Wick-Ed

So we had a lovely Easter at my sister's home. I was tearing the lettuce for a salad, chattting with her and her sister in law. We began talking about candles, and who makes the best ones. We voted for Illuminations, she liked PartyLite. Suddenly, my sister ran over to her mantle and held up one of her recent purchases, excited as could be.

"Look!" she cried, with what looked to be one of those silver candle snuffers.

"I thought you already had a candle snuffer. Is there something revolutionary about this particular one?"

"No, it's a wick cutter."

"Huh?"

"You know how you have the big candle jars and you can never get down in there to trim them right? Well, this cuts it perfectly every time."

I just goggled for a second.

Now, I love my sister. She isn't even a rabid consumer-type. Usually she will not purchase something without the utmost planning and thought. It seems, though, that candle related accessories are her blind spot. I had no clue that someone could conceive of so many items pertaining to candles and candle care. Did I just make up a term? If so, my copyright is at the bottom of the page.

But have we gotten so lazy that we as a society have the need for an automatic wick-trimmer? Delving in with a pair of scissors is half the fun of maintaining your candle. Even the snuffers just seem a bit pretentious. I mean, unless you have asthma, is it that difficult to just blow them out? Are the two seconds extra it takes to do it "manually" going to make all that much difference in your life?

There are apparently two types of candle users, and I would be classified as low-tech.

I like my lopsided, unevenly cut wicks.

They have personality.

Or so I like to tell myself.

Comments

KMae said…
HAHA! This is funny. A wick cutter, good grief!
Granny said…
I'm a sucker for small gadgets (usually from the dollar store) so I can totally understand the need for a wick cutter and a candle snuffer (I don't have either one though). Oops - yes I have a snuffer - never use it - someone gave it to me and it's pretty.
Suzanne said…
Wicks are meant to be trimmed? The nuances of civilized life are such a mystery.

Suzanne
Suzanne said…
I kind of like the flames that shoot really high when the wick isn't trimmed...
Heather Plett said…
I'm with you - low tech all the way. I'm sure if I HAD all those fancy "candle care" gadgets, I'd be forever misplacing them and going back to the old-fashioned method anyway.
J said…
I'm with wordsrock...It never occurred to me to trim a wick...why would you do such a thing? LIfe is WAY too complicated for me sometimes.

If your sister is ever in my neighborhood, will you send her to my house with the trimmer? She'd have a field day.
Hope said…
Could it be used for male nose hair as well?

Thanks for the points.... looking forward to some of those See's truffles.
Liz said…
I had no idea wicks had to be trimmed either! Learn something new everyday!
oshee said…
While I do know I should trim the wick..I never do. I think like Suzanne I get a kick out of the huge flames that shoot up until the wick reaches the proper hieght. hehe I am a closet pyro.
Piece of Work said…
I never heard of trimming a wick before, but it sounds kind of dirty.
Melodee said…
I pick the wick with my fingernail, resorting to scissors only as a last ditch effort.

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