Honey Dipper Question

[Paul Williams]

What makes a useable honey dipper? I had a request for a honey dipper, so I made the first one on the left in the photo. It looked good and would pick up some honey, but would not let it go. The slots were 3/32 inch. So I made the second with 3/16 inch slots. It picks up a lot of honey and drips a lot of honey. The third one has 1/8 inch slots but was a little too big. The fourth on the right also has 1/8 inch slots and is the one I shipped.

Never having used a honey dipper before I was unsure what to expect, but it seems to take a long time to drain the honey into your tea, or it drains too easily. I also suspect that performance depends on the temperature of the honey. Perhaps I need to make summer and winter dippers.

Any advise would be appreciated.

Honey dippers2.jpg

[ray hampton]

why not use a teaspoon ? I get it you invent a honey spoon

[Duane Meadows]

Though I am kinda with Ray on this... I think the 1/8" seems to be a good compromise!

[Michael Gibson]

If you put it in hot tea and stir it does not make any difference. Michael

[Paul Williams]

Michael, that is how I got the honey out of the first one. Not being of the tea drinking set, I am of the opinion that you are supposed to hold it horizontal above the cup and the honey runs out. Seemed like a waste of time waiting for the drips. I did sent it to the lady who requested it. I actually sent all 5 and asked if any of them worked as she expected. I haven't heard back yet.

[Roger Feeley]

You guys really call it a honey dipper? I guess I am too old. When I first saw the subject, I immediately thought of a very different definition. To me, a honey dipper is a person who empties outhouses for a living. I don't believe they used pumps in those days. They lowered buckets and dipped it out.

[ray hampton]

You guys really call it a honey dipper? I guess I am too old. When I first saw the subject, I immediately thought of a very different definition. To me, a honey dipper is a person who empties outhouses for a living. I don't believe they used pumps in those days. They lowered buckets and dipped it out.

honey dipper =outhouse
I never heard of a outhouse being dip before , when my neighbors outhouse got full , they would dig a new hole then move the house
the dirt from the new house would cover the hole from the old site

[Jeff Nicol]

I have made about 150 honey dippers and I have always used the 1/8" slots and the head of the dippers were about 7/8" diameter and just over an inch in length then some of the handles were up to 8" in length for some special orders. I do believe that the thickness of the honey is what determines how fast it flows off, but also where the honey came from and the type of flowers can have some effects on it too. But for what I know once the honey is in the honey pot some warm it a bit to thin it down and most folks don't dunk the whole dipper into the honey but just as much as needed and the grooves help to hold a bigger gob of honey and the dipper is rolled to keep the honey on the dipper until it is over the cup, bowl of ice cream or what ever you want to put it on. The last thing is to make sure to put a liberal coating of bees wax/mineral oil paste on the dippers to seal them and that lets the honey release. But will need to be reapplied after a few washings.

Fun to make and have sold well for me,

Jeff

[Peter Blair]

I've made and sold a bunch to a local Honey guy.
He and his clients like one very similar to the last one in the photo.
I do get tired of making them thought. Not keen on any sort of production work seems to limit creativity

[Frank Drew]

I might be wrong, but I think that a lot more honey dippers are made than are used (more than a few times).