History of candle extinguishers?

When were the cone-shaped ones first introduced?

There's plenty of history available about the scissor-shaped ones online, but nothing about the others.

 

Good question. I have a cone-shaped one that I think is mid-20th century, but I've never been sure.

 

Forgot that about one I sold a few years ago, the first one below. The second one I still have.

 

Years ago, when I was still selling on eBay, I had listed an older, sterling silver-handled snuffer with a cone-shaped "business end".

I got a message from a woman who told me that I had misidentified the item. She said it was a sauce ladle.

I would never argue with anyone who sent me a message like that - I'd just reply, "Thanks so much for your input," or something along those lines.

Anyway, that very same woman ended up as the high bidder for the snuffer. I've long wondered just how many meals she has served with that candle snuffer stuck in the sauce - and if anyone at her table has ever noticed.

 

LOL!

 

I wish I had more buyers like that.

 

Old Guy, you & me both! I had great success dealing in sterling silver on eBay back in the "old days"... I haven't even tried to sell anything in years!

 

I haven't listed in a year or so. I have many items that I don't need to take with me and I do want to pass on to someone. So I'll get going on it ASAP.

Here's another one I don't need. So plan to skip it. Even though it's free shipping.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221690826170?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

 

Oh, my, TOG!

 

No problem if you really like it. I won't be at all upset.

..................................................................... ​

 

American (especially Californian) antique / vintage dealers have literally 10 times the prices of Europe.
I saw a 9000$ white-painted swedish chest of drawers up for sale in a California antiques store online. The same kind of ones cost 700-1200 where I live.

The hugely varying pricing of old decor never fails to amaze me.

And I've learned that there is no such thing as standard value: just people asking for whatever amount of money they'd like.

 

I was also playing with the name on that one.


ANTIQUE KEROSENE (OR??) OIL GWTW (GONE WITH THE WIND) CHINESE JAPANESE DRAGON PARLOR BANQUET VICTORIAN LAMP
Komo will be disappointed he didn't have room for rare.

Yes, California antiques are anything prior to 1940. and therefore hard to find. I've bought souvenirs there, but shy away from the antiques. Nice buys on artworks, though.
I brought a Gatewood Japanese warrior - Mikado - back on the plane last time. The "flight attendants" were nice enough to put it in their closet.

 

...sauce ladle... ???!!!

Perhaps for very, very, very HOT sauce...

 

Hi,
For that much money I would hand deliver it. Only the 48 states.
greg

 

SOOOOOO, If it were yours, Greg. You would not hand deliver to Japan?
You could have the window seat and give IT the aisle seat. Keeping the middle for your "assistant." All tax deductible.

 

I agree with Davey at least the 18th century to possiby centuries earlier. The early ones were called dousing cones, then cups extinquishers and scissors called snuffers. Today the cups are erroneously called snuffers also. Some had long handles with some having hardly a handle that rested on chambersticks such as the following.

http://www.chambersticks.com/226/
http://www.antiquesforeveryone.co.u...an-silver-chamberstick-paul-storr-london-1823

Here is a 17th to 18th candle douser
http://artantiquesmichigan.com/cand...low/17th-century-rush-nip-with-candle-douser/

Cone/funnel shaped extinguishers have been found in England dating from the Medieval era. Scroll down to the 7th, 9th, 13th, 16th, etc.
https://finds.org.uk/database/search/results/objectType/CANDLE+SNUFFER/direction/asc

--- Susan

 

I assume the two snuffers I posted above are both mid-20th century. Does that sound right?

 

Nitpick because I am a nitpicker...

1. The 'cone' things are called candle-snuffers. I've seen them made of everything from pewter to brass to sterling silver. I agree that they probably came around in the 18th century, as a neater way of extinguishing candles rather than just blowing on them (and potentially splattering hot wax everywhere).

2. The 'scissor' things are called wick-trimmers - before the days when candlewicks burned away to nothing, it was sometimes necessary to trim the wick to a more acceptable length, otherwise the excess wick would smoke and smoulder and give off horrible black smoke, which reduced the quality of the light. A similar process was applied to oil lamps, where trimming the wicks made them neater, and therefore the flame they produced burned brighter.

 

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/how-old-is-this-candle-thingy.8069/