Candle snuffers (wick trimmers)
Candle snuffers, also called wick trimmers, are scissor-shaped tools for cutting the charred end from a candle wick. A small box beside the cutting blade catches the clipping. They allowed the wick to be tended while the candle remained alight.
Scissors or extinguisher?
Wick-trimming scissors should be distinguished from a cone-shaped extinguisher placed over the flame. Both may be called snuffers in English, so the name alone does not identify the object. The Charles Dickens Museum explains this distinction through an example owned by the writer. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds a candle set by Joseph Lownes containing both a cone and wick-trimming scissors, dated between 1790 and 1810.
Features and condition
Examine how the blades and collecting box work together. Record a loose pivot, damage to the box and whether the cutting edges meet. An ornamental handle alone determines neither age nor metal. Document marks and construction, and state whether the scissors survive with other candle equipment or as a separate object.
