Wood Wicks - Where to get?

[CandleCouture]

Anyone know where to get these? Old Virginia Candle is doing very well with them.

[AngelaVA]

I have lots of sticks in my backyard. I can send you a few

Seriously though - I have no idea where to get them

[greenleaf]

Anyone know where to get these? Old Virginia Candle is doing very well with them.

I contacted my wick manufacturer a while back and they told us in no uncertain terms that these are exclusive to OVC.

[MeAndMyPuppyDog]

Now *THAT* is very cool.

Has anyone burned one yet. I need to get my hands on that wick and duplicate it!!!!

A challenge at last!

[Laura]

people that i have heard from said you don't hear the crackling unless you stick your ear up close ,and that it ended up sooting. they also said trimming the wood wick was messy and they wouldn't buy again....i have no desire to try these, why mess with a good thing?

[topofmurrayhill]

Now *THAT* is very cool.

Has anyone burned one yet. I need to get my hands on that wick and duplicate it!!!!

A challenge at last!

One of our peeps did post some burn observations. http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12178

[CandleCouture]

Can't say that I agree. I've tried it and, trimming the wick couldn't be easier. You can either cut it with a wick trimmer, or just run your finger over it and it wittles down to nothing. As for the sound...not true either. You can hear it pretty clearly. Does it cause a 10 decibal rumble? no, but, neither does a wood fire in a fireplace.

They are, by the way, one of the hottest things going right now in the gift/candle industry, if not the hottest

[jipow]

It would be nice to be able to get these wicks, I have some camping buddies that would like them.

[BruceCarvesWax]

They are, by the way, one of the hottest things going right now in the gift/candle industry, if not the hottest

Facts or just your observation ? Bruce

[CandleCouture]

There is no such thing as fact, when it comes to something like this, however, they are on GiftBeat Magazine's list, at number 4. Giftbeat is an industry publication which measures how popular certain items/company/products are, in this case, in the gift industry. This is from the February issue:

1-Yankee

2-La Tee Da Fragrance Lamps

3-Aromatique

4-WoodWick Jars from Old Virginia Candle

They are climbing too, because, in the previous issue, they were somewhere in the neighberhood of 7.

And, considering I own retail stores, I can tell you that their list is generally fairly accurate when it comes to this sort of thing, and predicting how well something will do, sales wise. They get these figures, by the way, by polling independent retailers with regards to how well these items are selling.

So, to answer your question...Fact? No. However, fairly accurate interpretation of subjective measures.

[BruceCarvesWax]

Not bad... but I think the WoodWick "trend" could vanish just as fast as it showed up. I see no real advantage to them over regular wicks. Ok, they kinda look cool and lots of folks might buy one to see what the big deal is and then it will be done. Im gona call it a "fad" and let it go. You almost have to since it would be hard for one of us to come up with something just like it. Im sure they are smart enough to have a paten on the wood wicks anyway. Bruce

[Oh-MYo]

Several days ago I noticed the Wood Wick threads here and thought, "what a cool idea!" For me, it was...no worries about cooling wax making your wick go crooked; once it's in and straight..it's there for good. No poking.

So, I played a little. I have some wick....clips..that look sorta like a bobby pin bent into a "T" shape. Worked great to hold a popsicle stick. You can buy them at the dollar store--100 for a buck.

Soooo...the first popsicle stick worked pretty good. Very clean burn, no smoke at all, until you blow it out and it smokes just like you would expect wood to smoke. Seemed a little under wicked for my votive cuz I had to keep pouring wax off, while the wood continued to burn away.

It did give off a wood hissing/popping sound if I stuck my ear close to the candle. But hair and open flame don't mix too well.

Second popsicle/kraft stick wouldnt even stay lit! Well, wood is just like that; not all wood fibers have the same density or capillary capability.

So I'm thinkin they must be using a fiberboard of some sort..for consistency. Especially if it smokes, that would be the glue burning....yeck!

I tried some veneer that wouldnt even stay lit. Smoldered down to ash and went out.

Even a stick of incence poked in a candle sustained a nice flame without smoke. BUT burned down to the wax in 20 minutes.

2 bamboo skewers placed parallel with a space the width of another skewer in between sustained a nice flame without smoke...but again, burned down too quickly.

I think if OVC WW candles are still smoking they need to go back to the drawing board too. For me that is unacceptable--especially at those prices!!

I think wood wicks on the free market would be awesome if they could perform like we want them to. In the meantime I am eagerly awaiting news of other experimenters....wood wick success stories

[daniedb]

FWIW, I agree with Bruce - I firmly believe that this will be a Pet Rock kind of trend. Over quickly, and when it's done, it has screeched to an ugly halt, and you won't be able to give the suckers away. Just MO.

[Oh-MYo]

"I contacted my wick manufacturer a while back and they told us in no uncertain terms that these are exclusive to OVC."

OVC might have to slug it out in court with Ms Decker. http://www.freshpatents.com/Candle-having-a-planar-wick-and-method-of-and-equipment-for-making-same-dt20050217ptan20050037308.php

Hope the link isnt too long. Interesting read though.

In any case Ivy Ridge Traditions says that the: "elegant WoodWick candle features a natural cedar wood wick " http://www.ivyridge.com/news/

Conversely Dana's website( sorry cant find the link right now) says her WW candles feature an Ecowood Wick TM. Her patent application lists every kind of wood known to man, including wood composites and 2 slices of veneer with cotton in between.

Interstingly, Dana, an ex model also has a patent application for lamp fuel. Ah, the world of high fashion....lol

Soooo it seems just a matter of testing. I'm off to my lumber supply for some cedar....hehehe

[topofmurrayhill]

I like this newbie.

[Donita]

I have a bag of cedar chips in tha attic that I haven't found a need for recently....hmmm I also have lots of glue and a blender....think it might work? No.....I'm not going to try this......probably. But remember when TV first came into homes the movie studios thought it was just a fad. Sometimes fads do "stick" around.

Television, thought to be a passing fad, increasingly dominated entertainment, and at the urging of Leonard Goldenson, longtime head of Paramount's theater chain who now ran ABC, MGM made a few feeble moves into the new medium.

[Candlewitch]

She has no upper lip! LOL, Nobodys perfect. Must be married to a lawyer or something. So did OV steal it from her? What am i missing?

[BruceCarvesWax]

I have a bag of cedar chips in tha attic that I haven't found a need for recently....hmmm I also have lots of glue and a blender....think it might work? No.....I'm not going to try this......probably. But remember when TV first came into homes the movie studios thought it was just a fad. Sometimes fads do "stick" around.

Television, thought to be a passing fad, increasingly dominated entertainment, and at the urging of Leonard Goldenson, longtime head of Paramount's theater chain who now ran ABC, MGM made a few feeble moves into the new medium.

LOL somehow I dont see tv and wood wicks as being comparable. We already have candles and they work just fine with regular wicks. I bet when candles were invented they didnt have wicks so Im thinking wood would have been tried and probably even used to make candles.... then someone invented a better way to combust the fuel. I dont see how wood wicks can improve the candle, thats why I dont think they will last. Now if I had a store and I didn't make candles, I would think they were the best thing since sliced bread, but I dont have a store and I do make my own so I see no improvement to the candle by using a wood wick. Bruce

[Donita]

Bruce....If people get bored with candles, like they do with just about everything in life, the idea of having a "mini fireplace" might sound really cool to a lot of people. I have two fireplaces, but if I didn't, you can be sure that I would love to have a candle that sorta reminded me of a fireplace....especially in the winter. How do fads start? I don't know how the Poinsettia became so well known as the Christmas flower when in nature it doesn't bloom in the cold. I guess it looks like a star, and the wood wick candle looks like it has a log. Someone started "golf clothes" and that fad is still with us. ??????????????????????????????? Dressing dogs in clothes is another. Started by rich women dying their poodles pink and putting cute outfits on them....another fad still with us. Do you think the dogs care? If I knew the answer to this or anything else...I would be rich....lol....the longer I live the more I realize that I don't know. Marketing is a big mystery. No one can figure it out....ever......and I remember back in the 60's someone started making carved candles....that was a fad.............. it's back.......... maybe the wood wick candle is something that would be fun........ and profitable.....Donita

[Donita]

I guess there will be more of these popping up. Donita

http://www.grandmasgiftware.com/productcart/pc/viewCat_h.asp?idCategory=384&gclid=CPjEraiFqIQCFT0LFQod82fZfA

[BruceCarvesWax]

Bruce....If people get bored with candles, like they do with just about everything in life, the idea of having a "mini fireplace" might sound really cool to a lot of people. I have two fireplaces, but if I didn't, you can be sure that I would love to have a candle that sorta reminded me of a fireplace....especially in the winter. How do fads start? I don't know how the Poinsettia became so well known as the Christmas flower when in nature it doesn't bloom in the cold. I guess it looks like a star, and the wood wick candle looks like it has a log. Someone started "golf clothes" and that fad is still with us. ??????????????????????????????? Dressing dogs in clothes is another. Started by rich women dying their poodles pink and putting cute outfits on them....another fad still with us. Do you think the dogs care? If I knew the answer to this or anything else...I would be rich....lol....the longer I live the more I realize that I don't know. Marketing is a big mystery. No one can figure it out....ever......and I remember back in the 60's someone started making carved candles....that was a fad.............. it's back.......... maybe the wood wick candle is something that would be fun........ and profitable.....Donita

Well, I've never had a fireplace, golf in jean and a t-shirt, dont dress up my dog and until now didnt know carved candles were back. Guess I better get on the ball. KELLY!!! Wheres my carving knife! Looks like im gona be busy so I'll be leaving the wood wicks to you guys. Bruce

[Donita]

Bruce....do you mean you are a normal person? lol...Donita

[BruceCarvesWax]

Bruce....do you mean you are a normal person? lol...Donita

I've been called worse! LOL

[Oh-MYo]

LMAO hugs right back atcha Top:-)

Heh heh. I'm just old enough to remember when they used to say that the Personal Computer would never be very popular.

In the verrrry old days, before woven cotton wicking a lot of candles were made with rush reeds as the wick. They were porous and stiff...so....wood just isnt that new of an idea.

The upshot is that NO ONE at this point has a patent on wood wicks, although Ms Decker has certainly applied for one. A deeper "googling" revealed that Ms Deckers patent application for lamp oil was turned down. The wood wick patent is still somewhere hidden deep in the halls of the judicial system.

And yes those OVC WoodWick candles seem to be turning up everywhere.

It might be just me but I think trying to patent a wood wick candle would be like trying to patent a zinc wick candle...or chicken soup for that matter. A specific patent on a specific type of wood wick maybe.

Anyone remember the story of the Beta video tape players? You know the guys who wanted to hog the market and shot themselves in the foot for being too greedy? I couldnt even sell my Beta tapes at a garage sale!....lolol

Hey, I think it's a great idea all the same. My popsicle stick candle is burning very nicely at this point...waiting for my double cedar veneer candle to cure. Bite me Danadecker!!

[CandleCouture]

Bruce, I respect your opinion, I do, but, having said that, I'm not sure what you base your opinion on? Have you tried wicking with wood? Probably not. I'd guess nobody on this board has (myself included).

I would also present to you that there are improvements made in every day life on existing products (typewriters to computers, Television to HDTV, VHS to DVD, etc). This might be another example and it's kind of short sighted to dismiss it, and even more short sighted to dismiss it without even having tried it.

You may be right on it being a fad, but, there are quite a few "fads" that have a tendency to stick aroudn longer than most people initially thought they would. The possibility also exists that you are wrong, and that it IS a better way to combust the fuel.

Remember when everyone thought the world was flat, and that there was nothing left to discover? Keep an open mind. It's all I'm saying.