Our making process
Whilst we do all that we can to ensure each Burning Soul candle will contain the same amount of wax, the thickness of the bottles can vary and some bottles contain a punt or dimple (the bit that goes up into the bottom of the bottle!). The burn time will still be as stated but a very small amount of wax won’t burn at the bottom of the glass in some. This is the price we pay for being able to use all the bottles that come our way.
The punt or dimple at the bottom of some wine bottles is there as the bottle, traditionally, in olden times, would have been attached to an iron rod called a pontil, which was then recessed back into the bottle to prevent scratches to the table when the wine was served.
So what are the stages? The first stage, after going to The Waverley Inn, our lovely local pub, to collect the bottles from Douglas and Alicia, is to score them by hand, with a steel cutter. This creates a line around the bottle, which then has boiling water slowly poured on to it, followed by cold water, which causes the glass to stress and hopefully(!) come apart with a neat break (thermal shock). This was extremely hit and miss when I started out, but with a bit of practice, some foul language and a few finger cuts on the way, it’s plain sailing now…
Then the edges need to be sanded down which isn’t my favourite thing to do, but blood and wax don’t mix too well, so it needs to be done. The holders are cleaned and the cotton wicks are glued to the base using a contraption to centre the wick, which ensures that the candle burns evenly and safely.
I then measure out the correct amount of soy wax, heat gently (this takes ages), let it cool (this takes longer) and then after said lengthy time, stir in the fragrance… and now it’s pour time.
After the hand-pouring, comes the setting. All Burning Soul candles are left for 24 hours to cure and then it’s all hands on deck, I alert the household and labelling and packaging begins…