Final batch from Tad’s barn forge • In 11 active carts • 21 left
Tad's Hand-Forged Angel Candle Holder
Tad's Hand-Forged Angel Candle Holder
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Tad's Hand-Forged Angel Candle Holder
The last angels from a mountain forge in Hindman, Kentucky
Thaddeus “Tad” Haskins, 72, has forged these angels by hand for 36 Christmases — one for half the windows in his valley. Arthritis in his hammer hand means he has to stop. These are the last 212.
“I made the first one in 1989 because I had no money for a Christmas present. Glenda put it in the kitchen window, and by New Year’s the neighbors were knocking. An angel sitting in a closet doesn’t help anybody. Put a light in it.”
Thaddeus Haskins · Blacksmith, Hindman, Kentucky
What comes in the box
Table (8 in) or Window (6 in)
Fits a standard tealight
No paint to chip off
Wrapped by hand
What 36 Christmases taught Tad about an angel that holds a light
Every feather is cut through the iron, not painted on. Light the candle and the wings appear on the wall behind it.
A heavy iron cone, wide at the bottom. Stands firm on a table, a windowsill or a windy porch.
No paint, no lacquer. The rust comes from three weeks in the Kentucky rain, so no two angels look the same.
The candle dish sits in the angel’s hands, right under the halo. Its glow lights up the ring above the head.
Cone, wings, feathers, halo: about six hours at the forge for one angel, and four hundred hammer blows per wing.
On the Christmas table, in the front window or on the porch. The rust finish doesn’t mind a little weather.
“Cut-through ironwork like this has nearly disappeared from Appalachia. Most iron decorations you can buy today are stamped by a machine and painted to look old. Tad still cuts every feather by hand with a chisel, and you can see it the moment the candle is lit: no two shadows on the wall are quite the same. When his forge goes cold, a piece of mountain craft goes with it.”
Ellen Mabry · Appalachian folk-craft collector · Hazard, Kentucky
Two sizes
Perfect for
Why families light them every year
- Wings on the wall. Cut-through feathers throw a shadow when lit.
- Real iron. Heavy, solid and made to last a lifetime.
- Won’t tip. The wide cone base stands firm, even outside.
- One of a kind. The rust pattern is different on every angel.
- Easy care. Wipe with a dry cloth. That’s all.
If it doesn’t feel right on your table, one email to info@cedarandtinco.com is enough. Tad would rather have it back than have it sit in a closet.
Good to know: The rust finish is natural and part of the piece, so each angel looks a little different. On light fabric or stone outdoors, place it on a small saucer. Tealights are not included. Never leave a burning candle unattended.
Product details
| Contents | 1 iron angel candle holder (candle not included) |
| Table Angel | About 8 in tall, 5.5 in wide (20.5 × 14 cm) |
| Window Angel | About 6 in tall, 3.9 in wide (15.5 × 9.8 cm) |
| Candle dish | Fits a standard tealight |
| Material | Iron with a natural rust finish |
| Use | Indoors and on covered porches or patios |
| Care | Wipe with a dry cloth; let wax cool, then lift it out |
| Made by | Thaddeus Haskins, Hindman, Kentucky — 212 angels remaining |
The Last Christmas at the Forge
The Last Christmas at the Forge
A note from Hindman, Kentucky:
Thaddeus “Tad” Haskins has been a blacksmith in an old tobacco barn in the Kentucky mountains since 1974. In December of 1989 there was no money for a Christmas present, so Tad went out to the barn and forged an angel from an old plow blade for his wife Glenda. She put it in the kitchen window, and by New Year’s three neighbors had knocked on the door wanting one. Ever since, he has forged angels every fall, and every Christmas Eve he leaves a few on his neighbors’ porches. Each angel takes about six hours: the cone body, the wings, every feather cut through the iron by hand, then three weeks in the rain for the rust. Arthritis in his hammer hand means he has to stop now. 212 angels are left. When they are gone, there will be no more.
Free US Shipping
Free US Shipping
Free shipping across the United States
- Delivery time: 5–8 business days
- Every angel is wrapped by hand and sent with tracking
- The Table Angel: about 8 in tall, 5.5 in wide (20.5 × 14 cm)
- The Window Angel: about 6 in tall, 3.9 in wide (15.5 × 9.8 cm)
- Candle dish fits any standard tealight (not included)
- Iron with a natural rust finish, for indoors and covered porches
- 30-day money-back guarantee — just email info@cedarandtinco.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Email us anytime at info@cedarandtinco.com. We answer Monday–Friday 9am–5pm and Saturday 10am–3pm. Whether it’s about your order, which size to choose, or just to say hello — a real person writes back.
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Of course. 30-day money-back guarantee. Light it, live with it for a few weeks, and if it isn’t right for you, email info@cedarandtinco.com within 30 days for a full refund. No questions asked.
How is it made?
How is it made?
Tad rolls the cone body from sheet iron, hammers out the two wings and cuts every feather through the iron with a chisel — about four hundred blows per wing. Then he bends the halo and welds it on. When an angel is finished, it stands on the pasture fence behind the barn for 21 days in the rain until the rust comes. That is why no two angels look exactly alike.