The Antique Store Find

My family and I were at a local antique store over the weekend and came across a small, orange box that contained Flamemaster Asbestos Wicking. As an asbestos aficionado for over 20 years, I was intrigued plus the graphics were great too.

It is hard to believe that 100 years ago stoves and ranges used asbestos wicks and asbestos linings in their ovens, and this was just a part of a modern household full of asbestos products such as coffee pots, toasters, crock pots, sad irons and dining table pads.

The Flamemaster wick was used in oil burning stoves from the 1920’s to the 1950’s. These asbestos wicks were used in what was called, “wickless” oil stoves. An unusual term because these wicks were used to draw the liquid fuel, such as kerosene, up the woven asbestos “wick” material to the burner where the vapor could be ignited with a match.

On the front of the box in bold yellow lettering, “Saves fuel, work, time, & worry.”  What 1920’s homeowner wouldn’t want a product that saves fuel, work, time, and be worry-free too. It’s quite a contrast to think about asbestos saving “worry” for the homeowner, and within the decade we would learn that asbestos exposure causes a chronic lung disease known as asbestosis.   

If you enjoy antiquing as much as I do, just a reminder that hazardous materials can still be present, so do your research before repairing or repurposing that antique store find.