Porridge Spirtles and Honey Dippers

[Pierre]

All Oils over time turn.... because of their make up, liquid paraffin turns later than most and if you want to buy it in quantity then go to a veterinarian because they sell it in vast quantities for animals and they are cheaper in bulk. Take a good look at the Chestnut food safe ingredients and it is actually liquid paraffin (the comestible sort and not the burning sort) . Ask Glenn Lucas what he uses (3500 salad bowls per year) and he will explain that his local vet is a good supplier of liquid paraffin . The only thing that does not turn over centuries is the honey from bees.

So the answer to the question is; I use comestible paraffin (But only a quick dip) because it lasts longer without giving a taste to the wood or honey and it is important that the customer leaves the honey dipper in the honey whilst in use. Honey dippers are not meant to be removed and washed, so as well as making them you should also make a lid that keeps the dipper and covers the honey (I use beech for the dipper (or a fruit wood) and any wood for the cover). Find out the standard size of a jam or honey pot and make a cover which goes over the top with a tall bead which surrounds the screw top and either make a cut out which allows the dipper to be removed or one which can be used to incorporate the dipper into the lid. Why a cover? well you work out how many bees might want to come back and take what you just stole from them!!

Where I live I am surrounded by grapevines for wines, damson trees for prunes, walnut trees for.... yes you got it walnuts, sweet chestnuts for again... yes you got it; so for 9 months of the year we are stuffed with honey from bees and by now I have had several generations of traditional honey dipper anecdotes. I can sell 50 honey dippers at a market at 5 euros each with a long handle because here honey is sold in 1 kg jars .

There isn't much call here for porridge spirtles because the main climate is 25-38 degrees and the swimming pools are at 28 degrees (this latter is of course for Phil the ink currently sitting in sunny Scotland post Brexit). Porridge is for midges look at the last 4 characters of their names!!

But the most important thing before you choose out of all of the solutions above is that whatever you choose, you make one, finish it as you have chosen then use it over a period of time because you need to know what your customer will experience and you need to be hypercritical of your own production (if you want repeat customers).

PG

 

[Penpal]

I have made and sold hundreds of bloody spurtles in my time. I am sick of spurtles.

The comments above about there being no need to apply a finish are perfectly true from a practical, culinary point of view. However, I find they sell better when they have a finish because the look better on the shelf that way.

I make them from beech and finish them to 240 grit, then dunk them in a bath of vegetable oil for a few minutes. I then take them out and stand them up in a plastic tub to run off and dry over night, then give them a quick wipe over in the morning with tissue paper. The result is lasting and nice looking sheen, which sets them apart from the Chinese copy-turned imports that you find in all the woolen mills and tacky gift shops. I sell them for £7.95 each. Well, actually I don't, I put them in the shops and they sell them for £7.95 each, so I get less than that, but they are a good, saleable "in" if you're trying to get your foot in the door in a new retail outlet.

I hope that helps John.

View attachment 28957

Congratulations Phil you are the only one who showed firstly by pictures then pricing the two questions originally asked were finishing and pricing.

From over here pricing here is irrelevent in the UK. John now you can see the incredible impact a picture and facts when they come together.

Peter.