The wick
How to trim a candle wick
A short wick is a quiet flame. Trim it cold, to about a quarter inch, before you light the jar again.
Hartisans candles use lead-free cotton wicks — Eco or CD, written in the margin when we test a pour. Cotton wants a trim. Left long, it mushrooms, smokes, and can walk toward the wall of the vessel.
When and how
- Wait until the wax is cold and firm. Trimming a soft pool pulls soot into the soy.
- Pinch or snip to about a quarter inch. You do not need a special tool. Scissors or a wick trimmer both work.
- Lift the trimmings out. Do not leave carbon in the wax.
- If the wick has drifted, nudge it back to center while the pool is still slightly warm, then let it set.
A mushroom is the carbon cap at the top of a wick that was left too long or burned in a draft. It is ugly and it pops. Trim it off. The next flame should be smaller and cleaner.
We do not use wooden wicks in the shop line right now. If you see a wooden brace in our pour photos, that is a holder — not the wick.
- 01
Let the wax cool until it is firm.
- 02
Trim the cotton wick to about a quarter inch.
- 03
Remove the trimmings from the vessel.
- 04
Light the candle on a stable surface away from drafts.
How to trim a candle wick
Questions
- How short should a candle wick be?
- About a quarter inch. Shorter can drown. Longer smokes and mushrooms.
- Why is my candle smoking?
- Usually a long wick, a draft, or debris in the wax. Trim cold, move the jar off the breeze, and light it again.