Men: It's Now Safe to Buy Candles

When Prometheus (a man) stole fire from the gods, he had a hunch that the hot flame would make a great chick-lure, while its cousin, the fireplace, would help tenderize those dino steaks. It would break the demi-god’s heart to see the modern candle, all dolled up for the ladies—stamped with pretty pictures and scented with maddeningly sweet chemicals.

Enter 14-year-old Hart Main (a male child). Sick of the icky girlie scents his sister was selling through her school, the Ohio native started his own candle company, ManCans. The premise was simple: Donate canned food to a shelter, reclaim the cans, rinse ’em, and fill them with manly scented candles. Here are some of ManCan’s delightful man smells:

Cigar ¤ Dirt ¤ Campfire ¤ NY City Pizza ¤ Bacon

After 2.5 years in business, Hart has donated more than 24,000 meals to the homeless. His parents help him as little as possible, and his grades have slipped a little since he started busting his hump trying to start up a business (he got one B). Check out this video of unassuming Hart talking about his work. So if you’re trying to avoid the bake sale controversy, but still need to make money, hock these $10 candles—and here’s the ManCans Fundraising Form to get you started.

If you want a local take on the man candle scene, try out Aunt Sadie’s candles, based in the South End. Here you’ll find scents like Manly Leather, Cabin, and Moose in Woods, also melted into a masculine can-like container.