Sember Speaks

When I first started working at Umbra Essence I was fairly clueless about candles. Sure I've always loved candles, like most people. They're warm; they fill a room with a lovely scent; they create an atmosphere of comfort. When someone drops in and candles are lit it communicates hospitality. Candle light says: "Come in, we've slowed down for the day and have time for you."

But what about the actual candle? The product?

What differentiates handmade candles from mass produced candles?

One thing that struck me about the care that Jamie puts into her candles at Umbra Essence is the rigorous tests her candle wicks go through. In our production area there is a counter where a row of candles are lined up and each one is made with a different wick. At the begining of each day these candles are lit, the time marked in a log. They burn all day and are then snuffed out at the end of the day, when the time is logged again along with any observations about how it burned that day. Often it takes several 8 hour days to burn through a single candle from beginning to end.

Then a number of questions ensue:
How long did it burn?
Did it burn evenly?
Did it burn too fast?
Did it burn slow and nice?

No one wants a candle that is like a sinkhole and drowns itself out with a puddle of wax.

Thus is the discovery to deterime the perfect wick. And not just one. There are different wicks for each size of candle and each blend of wax. They are all tested in every combination to match the right wick with the right blend and size for the perfect even burn.

Would it be easier to cut from the same spool of wicks for all the candles? Of course. But "easy" is not the kind of care that Jamie puts into her candles. The quality of her candles is deeply important to her, as she imagines them burning and giving light and pleasure to the many people that take them home.

I've come a long way in my knowledge of candle making since the first day of seeing wick testing.
I am in love not just with Umbra Essence Candles, but with the handcrafted quality of the product. Sure, I can buy a candle almost anywhere that might cost less, but what am I paying per hour of burn time? And, why would I want a mass-produced candle made with an alcohol-based frangrance oil or a loose / off center wick that will make the wax concave.

Call me a candle snob, but who wouldn't want a hand crafted candle made with care and quality?

Just think: This is only the very beginning of what goes into making a good candle.

(What's in your candle?)