Wax Jacks

[kiavonne]

Just when I thought I'd hit my writing collection obsession peak, I found wax jacks.

 

I was out there surfing, looking up a lot of stuff to do with sealing wax, Dexter Seals, and checking out the endless antique seals that were floating around, when I lit upon a wikipedia note about wax jacks. These little devices were used in past centuries specifically for heating and melting sealing wax. They are small holders that use a small coil of wax lit only for melting sealing wax. They did not put out enough light for use as a light source. The earliest ones looked like a spindle with a scissors on top, and were usually of iron or brass. Silver plate and sterling ones followed. There is even a picture of the brass wax jack that President and Mrs. Washington used at the Mount Vernon website. Well, there aren't that many out there, but I've already started my collection! I am incurable...

 

Wax Jacks

 

 

As a note, some people think these are also what was referred to as "courting candles," but they are not. Courting candles were a coiled iron or brass holder that held a thumb push taper candle. When a suitor came to visit the daughter of the family, they would push the candle up in the holder a certain amount, and when the candle burned down to the holder, it was time for the suitor to take his leave. Supposedly, if the father liked the suitor, he might push the candle up a little more, whereas if the suitor wasn't suited for a bullfrog, the candle was pushed down. Some say the young couples would push up the candle a little behind the father's back... The confusion may have come from the modern novelty "Candle by the Hour," which is a large coiled candle that will supposedly snuff itself out when it reaches the holder. Its resemblance to the wax jack is probably why, but you can see by my photos that this is not the same animal, though the modern design was likely based on the antique.

Edited December 8, 2009 by kiavonne

[withoutink]

Ive actually seen those in an antique store before. Pretty cool looking item.

[SueEllen]

Just when I thought I'd hit my writing collection obsession peak, I found wax jacks.

 

I was out there surfing, looking up a lot of stuff to do with sealing wax, Dexter Seals, and checking out the endless antique seals that were floating around, when I lit upon a wikipedia note about wax jacks. These little devices were used in past centuries specifically for heating and melting sealing wax. They are small holders that use a small coil of wax lit only for melting sealing wax. They did not put out enough light for use as a light source. The earliest ones looked like a spindle with a scissors on top, and were usually of iron or brass. Silver plate and sterling ones followed. There is even a picture of the brass wax jack that President and Mrs. Washington used at the Mount Vernon website. Well, there aren't that many out there, but I've already started my collection! I am incurable...

 

Wax Jacks

 

 

As a note, some people think these are also what was referred to as "courting candles," but they are not. Courting candles were a coiled iron or brass holder that held a thumb push taper candle. When a suitor came to visit the daughter of the family, they would push the candle up in the holder a certain amount, and when the candle burned down to the holder, it was time for the suitor to take his leave. Supposedly, if the father liked the suitor, he might push the candle up a little more, whereas if the suitor wasn't suited for a bullfrog, the candle was pushed down. Some say the young couples would push up the candle a little behind the father's back... The confusion may have come from the modern novelty "Candle by the Hour," which is a large coiled candle that will supposedly snuff itself out when it reaches the holder. Its resemblance to the wax jack is probably why, but you can see by my photos that this is not the same animal, though the modern design was likely based on the antique.

 

I want the brass one so, so bad. Can you refill the wax coil?

[kiavonne]

I want the brass one so, so bad. Can you refill the wax coil?

 

Not that I've found. The wax coils on these are very small, and inconsistent in size from one to another. However, an antique dealer who is securing my next wax jack for me said they found a company in England that supplied replacement coils once upon a time ago. They are checking to see if this is still the case. Otherwise, I've resolved myself to making my own beeswax coils to replace the 100 year old plus coils on the wax jacks. I'm not sure where that old wax has been and I'm sure I don't want to burn it now.

[eilu]

Very interesting read there.