Tips for getting the most light from an oil lamp

[@pinkdoor85]

Thank you for this lovely video! My grandmother gave me 2 oil lamps when I first moved out of my parents home to live on my own. I thought they were dumb then. After several power outages in storms and such over the years, I came to appreciate them. When my grandmother died, she had several more in storage in her utility room. My sisters wanted to get rid of them, but I kept them. Added new wicks & new oil. They have come in handy SO many times over the years. We have kept our entire home lit in winter storms with oul lamps. My daughters, aged 10 & 8, have learned to use them and repsect their fragility and dangers. I love the round wick lamp you have. I'd love to see it lit! Be well! ❤

[@JamesSchmidt-by3wu]

My mom liked to give an oil lamp as a wedding gift. It's good to hear someone who appreciates their usefulness.

[@bobbyspapercraft]

Thank you!!

[@dragondancer1814]

As “storm preppers” (we got started following Hurricane Ivan and an EF-2 tornado that narrowly missed our town), my husband and I have accumulated a small but carefully chosen collection of oil lamps over the years, some of which we regularly use just for the beauty of the lamplight and also for Yule, or Winter Solstice celebrations (we’re Wiccans). When our kids were younger, it also made for some funny moments-most kids fight over whose turn it is to play video games, whereas ours would fight over whose turn it was to blow out the oil lamp!

[@davidschmidt270]

Exactly....spent the 6th grade school year in Olympia WA...my grandmother's property...5 miles from town...and yeah we'd have the power go out for 2 whole weeks sometimes.. maybe not for y'all but for a kid from Phoenix Az yeah it was something else...used these lamps and had a wood stove....I swear I still remember the hamburger and fries tasting waaaay better when cooked on the wood stove!

[@sharonvaughn5063]

Beautiful dress!

[@abbitucker1007]

Sharing this information was a very considerate thing to do. Thank you so much!

[@thesun-N-moon8885]

Agree!

[@williamkuhns2387]

In colonial America cobblers used a special type of lamp with a candle surrounded by three water filled clear glass globes. The globes look like glass fishing floats with a hole on top for filling water then a cork. The candle light would be magnified by the globes to increase light for working in a dark room or in evening. Glad to see you back!!

[@pheart2381]

British lacemakers used the same set up. I used a liqueur bottle filled with water. There is a French liqueur that comes in an almost spherical bottle,and it worked great for concentrating the light.

[@BryceHistorically]

@@pheart2381I came here to comment about Lacemakers' lamps, too. 😊

[@heikkirautanen]

Also here in Finland cobblers used water filled glass globes.They are called "suutarinsilmä" (cobblers eye) in Finnish.

[@jimh2887]

In the Walt Disney movie Johnny Tremaine, they use a water filled globe in one of the scenes. Very interesting. I saw it as a kid and thought it was fascinating

[@kareno8634]

How Logic. *Thanks* for info. : }

[@ladeek35]

Thanks! Oil lamps are the go-to for power outages and winter storms! Thanks for the helpful tips.

[@Barbara-cy7rs]

Thank you for this tutorial! I've used oil lamps for years due to frequent power outages in the wilderness setting I live in. Learned a lot!

[@ladywytch129]

I live in a city and still have a few for emergencies. Batteries don't last forever, lol.

[@k.j.lindsey3048]

Great video as usual. What a great idea to put it out for all those suffering from the hurricanes. I applaud you for that. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.

[@sayhello-v2l]

I’ve seen a tv show which had oil lamps in it and the chimneys were virtually sooted up and we the audience are to meant to believe that the said lamp is projecting significant light,HaH! Sarah should employ herself as a historical advisor to tv and films so that don’t make huge errors

[@thevintagerecipeblog]

Hollywood is full of tropes like that, the worse thing is people watch these movies and think it's real life.

[@robertbooth3699]

My pet peeve!

[@JamesSchmidt-by3wu]

My uncle who lived during the generation that used oil lamps daily said that a newspaper worked great for cleaning a chimney.

[@deb1120]

Due to our daughter's upcoming wedding, we've been grabbing up every oil lamp we can find....she wants them for centerpieces on the tables. I think we're up to about 50 now! LOL I'm gonna need to buy a truckload of wicks. 😁 thank you for this lovely video---and your dress is GORGEOUS!!!!

[@luv2luv720]

Agree on the dress & best of luck on the oil lamps. Enjoy the wedding 🥰

[@Cookontherun7391]

Just remember 2 things. Right size of wick for the lamp. They are not all the same. Warm up the chimney by keeping the flame low until it burns clear then you can adjust wick up a bit

[@PatrickKniesler]

Make little care sheets for people if you intend on selling or giving them away. Then they won't end up in the trash. Hope the wedding is beautiful!

[@mrmicro22]

Buy wick by the roll. Amazon or temu. Cheaper than individual wicks.

[@Caleb-wu6wn]

deb idk if you’ll see this or are even still searching… but my great uncle just passed.. & come to find out he apparently had a little “thing” for oil lamps bc i now have like 100+ lamps with no idea what do do with all of em lol… so if you need lamps.. i gotchu

[@MichaelStuartRandle]

I just bought my 1st "Hurricane" oil lamp. Thanks for the video!

[@barbedstar6480]

When the power goes out, the lamps come out! Sitting high in my 1905 little farm house kitchen are 11 of varying sizes and shapes, all very old if not antique. The beauty of the power out is the warm glow of the lamps and the computer doesn't work! Like taking a step back to a calmer time. I cut a disc of plastic to cover all of the burner part plus about a half inch more. That I fit over the whole burner unit, then place the chimney back on the lamp which firmly traps the plastic. Any evaporation of fuel is stopped and the burner unit stays clean of dust. While neighbors light a candle or two, the little farm house is lit like a Christmas tree shining on the dark street.... BTW...your hair and dress are spot on!

[@AnalyticMinded]

I don't have an oil lamp... but now I'm thinking of getting one! 😅

[@growjoyfullyhomestead]

Good call❤

[@laboo9762]

By all means get one and if you can get an antique one.. it's your own private piece of History

[@Tamkm817]

Estate sales sometimes have them.

[@vaderladyl]

Ebay and Etsy have a lot of beautiful ones in all sizes and styles.

[@GeorgiaRidgerunner]

Oil lamps are great thing in a power outage especially when all your battery for just such an emergency are past there expiration date or have leaked and damaged your whatever type of lighting device also interestingly enough lamp oil has a very long shelf life i have 3 of them that have had the same lamp oil in them since before i was born and im 44 in the 44 plus years that lamp oil has been in those lamps maybe a quarter of it has evaporated the only maintenance i do is clean the dust off them when the weather weatherman says severe weather is coming Edit: forgot to say there is literally many millions of oil lamps that have been made and theyre still produced you can buy new used or antique andspend as little as ten dollars on up to a few hundred for antique

[@vaderladyl]

This video brought me a lot of memories from my childhood when we had to prepare for hurricanes and we still used those oil lamps (hurricane lamps,) back in the 70's/80's, and me and my sisters used to help, and this is one of the chores we had, getting the lamps ready. I loved the glow of them, much more soothing than the more modern battery operated lamps we got later.

[@zahiramalakh6352]

As someone who had no electricity for several years, I love my beautiful lamps instead of LED bulbs. I grew up with a rounded wick. It's easier this way, as it doesn't get as much soot on the chimney.

[@herobean28]

Thank you for sending us this video through your time machine

[@scheralgreider5406]

You can still get those wall lamps at Lehman's in Kidron, Ohio. They have tons of oil lamps and parts.

[@JamieSantos]

Also at antique stores and auctions.

[@dragondancer1814]

@@JamieSantosYou can even get lucky at yard sales sometimes!

[@lesliekendall5668]

I was looking for a new glass base recently and they didn't have any. I remember years ago they had pages and pages of replacement parts but don't anymore. ??

[@pennyantonson3881]

Super helpful! It didn't know that there were different kinds of wicks or different fuels! Now I have to check my lamps.

[@catwoman6559]

Thank you for sharing this wisdom with us. It may come in handy, especially with all the hurricanes occurring.

[@BROUBoomer]

Thank you so much. I've had my oil lamps since 1982, when I first moved away from home. My grandmother gave me the first one, a friend gave me the second one, they matched. But no one ever explained how to properly use them, and maintain them. They've gotten me through many hurricanes, and thunderstorms. (*Anyone who has any, Ace Hardware Stores carries replacement supplies.) I was lucky during hurricane Milton, I only lost power for a day. Thank you to everyone that prayed for Florida. Please keep praying, millions didn't get as lucky as I did. And pray for the victims of hurricane Helene, they're not going to be back to normal for a few years. Thank you. 🧓☮️🖖

[@timmholl9238]

Thank you for the Ace Hardware supplies info.

[@BROUBoomer]

@@timmholl9238 Hi, You're welcome. I got lucky one hurricane, friends invited us to ride it out with them, just in case. I went to grab some supplies, and they had an Ace Hardware store only a couple of miles away, they had replacement hardware for the lamps, wicks, glass shades, and the oil. I was amazed. The last store I'd found with that many supplies closed down a couple decades ago. They sold nothing but oil lamps, and supplies, over at the factory outlet mall; never seen another store like it since. Ace Hardware has some amazing supplies for how small they usually are. Home Depot, and Lowe's are huge in comparison, but I usually need help there, and often can't find it. At Ace, they greeted me at the door, asked what I needed, and walked me to it, then reached it for me too, I was a couple inches short of it. I got amazing customer service, so I'll always recommend them. They even called another Ace store for me once to locate an item I needed, and gave me directions to get there. I didn't want to wait for the item to be transferred. That was a few years ago, don't know if they'll still transfer items from store to store. But they've always been helpful. Glad I could help you out with the information. Take care, stay safe, have a good day. 🧓☮️🖖

[@bradpaul8576]

Good tip to look for the ones with the plentiful holes to let oxygen into the flame.

[@GodsSparrowSpeaks]

Thank you so much! I had forgotten about the paraffin oil for the smaller lamps! Your dress is beautiful. 💐

[@gwenhammett9349]

I have a lamp with a mercury reflector. I love it! 💕

[@farmgirl4958]

I have several oil lamps that I’ve never known how to use.I’m going to get them out and give them a try! Thank you so very much for this video!

[@patrickwaslicki7958]

This is also a good science lesson Sarah about light as well as reflection

[@milliedragon4418]

We have one oil lamp. It puts out pretty decent light and it kind of heats you up too, which is nice.

[@lapsedluddite3381]

I grew up in a 1730's era house that had not been modernised, we used crumpled up bits of newspaper to polish the soot off the chimneys, works a treat, also works to keep windows clean.

[@killroy7114]

Excellent tips. Thanks a bunch. Cool dress too. Clothing of the old west/Victorian Age was so sharp looking.

[@lambypieasmr7437]

it's actually quite modern and makes more sense the quality of fabric and the weight of the fabric I'm sure it's soft

[@donnaleveron5711]

I am getting out my Grandmother's lamps in preparation for winter, have a feeling will be needed, have purchased kerosene and new wicking. Thank you for these tips.

[@karen4you]

Thank you for the information on how to use and maintain oil lamps. About five years ago I found some at a rummage sale for $2.50 each, and enjoy using them in the winter. Good tip not to mix fuels. I so enjoy your videos.

[@victoriaburkhardt9974]

Thanks for this. I keep oil lamp in case of emergency. I didn’t know the part about keeping the lamp 3/4 full of oil. Very helpful advise.

[@fasx56]

Valuable information for folks who want to purchase an oil lamp to get off to a correct start when it comes to firing up your new lamp and how to maintain it.

[@Allie-x4t]

I just used my oil lamp for the first time after Hurricane Helene and it was very handy. I’m glad to see these tips so that I can safely use it more often because I like the lighting effect and it’s nice and warm 🎉

[@dianaspy6733]

We used a couple of these in Texas when we lost power for a while in a snowstorm from weather Warfare. Thanks for the tips! ❤🎉

[@change691]

Global warming

[@marthahansen6123]

Oil lamps are great in a power outage. We use them often. No batteries to run down or replace. Just oil and wicks. Love them.😊

[@EricaAnneInSac]

Thanks for the video. I just remembered watching the secret garden as a kid and noticing the obvious electrical lamp the main character was sneaking around with.

[@benjaminnorris4998]

Yes! I remember that. When she goes to find Colin and has the little hand-held lamp with the frosted chimney? There was another scene at the beginning, when she breaks the ivory elephant, before the earthquake, and there is another lamp on the dresser which was a reproduction with a wire clearly visible running through the glass reservoir.

[@Victorianlady]

In the film version of "Gone With The Wind", in the scene where Ashleigh is brought in wounded you can see the actress playing Melanie actually grab the cord of the "oil" lamp she's holding up and pull it out of the way of her skirt.

[@bogaanb2466]

Great information! I am in Florida and we have several around the house.

[@squirehaggard4749]

Same here. I was just using them in the 2 hurricanes we just had.

[@JuliaJames-zx5xy]

This is such a highly useful education you've so carefully offered us. I never had this information passed on to me by my elders who had their babies at home, hauled water in from the ditch, went to bed when it got dark & was back up as the sun came up.

[@STho205]

The "lot of trouble" with mixing fuels is the fuels in a sitting still lamp will seperate into layers due to different soecific gravities (liquid weights)... So if you adjust the flame it will be for the bottom, heavier layer which has different energy...when that runs out, the upper layer will be wicked up and the flame will drastically change.

[@lizziesangi1602]

We called those beautiful lamps, Hurricane Lamps and they are very hard to find today! Thank you for your advice on these lamps, as I have newer kerosene lamps. Much appreciated 💕

[@FarmhouseWorthy]

We have a few of these around, they are lovely anytime, but especially when there is no power.

[@jillachen7217]

Thank you! God bless you Sarah, from Baudette Minnesota ❤

[@adnacraigo6590]

Thanks for the informative video. We have several lamps and just went through eleven days without electricity in South Carolina.

[@katskills5560]

Thank you! I’m in FL and still have to use my lamps! This was so helpful!! I have no power or water for another day or two. But I am blessed! There are others are much worse off. Again thank you very much.

[@Victorianlady]

Take care and hold in there!

[@oldiron77]

Thank you for taking the time to share this information with others. I have several oil lamps and have my Rayo center draft lit as I'm watching your video, more for a little heat than light to warm my sitting room a few degrees. The lamp I cherish the most is a small personal space lamp from my great-grandmother who received it as a 12th birthday gift from her grandmother in 1892 for reading and homework from school.

[@sassytbc7923]

Very helpful. I have at least 20 lamps around the house and good advice on using them. Thank you

[@kimworkman2425]

Great video and information. Love oil lamps. Love your room and outfit. Thank you

[@folsterfarms]

THANK YOU for this VERY useful video!!! This is a hard subject on which to find accurate information. When we moved to rural Tn I began collecting things like oil lamps and cast iron. I use them all the time due to the power going out in almost every storm.

[@mykcaz7494]

Brilliant advice clearly presented thanks

[@MommyDontSeeMe]

A complete coincidence that you are informing us about non-electric lights the same evening a hurricane makes landfall? Fortunately we don't expect our storm winds until later, otherwise I couldn't watch this online! ❤

[@mastersadvocate]

My mother grew up in a home that was lit with oil lamps. Her parents' house wasn't electrified untill the 1960s. Thank you for the interesting tips on how to get the most light from an oil lamp. My mother probably knew some of them already, but I think it's important in case of a black out! Cheers! ~Janet in Canada

[@donnareeder2551]

Great information!! Thank you, Sarah!!!!

[@CRRBennett]

Thank you! I learned some things I did not know regarding the wicks and keeping the lamp fuller. I have 4 oil lamps passed down from several generations. I love them and they come in handy when the electricity goes out.

[@shirleybalinski4535]

I also have several very old lamps that have been passed down, including 2 metal, glass globe ones. . Some still have some kind of fuel in them. How do I clean them out to start fresh? How do I know the glass & parts are safe to use? I do one modern oil lamp to use but, I would like to use the older ones..😮

[@lindanorrell7812]

Thank you I’ve been planing on using my Mothers oil lamp This has been very helpful

[@cfs9828]

Thank you! I did not know these tips, and I have several oil lamps.

[@grettalemabouchou6779]

When the thunderstorms knock out the light these are very good for illumination plus they make things cozy.

[@yisimlampiris-tremba2247]

Thank you for the oil lamp information.

[@joelhurley2678]

Thank you for sharing.

[@lmccarty2201]

Great reminders, also your hair looks very nice. Blessings

[@rexwilson315]

I grew up in two rual areas. Snow storms took the power out alot!! I worked half way across my state. I was always glad to head home when my time was over. I headed home one late afternoon. Came in? Yep! Power out. I had a lamp in my room. I saw a low light. My oil lamp. I came thru the door. With the lamp glow. My dad in his bvds..said words i hope to hear again..WELL YOU MADE IT!!!❤❤❤

[@cinandrews]

I have several flat wicked oil lamps. I live in the south where storms and power outages are common. I would hate to live without them. Never knew about keeping them 2/3’s full. I would love to have a round wick lamp!❤

[@katiesfitbit8443]

Great tips! Didn’t know about different oil types. Thanks for the info. 😊

[@zuzuspetals9281]

Thank you. I have two and appreciate them during power outages. Both are very old and I love caring for them.

[@ryanfreeman9684]

Yes ma'am. We thank u much

[@SirenaWF1]

Thank you for the advice!

[@libellula3313]

Thanks great video. I have a collection of old oil lamps bought since i moved to a remote location in the Pyrenees mountains. Get lots of power cuts and they have been well used, but I didn't know that about round wicks, thank you. Jo in France 🇫🇷

[@LilyGazou]

How marvelous!

[@lex6819]

My parents grew up in rural Kentucky in the 40s and 50s before rural electrification. Their families used oil lamps. The tall "aladdin lamps" burn the brightest. The Lehmans company in Ohio still sells those, since their customers are mostly Amish.

[@dragondancer1814]

There is a small country hardware store/gas station about six miles from us (it used to have a small post office as well until about 15 years ago) that also sells canning/food preservation supplies, farm seeds in spring, and (my favorite section) oil lamps, lamp oils, and parts for the different oil lamps, including a small but varied selection of Aladdin oil lamps! It’s a cozy little place, but it has just about anything a person needs or wants for home repairs/maintenance, putting up the harvests, and keeping the home lights burning!

[@lizannz4711]

Thank you for this video; very helpful and useful.

[@graylor1]

Thank you. I broke out (not literally) my parents' oil lamp after Helene and realized I know nothing at all about them beyond lamp oil in the bases, set fire to the wick, and the chimneys are very fragile. I did put old mirror tiles behind them because a million goths can't be wrong--flames and mirrors go together.

[@user-vi5ib5gz3j]

thankyou for the information Mrs Chrisman, so I can apply to my oil lamp collection

[@LizVogel-SimpleRoots]

I appreciate this video. We are living by choice without electricity and have been using candles, oil lamps, and a gravity light. I have found I love doing things with the gentle source of light from candles and oil lamps. We use them daily so it is hard to find sources of lamps made for heavy use. Thank you.

[@kibblenbits]

I have 6 original large antique parlor oil lamps and 3 Rayo's. I like Rayo's better than Aladdin's, because the Rayo's don't need a mantle, which are getting more costly every year and need to be replaced about every three months, if the lamp is used daily, for the Aladdin to work. Rayo's burn just as bright as Aladdin's since they have a round wick. I still buy any original thick chimney I come across, as backup, since all of the new chimneys, in fact the bases too, are made of extremely thin glass. There is nothing like the real thing that has withstood the test of time.

[@teamcrumb]

wonderful video, so glad KZbin suggested it

[@STho205]

The furniture behind you is ideal for candles and lamps. The two mirrors on the high shelf will illuminate the room and the large mirror will allow you to better see the items on the console top. This is why buffets and dining room sideboards had mirrors...or staged mirrors like this. Makeup vanities often had triple mirrors...or two pivoting candle holders that could be brought in front of the big mirror, but held at face height off the vanity top that was populated with stuff (much of it flammable)

[@brendaleepierson2112]

thank you Mrs sarah

[@chrisholds1]

Thanks for this great tutorial!

[@AnitaHuizing]

Thank you for sharing this useful information. I live on the coast of Maine and have one in every room I occupy. You never know when you might need one…🇺🇸

[@noramax2925]

Greetings from Wisconsin! Thanks for the information on the lamps we have a lamp exactly like the one you showed with the mercury reflector. And also a couple others that are blue opalescent coin dot and snowflake patterns. Your dress is beautiful.

[@leerobs1118]

Here in we've had electricity load shedding, so thanks these will come in handy.

[@deerhaven3350]

I live in a rural area northwest of Olympia, WA, USA and I really appreciate these tips as I will be using my oil lamps during the upcoming months. We always seem to suffer a few power outages out here during periods of high winds or when someone runs off the road and hits a utility pole. I was just looking at the oil lamp in my room and it's about 1/4 full so thank you for the timely reminder to check them now, which is better than doing so after I'm sitting here in the dark waiting for the generator to kick on!

[@jonathanellis8921]

I live out in the country in a house from the 1870's I have flat wicked lamps in just about every room for when the power goes out. I have a wash basin and pitcher and have spent many mornings getting ready for work under lamp light washing with water drawn from my well.

[@merchernel123]

I've been trying to figure this out with regular candle light in general because of rolling blackouts . You made the video I didn't know I needed, thank you!

[@theresamarie1089]

I have an oil lamp that I plan to use for emergency lighting that belonged to my Great Grandparents. It is well over 100 years old. I didn't know how to clean it, so I was really pleased to find your channel and this video. I appreciate the knowledge you passed on. TY.

[@debbramanning9783]

Love these tips, I have a antique collection of these lamps.

[@davematsch5318]

Outstanding! I'm a prepper & have never seen this info b4. Thank you so much 😊

[@RavenGent]

I have used them before at my old job at a Victorian bed and breakfast. It was a bit rusty but they worked well for a bit.

[@libertylady1952]

Great information! Thank you!

[@grettalemabouchou6779]

I was thinking of ....Sarah plain and tall.....then I see you are Sarah!❤

[@Victorianlady]

I'm pretty tall, too: it's hard to tell in the videos, but I'm 5'9" (175 cm). An even more fun coincidence, though, is that I happen to be reading that book now! :). I'm teaching English to a wonderful Brazilian lady and we're reading "Sarah, Plain and Tall" together to help her practice. :) On Thursday we just read the scene where Sarah teaches the children to swim and the girl comes up sputtering. My friend wasn't familiar with the word "sputtering" in English, so I dunked my whole head in the sink to demonstrate. :)

[@christinamarie3598]

I’ve got several oil lamps .. love them .. collected even some old rail road ones … these are really great as decoration.. but when the power goes out .. there they are .. if you care for them. Such a cool part of history and practicality! Oil you keep for them is also on hand if you have to start a fire for heat or cooking with wood

[@katewhitelaw9182]

Keep it clean, keep the wick trimmed, put it in front of a reflective surface, get a Lehman's catalog. 6:49 saved.

[@PreferredMethods]

No, there was definitely more useful detail, here.

[@maiahswanson904]

Sarah, you are such an inspiration. I could listen to you all day. Thank you for making great content. From one author to another, Blessings❤

[@baralar57]

Thank you! Very helpful

[@mrs.e]

This was so helpful! Thank you!!!!!

[@amyadams3215]

Love putting it in front of a mirror/reflective surface. Thanks!

[@patwilliamson4701]

Very helpful! Thank you.

[@retropygmy]

You have a beautiful collection of oil lamps; I’d love to see them in more detail in a future video.

[@maehay4065]

I wish I could have heard this video not loud enough to listen to the instructions but just watching it brought back memories of my childhood when we used this type of lamp for evening light. My dad was good at providing what we needed. I sure liked her dress. Very pretty dress 👍

[@mstanley97]

I have an oil lamp that belonged to my grandmother. I started collecting oil lamps and love them. Thank you for lovely video!!

[@lisazilaro6906]

Wonderful tips, thanks so much. 🙏♥️

[@lilblackduc7312]

Absolutely splendid! Thank you...🇺🇸 👍☕

[@cliffbrown2297]

My mother told me when they used oil lamps that they would take the sooted chimneys to the wood stove and use news paper to clean off the soot. Then use the dirty paper to light the wood stove. Wast not want not. Multiple uses for the same item.