Batik Cantings (Tjantings)

Batik wax pens, handmade in Indonesia.

Cantings (sometimes spelled tjantings) are wax pens for batik. These wax pens are used to apply the hot batik wax to your fabric. We buy all our cantings from craftsmen in Java working in their own homes, and at a fair trade rate.

Our lovely teak handled cantings are about 17.5 cms. (7 inches) long and have a thick copper bowl which extends along the bottom to minimise drips. The handles are recycled from teak furniture offcuts. They come in 5 different spout sizes plus a double spout. The number 0 - 4 is marked on the side of the bowl. Number 0 is the finest and 4 the widest.

Many of our customers tell us that these are the easiest cantings they have ever used. No-one will ever be as practiced and precise as the Javanese, but at least you'll get a head start using the very best cantings available.
Click here for tips on using our cantings.

How do you use a canting?

The bowl of the canting is designed to be filled with hot batik wax. Look at the angle of the spout. This is the angle you should hold it at. In other words it is not designed to be used with your work flat on the table but with it held up at an angle of about 45°.

What size canting do I need?

Fine to medium-fine cantings (size 0-2) are ideal for detailed work, which a brush simply can’t give you, but be aware that the finer the spout, the hotter the batik wax needs to be as it flows more slowly.
Medium-wide cantings (size 3) are best for beginners and children, and wide cantings (size 4) are great for doing large pieces such as batik banners. Some people find the wide spouts hard to control as the wax flows so quickly - however this can be a great source of freedom!