A 2026 Guide by Sellingantiques
Pair French 18th Century Cast Brass Chambersticks, 18th Century
Priced at £795 from Baggott & Co.
People carried these flat-based holders upstairs at night to light their way to bed.
The design kept hot wax from dripping onto floors or clothing while walking.
Look for early eighteenth-century examples with a tiny loop handle and a plain pan.
Later Georgian forms gained conical extinguishers and proper thumb-pieces to give a firmer grip.
Gas lighting pushed antique chambersticks out of fashionable townhouses into the servants' quarters.
Matthew Boulton made excellent silver and fused plate chambersticks in Birmingham during the late eighteenth century.
Paul Storr supplied heavy, cast silver versions with cast borders to wealthy clients in Regency London.
Regional brass founders in the Midlands stamped out thousands of plain pan types without marking them.
The 2026 retail price guide for Antique Chambersticks is drawn from a proprietary archive of over 1.1 million retail prices indexed by Sellingantiques since 2003. This guide relies exclusively on their own internal data; no external sources or auction records are used.
Analysing nearly 25 years of UK antique market history alongside current retail values, the data indicates that typical UK retail prices for Antique Chambersticks range between £200 and £1,000. Entry-level prices generally fall under £200 and premium examples upwards of £1,000.
A wide drip pan forms the base to catch any falling tallow.
Most feature a slot in the socket or base to hold a conical extinguisher.
Check the handle for a thumb-piece, designed to keep the holder steady in your grip.
Early brass forms were cast in two or three pieces and brazed together at the joints.
Silversmiths raised the pan from a single flat sheet using hammers over wooden blocks.
Turn the piece over to see the central rivet holding the socket tight against the pan.
"Many late Georgian examples feature cleverly integrated scissors that clip straight into the handle stem."
"Some designs include a tiny matchbox compartment hidden right inside the base of the handle."
"You can find matching pairs created specifically for large guest bedrooms in country houses."
Based on almost 25 years of Sellingantiques UK antique market data, Antique Chambersticks appeared 431 times (out of 1,100,000 antiques) which gives it a rarity score of 92/100.
This score measures scarcity within the Sellingantiques archive only and is not a survey of the entire antiques market, so these statistics may not be indicative of the general availability of Antique Chambersticks elsewhere.
Don't use a knife to pry cold wax off the metal. It scratches the surface and can dent a thin pan.
Instead, run warm tap water over the socket. The heat softens the wax enough that you can push it out with a wooden stick or a soft cloth.
Dry the metal straight away to stop spots forming.
You can still use it safely. Most of them parted ways with their matching cones a century ago.
The slot on the handle will sit empty, but the pan works fine.
Antique sockets vary quite a bit in size. They were made before standard factory dimensions became the norm.
You might need to shave the base of a modern candle down.
If it sits too loose, wrap a little paper around the bottom before pushing it into the socket.
That slot held a pair of wick trimmers. Before self-consuming wicks were invented, people had to cut the burnt end of the string away regularly.
The trimmers look like small scissors with a box on one blade to catch the hot ash. A chamberstick with this fitting is a bit harder to find than the standard cone type.
Please note: This Antique Chambersticks guide and its associated pricing data are provided for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute formal financial, investment, or appraisal advice and should not be relied upon as the sole basis for any commercial activity, purchasing, or sales decisions. Sellingantiques.co.uk accepts no liability for any actions taken in reliance on this information. Always consult with a qualified professional or independent appraiser.
