In 1974 the North Americancandle industry voluntarily agreed to cease the use of lead core wicks, even though they had not been officially deemed a health hazard by the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission). Lead core wicks were commonly used over 20 years ago because the lead burned hot and produced a nice even, full […]

A candle without a wick is just a hunk of wax. The wick is what makes a candle. The earliest known candles were basically a wick-like material coated with tallow or beeswax. In taper candles the wick is the structure which supports the first layers of wax that create the candle. In all candles it […]

Flat braid – This is a three stranded braid made of many plies per strand. Flat-braided wick is referred to by the number of plies in the wick, so the larger the number, the larger the wick. Common sizes are 15 ply (extra small), 18 ply (small), 24 and 30 ply (medium), 42 ply (large), […]

The word wick comes from Old English “weyke or wicke”, Anglo Saxon “wecca”, and Germanic “wieche or wicke”. It is a name for a bundle of fibers that when braided or twisted together are used to draw oil or wax up into a flame to be burned in a lamp or candle.
Prior to the invention […]