So I get a box in the mail the other day and it has my DH's name on it. I leave it for him unopened and just forget it.
So it sits thee from friday till this morning when DH says "Are you gonna open that package?" 
It has HIS name on it, why would I open it?
He says "well, it is for you, so go." 
I open it up to find 6 packages of cake jacks. 
There are 6 in each package so he thought I'd have enough to make a really large cake even if I had to and have plenty of these for it.
My question is has anyone used these and are they dependable?
Do you request them back and charge a deposit to cover them just in case they are not returned?
He got me the 3 in ones that go up to 4 1/4 inches so are these the better ones or are the longer ones more used in your opinions.
Thanks for any all info. I think I'll google them also. 
I've never heard of cake jacks...I'm interested too!
Jacqui
I love cake jacks, I have used them in several large wedding cakes, and yes they are dependable, the package should tell you how many to put into each layer. I do request a deposit to replace them if they are not returned, I send list of the items I need returned and I put how many cake jacks are in the cake. They are so much easier and faster than cutting dowel rods, much easier to get them all the same height! I have both the 3in and 4in, it just depends on how tall your cake is. Hope this helps!
I had never heard of them, so I googled them and here's a link to some....
http://www.countrykitchensa.com/catalog/product.aspx?T=1&productId=1061
I've used them for several wedding cakes, including 2 that were transported already stacked, with no problems (I did use a center dowel as well on the stacked ones). I definitely prefer them to cutting dowels, and agree that it's easier to get them all exactly the same height. They're also perfectly flat, which makes them sit better than inexpertly cut dowels which may have a slant on the ends.
I only do wedding cakes for friends, so I'm always there to make sure they get saved and get back to me, but they're cheap enough one could always charge a deposit and/or build the cost into the cake.
I have both 3" and 4" ones, since my cakes can be anywhere from just under 4 inches to 4.5 inches. I just use a sewing seam gauge to measure and mark the height of the cake, and then adjust the jacks to match.
As someone who doesn't do many wedding cakes, I like them because they are easier to use than traditional dowels, more adjustable than the SPS system, and much cheaper than the stress free supports.
Well, the instructions on the package say to use them in place of wooden or plastic dowels, which is what I've done and they've worked fine.
The only wooden dowel I've used with them was a sharpened one through the center of the entire cake when I was transporting them stacked. And as you can see, this cake didn't settle or shift at all during the hour long drive to the reception hall.
I made him fav dinner to for a thanks.
Sauteed jumbo shrimp with linguine, broccoli, mushrooms, baby corn and rice noodles.
Plus he get a back rub after his shower.
Oh and now I have to make a cake to use them so he gets to pick the flavor...........least I can do is make the man a cake!!!!!
They are also available on this site http://www.winbeckler.com/wedcakeseparators.asp...
Being new I need some help understanding these. SO you put these jacks down inside the cake layers and you put a plate on top and then another cake. No other item is necessary besides the jacks and plates?
Susie
They are a replacement for wooden dowels, and are used exactly the same way. You adjust them to the height of the cake, put them in just like wood dowels, and stack the next cake on top of them exactly as you would if you were using dowels.
You don't necessarily need plates. Just whatever you usually use under each tier of a stacked cake. Personally I use a foil covered cake board the same size as the cake. I know some other folks use foam core.
If you're not familiar with stacked construction in general, you may want to look here: http://www.wilton.com/wedding/makecake/building/dowelrod/dowel_tiered.cfm
and at the link near the bottom marked "stacked construction".
I love my cake jacks!!! I discovered them about a month ago. My hubby has never been more grateful of my find either. He was always my go to guy for dowel cutting.
Magda_MI, Thanks for the explanation and the link. 
Susie
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