Wax candles (Shabbos 20b)

The Mishna lists a bunch of things that can't be used as wicks and then a bunch of things that can't be used as fuel. Included in the latter list is wax. Yet that doesn't stop most people from using wax candles on Shabbos and the Shulchan Aruch paskens that there is no problem with the practice. So how does that jive with our Mishna?

Rashi (d"h shaava itztricha lei) at the bottom of the amud answers the question that the only time wax is forbidden is if it's used like oil. However, our candles are all stuck around the wick so it's like one big wax wick. The truth is that I didn't realize that was what Rashi was saying until I saw the Rashba quote the Rashi. It seems that almost all the Rishonim understand our Gemara this way and therefore one may even use wax candles l'chatchila. The point of the pesulim listed in our Mishna is that they don't light as nicely but our wax candles light just as nicely as oil so there is no preference. I remember once hearing that there are some poskim who say it's better to use oil but most poskim do not agree with that.