Where can I buy an oil lamp?

So you have decided to buy an oil (kerosene) lamp but where do you start?

The first consideration is what type of lamp you wish to purchase.

To begin with, you may wish to refer to my previous article:  Why do people buy oil lamps?

If you decide on a practical oil lamp, what should you look for?

The answer is there are several levels or types of practicality available.

Let’s take a look at these areas now.

Flat wick kerosene lamps

There are basic no frills flat wick lamps such as barn lamps (also known as hurricane lamps) and glass  lamps  for the home available from most camping or disposal stores and also from selected variety stores.

Flat wick lamps offer low starting prices and ease of use but don’t produce a high level of illumination.

They are also suitable for burning citronella as an outdoor insect repellent.

Centre draught kerosene lamps

The next level of practicality is to move to a centre draught oil lamp which will offer greater illumination, durability and aesthetic appeal but as these are no longer manufactured, the only option is to purchase one second hand.

Local antique stores and second-hand dealers are worth checking, as are estate and antique auctions.

Other possible sources are trash and treasure markets and garage sales where you may pick up a bargain but there can be many pitfalls for the unwary buyer.

These lamps are generally metal so the quality of the metal needs to be checked.

• If it has a brass finish, is it solid brass or brass plated?

• If it has a silver finish, is it solid aluminium or nickel or chrome plated?

• Is the plating pitted or worn?

• Does it have any dents?

• Does it have the correct burner and is it in proper working order?

Probably the most important aspect though is whether or not the font (fuel tank) is sound.

Sometimes they may look solid but actually have small pinpoints of corrosion which means it will leak kerosene so making it both dangerous and worthless.

Mantle lamps

The top of the range in practical oil lamps use a mantle similar to those used with propane gas lanterns, to produce an extremely bright light whilst offering very efficient and cost effective operation.

This style can be further divided into 2 categories – those that are pressurised and those that aren’t.

Pressurised kerosene lamps

An example of a pressurised lamp is a “Tilley” brand lamp.

These lamps have a small hand pump incorporated into the fuel tank so that once you pump it up the pressurised kerosene is delivered to the mantle through a pre-heated tube which vaporises the fuel as it reaches the mantle.

The resulting light is considered by many to be far superior to that produced by propane gas lanterns.

They are rugged lamps which are great for outdoor use as they are guaranteed not to blow out even in very strong winds.

These lamps can still be purchased new from the bigger camping stores or second hand from many of the venues already mentioned but the same possible pitfalls still apply.

Non-pressurised kerosene lamps

Non-pressurised lamps are epitomised by the “Aladdin” brand range.

These lamps also work with a mantle, albeit a different style of mantle to “Tilley” lamps or gas lamps.

The brightness of the light produced by these lamps is astounding considering that it is produced from a round wick burner without the need to pressurise the fuel.

There is a range of new glass and metal “Aladdin” lamps available from a number of authorised outlets (a Google search will find them for you) but the most popular ones are those which were produced in the first half of the twentieth century.

“Aladdin” produced a very wide range of both metal and glass oil lamps which have now become very collectable.

Again, it is possible to find these lamps in any of the second hand venues previously discussed.

For additional information and to understand what to do and what not to do when using internet auction sites to make your purchase refer to: Tips for Buying Oil Lamps on the Internet