I bought two of these candle stands for use in the bathroom where I wanted subtle candle light to enjoy enough light to read by, and generally relax in a long hot bath. They are very stable and support 'church' style candles on a rebated flat plate i.e. there are no candle fixing points such as spikes. Because they are for 'church' style candles the candle base itself provide the stability. The stands are made in sections that are threaded together and come assembled in that form. They might just need a bit of tightening up to lock the sections together. There was a slight blemish on one of the stands, but I was not after perfection given that slightly 'gothic' nature of the design. I am very happy with the purchase, although being an engineer I understand the construction and materials and they are moderately expensive for what they are, however, they suit my needs perfectly.