Wooden Wicks- What and Why?

What kind of wood do you use for your wicks? I hear this question at almost every event I do, and I don't have a good answer! Wooden wicks are a patented, commercially produced product made from FSC certified wood that may include

cherry, oak, birch, maple, balsa, rosewood, or pine. The wicks I use need to be precisely .02" thick the achieve the correct burn- making your own wicks is theoretically possible, but quality control is a major hurdle. 

The main benefit of wooden wicks for customers is the crackle- because of the resin content and tiny air pockets in the wood, they create an audible snap/crackle/pop reminiscent of a fireplace- the coziest white noise ever. 

Other benefits include the lack of "mushrooming" that occurs with cotton wicks, less smoke upon extinguishing the flame, and none of the potential risks of zinc cored cotton wicks. 

The main benefit for me as a maker is ease of use- with cotton wicks each candle needs a wick support when pouring the wax to keep the wick from sagging or falling into the wax entirely. Securing dozens of wicks one by one takes precious time I'd rather be using to pet my dog or eat snacks. Wooden wicks can stand up all by themselves so yay for that!