageArve

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value37

¤ Price value64

Category winnerArveBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber83%

aromatic65%

balsamic48%

leather30%

woody100%

amber92%

aromatic84%

fresh spicy77%

musky69%

green61%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both woody, amber and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Notes

ResinsMahoganyWoody NotesPine TreeMapleLeatherWalnut

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Pine TreeArtemisiaCeylon CinnamonLavender

Heart

Fig LeafCedarNutmegResins

Base

OakmossAmberSuedeCashmere Musk

InformationalShared notesResins and Pine Tree. Durations are only published for Bowmakers, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring45

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night98

Spring75

Summer100

Fall75

Winter50

Day100

Night33

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men59

Unisex39

Women2

Men33

Unisex67

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,896

PerfumerDavid Seth Moltz

Launched2013

Reviews170

Overall rank#9,594

PerfumerAndreas Wilhelm

Launched—

Reviews23

Category winnerBowmakersHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

DS&Durga Bowmakers smells like stepping into a traditional violin maker's workshop. You immediately get a bracing snap of raw pine resin, burled maple shavings, and aged mahogany timber. A sharp puff of turpentine and amber rosin cuts through the opening air. The solvents settle quickly. Within twenty minutes, the ini…

Reviews →

Arve is a dry, forested woody scent built around stone pine, soft spice, moss, and suede. It opens green and aromatic, then settles into resin, cedar, and a smooth amber-musk base that feels calm rather than loud. It suits wearers who enjoy pine-forward fragrances with an earthy, slightly powdery finish. The overall c…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Bowmakers or Arve?

Arve takes 4 of 5 categories. Bowmakers is rated 4.09/5 from 1,091 votes; Arve is rated 4.40/5 from 48 votes. Choose Bowmakers for a woody and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, day or night wear. Choose Arve for a woody and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Bowmakers or Arve?

Arve lasts longest (Arve 78/100, Bowmakers 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Bowmakers or Arve?

Arve projects furthest (Arve 63/100, Bowmakers 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bowmakers and Arve smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and aromatic accords. Common notes include Resins and Pine Tree.

Is Bowmakers or Arve better for summer or winter?

Bowmakers suits day or night wear; Arve suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Bowmakers and Arve?

Bowmakers features Resins, Mahogany, Woody Notes, Pine Tree and Maple. Arve has top notes of Pine Tree, Artemisia, Ceylon Cinnamon and Lavender, heart notes of Fig Leaf, Cedar, Nutmeg and Resins, a base of Oakmoss, Amber, Suede and Cashmere Musk.