What is a "sealing wax ladle" used for?

[Steve_Stephens]

Wagner catalogs these as a Sealing Wax Ladle and Griswold just as a Wax Ladle.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=750700054&category=976

I always thought sealing wax was what was used to seal the back flap of envelopes in the old days.  The seller says:

WAS USED EOR THE MAKING OF CANDLES & CANNING IN THE OLD DAYS

Was sealing wax possibly paraffin that was used to seal the top of filled canning jars?  Or was my first impression correct?  I don't think they would have been used in candlemaking.
Steve

[Harry Riva]

Steve, I remember my mother canning jelly and always putting a wax "layer" on top of the jar to seal it. That's what I always thought these ladles were used for.
Harry

[Greg Stahl]

Agree with Harry.  My grandmother always used wax to "can" her preserves.

[Troy_Hockensmith]

My mother used Paraffin. Does any one know the difference in Paraffin wax and candle wax?

[Troy_Hockensmith]

Another thought is in or shop travels I see alot of the long candle stick molds. There designed to make 10-12 at a time. Would you use the wax ladle for to pour the melted wax in those?

[Dave Kruppenbacher]

I can add a little.  Wax is a substance obtained primarily from bees.  It can also be obtained from plants such as palm leaves (carnuba wax) or lanolin from wool fibers.  Paraffin is a mineral wax composed of hydrocarbons, obtained from petroleum.  Japan wax and Bayberry wax are composed of fats.

I believe the sealing wax ladle was used any place hot wax was used in a process.  Preserving food was probably the primary use but paraffin was used in the metal candle molds, it was also used to coat paper.  Hot paraffin was also used to seal the seam where 2 pieces of canvas were sewn together, the ladle may have been used for that process.

Just some ideas that came to mind.....

[tjzebra]

Ive allways used one of these for pouring lead into bullet molds. And I can see where using it to pour wax on the back of letters or to seal canning lids would work out really well.
But being some one who makes alot of candles , I just dont think it would be practical, due to its size.

The scarry part is that Ive seen these things listed on ebay as civil war era lead dispencers, the same way I use them . and act go for  over 100 bucks. :P :P :P

[wfredr]

I have bought letter sealing wax in the past (I used it to stick clarinet pads back in their seats after they came loose after marching in the inevitable rain storm).  The stuff is in stick form, about 6 inches long, by about 1/2 by 1/4 ".  All that is required to seal a letter is a small blob about the size of a quarter, and only that thick also.  A secondary heat source (a candle) could be used to melt a small portion off the end of the stick, to drop on to the flap and body of the letter.  After which, some kind of stamp is pressed into the still hot wax, to press it into place, and to add a identification mark, if needed.

I can't imagine that a constantly molten source of wax, which would be necessary to use a ladle like the ones dicussed, would be practicle for any where other than a large office mailing department that did nothing but mail letters all day.

I cast my vote for canning jar sealing.
Fred