Medieval Kindling Holder

Medieval pine-wood splinter holder from the 12th century.

This replica of a historical pine-wood splinter holder has been hand-forged based on a medieval original.

Pinewood shavings were the quintessential medieval light source, as in the Middle Ages very few people could afford lamp oil or even candles, and most had to make do with pinewood shavings, which were easier to obtain.

The original that served as the model for this pinewood shaving holder is now housed in the Waterford Museum and dates from the 12th century.

Dimensions of the pine-wood splinter holder: 22 x 6 x 0.5 cm.

Our 20 cm long pine-wood splinters are ideal as fuel; they are available in value packs of ten.

Pine-wood splinters burn with a fairly steady, bright flame and give off a pleasant, resinous scent. If you wish to have a brighter flame, simply clamp the pine splinter horizontally; if, on the other hand, you want the light to last a little longer, clamp it vertically.

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Pine splinters are one of the earliest methods of lighting; they have illuminated people’s homes since time immemorial and remained in use right up to modern times. To do this, one simply clamped a resinous wood chip onto a holder and lit it.

Pine-chip holders were made from iron in a wide variety of shapes. The most primitive form, however, was undoubtedly a simple, slotted stick which one simply stuck into the ground and clamped the burning chip into the slot.