Get the most out of your candle purchase with tools of the trade.  Using a candle snuffer reduces the risk of splashing hot wax and the amount of smoke generated when extinguishing the candle.  The candle snuffer was invented in 1830 and looked very different than the snuffer we use today.  It had a short scissor at the tip and reservoir to capture the wick. Skilled snuffers could trim a wick with out extinguishing the flame.

Today’s self trimming wicks have changed the look of the snuffer, which is now a bell shaped metal cup on a long handle.  Other snuffers are ceramic, jewel encrusted and very ornamental.  You can find snuffers to match your décor or the holiday.  It’s always a good idea to snuff rather then blow your candle out.

Wick trimmers are used to trim the wick of your candle when it’s become encrusted with unsightly carbon build up.  Maintaining the wick length and quality will keep your candle flame the right size and smoking less.  A long flame will smoke too much and throw to large a heat radius.  This will prevent you from being able to hug the lip of the candle to keep it from dripping excessively.

The most convenient way to light your candle is with a fuel lighter.  Invented in 1816 by a German chemist, the lighter was called Dobereiner’s Lamp and was fueled by hydrogen.  Though a brilliant invention, it was not pocket sized and very dangerous.  The next evolution was the flint lighter. Developed in 1908 it was finally small enough to fit in a pocket or a purse and it was much safer.

By the 1920’s the lighter had gone through many incarnations.  They now had hoods to protect the flame from the wind and decorative covers. A new fuel called naphtha became available. It was oily and still needed a wick to create a flame.  By the 1940’s, Ronson began mass producing a lighter using compressed butane. We no longer needed a wick to make a flame.  It was cleaner burning but still used a flint to ignite. 

In the 1950’s, the piezoelectric spark was discovered and applied to the lighter technology, and that is the lighter we use today. It’s clean burning, has a low scent and is easy to refill.  For more of this interesting history of the lighter, see www.bugstore.com

Recourses
Wikipedia www.lonestarcandlesupply.com, www.bugstores.com