The
Lost Art Of Hand Candle Crafting
I am from Missouri. The state suprises me the
more I explore her. Tonight I am staying in a
hotel in Branson, Missouri. Many of you are
probably familiar with the city, I am not.
Evidentally I was here at the age of 5,... but
to be honest, if I can remember something that
happened 10 years ago, I am doing pretty good...
let alone 27 years ago!
Anyway, enough rambling about my memory
condition.
Many folks have visited Silver Dollar
City. For those of you that don't know, SDC is a
theme park modeled after the way of life in the
hills of the Ozarks. The visitor will witness
many craftsmen / craftswomen, one of these are
the old-tyme (purposely mispelled) chandlers.
You may see an old man with a long white
beard dipping wickes in a vat of wax heated by a
fire. To someone who has been making candles for
several years, this was an incredible sight.
Obviously to the average candle burner, not to
great of a spectacle unless that casual candle
user has not idea how candles are made... in
large factories in China.
Seriously though,... a lot of work goes
into hand made candles. Of course many candle
companies are born out of a basements, garages,
spare rooms, and kitchens. Back in the olde
(purposely mispelled) days, convieniences were a
rarity. Candle distributers where unheard of,
and they definately couldn't import candles made
in foreign countries buy the container full!
The wax was heated over fire... someone
manually dipped the wicks. A lot of work,
compared to today's standards, went into making
a candle!
Ok... by now you are asking me to get to
the point. Next time you purchase a candle or
candles (soy or paraffin), do you local chandler
a favor and try a truly handmade / hand-dipped
candle and check out the difference. Not only
the way it looks, but the way it burns, how long
it burns, and how it smells. You might be
suprised, and you may change your preference in
candle purchasing. The subtle differences in the
wax alone will amaze you!
Your local chandler puts a lot of time,
effort, and love into the candles they hand
make. They take pride in their product. They are
forced to produce a super high quality product
to stay competitive in the marketplace. Sure,
they may cost a little more, but as they say in
the hills of the ozarks, "Ya pay fer what ya
git!"
| 