Hi Dean, I watched your videos about lanterns many times, not so much because they teach me anything new, but because I love your voice, your presence, and the topics. I'm a lantern collector, and you helped me with understanding how they work when i started the collection 4 years ago.... Hope you're well, greetings from Belgium Mate . P.S: Dietz are great lanterns, even the new ones still available, though made in the Far East, I own a N° 76 and N°90 D-Lite, amazing lamps, the US quality is still present...(original tooling) just the globes are a bit thinner than originally... finding original globes isn't a big deal. I own both original and modern Dietz's
Thanks very much! As soon as the winter weather ends here, I have a few more videos coming out on these fine lanterns. And the ones you have are two of my favorites.
I get the same results. I also stopped buying Hattersley Wicks. Don’t get me wrong, they’re very good. But the 6 foot rolls I get from Amazon from $5 to $7 work well. I honestly don’t see any brightness or runtime advantage to the more expensive Wicks. As far as the lifespan of the Wicks, I don’t see any noticeable advantage to the more expensive Wicks. So, I get the Wicks that have the best price at the time I order. Thanks for sharing your results, it’s most appreciated.
thank you. I havebeen wondering if the British made wicks would be more superior than what I buy from Temu. China invented fireworks and makes some of the best fireworks in the world so I figured their wicks for oil lamps wouldn't be that bad either 🙂
@@MrHelidude I found the British Made wicks to be excellent, and they do seem to burn cleaner somehow. I found I wasn’t having to trim them as much. If I could find a U.S. supplier, I would likely go with them for my indoor oil lanterns. While they seem to be of higher quality than the Amazon wicks, the cost of the shipping/post negates the value of the higher quality wicks. The wicks I’ve been buying on Amazon are perfectly fine, and what I would call the best quality to value wicks. I heard about Temu, and I purchased two of their Feuerhand Baby knockoffs, and I was surprised buy the quality. They’re actually not at all bad, and quite good. They come with their 1/2” wicks, and they seem to work okay after some trimming & shaping, but I load them with my Amazon wicks when their wick are used up.
Yup same here. I trim my lantern wicks straight across in my lanterns as I get a good amount of light & even for a dead flame lantern like my Adlake lanterns. I trim it’s wick straight across in the Adlakes Great tutorial vid too!🙂🙂
Thank you very much for this video. I watched another channel which mentioned to cut the wick in a curve and so I tried that. I experimented three oil lamps which I have with various size wicks, at the same time. Initially I had all flat cuts, then tried the curve cut style and then came back to try the flat cut sagain. The flat cuts definitely gave a wider and brighter flame. Definitely staying with the flat cut style ...... 🔥 Many many happy greetings from Tasmania - Australia ...... 🙂
Dean, your presentation is just FANTASTIC ! Taking me right back to my childhood when my grandpa in Sicily ( tiny village/town Castelmola ) was ALWAYS arguing with my uncle, " How wick in the lamp should be cut ". Thank you
I did some experimenting and had the same results. The perfectly flat wicks have a much wider flame on my lamps. Any deviation from perfectly flat (rounded, pointed etc) creates a narrow, peaky flame with less light. No reason to complicate things, like you said!
Thanks Dean, I am glad you did this test, I too am an avid lantern collector and a lot of people don't believe me when I tell this to them and I see a lot of videos telling to trim wicks on all sorts of angles but I also find that the brightest flames that I get from my lanterns are when the wicks are trimmed as straight across as possible without any loose fibers and this is the job of the burner cone to properly shape the flame accordingly, also I find that trimming a wick wet with fuel is easier than cutting a dry wick.
I'd love to see videos of your collection! Good point about trimming when wet too - I missed that one. And getting rid of those pesky loose fibers is the key to getting the best flame. Thanks!
dubyrunning i never tested it based on fuel consumption but probably not a whole lot of difference i would imagine the straight wick would use slightly more fuel hence the wider and brighter flame
Thanks Dean, for this very clear and informative video. Since I was a child I have always appreciated the brightness and reliability of storm lanterns. This year I bought a Feuerhand Baby Special 276, it's very common in Europe (I am Italian), and I cut the round wick because I had read it was the best way. I will follow your advice and try the straight cut to see the difference. See you soon. Tony
I have Coleman and a bunch of fluorescent and then lately, LED lanterns. Still love my oil lamps, particularly Kirkman and Dietz (love that Jupiter!). Thanks for your excellent video.
Interesting! Do you have a video on the various types of lanterns, how they were used, and lantern fuels throughout history along with safety? How to make various lantern fuels and storage?
Way back in 1964 my mother bought me a Dietz junior red lantern while we were fishing in a place named Bruce Mines. The resort was named Greenbay Cottages located about 50 miles from Sue Saint Marie on the Canadian side. And from the moment she poured the lemon scented kerosene into the fuel tank and lit the wick, I was never the same again! Over my 64 years of life I have probably purchased 50 lanterns. 5 or 6 for myself and many others to give as gifts. I always include a package of 3 extra wicks and a jug of citronella scented kerosene. Sooner or later everyone that I have given a kerosene lantern to has called me up or written to me to tell how grateful they were to have one of these lanterns. Flashlights are fine for short term use, but when a power outage stretches out for hours, days or weeks, nothing comes close to having a dependable lantern! Especially when you have no less than 4 gallons of kerosene in yea ole garage. I live in Southwest Michigan and the weatherman is talking about 3 to 4 FEET OF SNOW TONIGHT!! Sure glad I have 3 Dietz lanterns, 2 table top oil lamps and 5 gallons of kerosene on hand... Thank you for the great video, Mama was right, always cut the wick straight across and wash the globe for maximum light.
Yes, I have more than a dozen kerosene lanterns (2 dozen...but would have to count to be certain) but mine are a mix of new Kirkman, Dietz, 100 year old Dietz, Feuerhand, and cheaper Chinese lanterns. You are correct on wicks that are 5/8, 1/2, and 3/8 but I believe from massive testing that is incorrect on 7/8 wicks. I am using good ole kerosene. With 7/8 inch wide wicks the fuel does not act the same. It rises in the center. I take a ceramic plate (6.5 inches in diameter) and a new very sharp razor blade with a small sewing type seal healing cutting mat. I cut a convex (goes down slightly but ever so slightly) in the center....not up in the center. With my Kirkman Champion 2 (basically a premium version of the lantern he is using in this video) I get a superbly shaped flame that is nice and wide but after it heats up I still get the point in the center that is taller. I have other tricks as well. I've found that the burner rattles inside the cone. I put the cone inverted in a vice with the shoulder hitting the vice and slowly tap while moving around the cone on the upper lip. This causes the cone to seat better around the burner. I personally do not like 7/8 wicks because they are soooooo tempormental. My favorite lantern is a Feuerhand 276 (galvanized) follwed by a Dietz galvanized Original 76 followed by a customized Dietz Little Wizard No. 1 with increased fuel tank size and an extra burner I have customized so I can use either 3/8 or 5/8 wicks like they used to do for the older Dietz traffic lanterns. Best regards, Mike K
Thanks für the video. Some years ago I tried this with some lanterns in my collection and came, despite the findings I read in some internetforums, to the conclusion that a flat trimmed wick is the best. I have a Dietz Blizzard, a Kirkman Champion and a similar lantern from a local hardware store here in Austria that costs under 10 EUR. This one looks like a Blizzard or a Champion, and is made in China like the other two. But it has a burner with a 6mm round wick installed. I modified the lantern a little bit and installed a 7/8'' Dietz burner. Now I have three good lanterns in my collection, that cost me 16 EUR (Lantern + new burner), 30 EUR (Dietz Blizzard) and 60 EUR (Kirkman Champion). All three have a flat trimmed wick and all three give the same amount of light and are absolutely reliable.
That Champion is one I'd like to add to the collection. If it's the one I was looking at, it's very similar to the Dietz No. 80 Blizzard and apparently even some of the parts are interchangeable.
@@AlbertaBushcrafter yes the "Champion" is a good buy. Apart from the writing on the tank it's the same lantern as the #80 Blizzard. Woody Kirkman says, it's made on the original old Dietz machinery. The burner of the Kirkman is a bit better made than the original Dietz and the globe is far better. It's a very thick glass like an old jar of jam. Althoug I had no problems with the Dietz globes so far, it's fine to hold this heavy piece of glass in your hands. Unfortunately it is quite expensive for a simple lantern. But if you treat them well, they will last a long time, I think.
Just love your channel , you always have great advice . My old Beacon lanterns always work their best with a flat trimmed wick. Keep up the good work and I'll be watching.
Funny how modern lantern/lamp enthusiasts are always trying to improve on a thoroughly tested, tried and true method used by millions of lantern/lamp users for 150+ years. Thanks for this demonstration and helping to dispel the fancy wick cutting theories being promoted. There may be something to those theories but most people won’t be able to get the fancy cut just perfect to achieve the better results. Most people are better off just going with a straight across cut using the wick guide as a straight edge. Good quality wicks cut straight across with sharp, proper wick scissors are your best bet
I've been collecting and burning kerosene lanterns for about 30 years. I agree with your wick trimming in regard to that particular model, as well as other similar cold blast designs. However I've found the hot blast designs tend to burn best when there is a very shallow, perhaps 20-30 degree cut off each corner across about a third of the wick. Basically I cut them perfectly straight using the thread lines as a guide, then I cut the corners off just slightly so there's about a third of the wick that remains flat in the center. This is close to a flat cut but not quite. Anyway, most of my hot blast lanterns are the old Victor and Monarch styles from the late 1800s to pre-WW1 and this seems to work best for them.
Thanks man, I'm lantern collector , have about 200 of them. It was educational. I like to cut wick on my lanterns as you do, even if a flame sometime looks like a fish tail. Light output is priority. Also, like you , i'm not fan of pressure lanterns (Coleman and so on). They bind you somehow, and you lose night vision. Canadian lanterns are awesome, try to use Beacon vintage lanterns. In my experience they have the best light output.
200 lanterns - that's amazing! I've looked for some at garage and yard sales, but all I've found are the el-cheapo knockoffs that leak like hell. As for pressure lanterns, I now have 3 Coleman lanters and am planning to convert one to kerosene, but they were $5 each. They have their uses, like emergency lighting, but I also don't like their brightness. And thanks for the tip on the Beacon lanterns. I'll keep an eye out for them. I just bought 2 huge rolls of wick for $14 CDN, so I'll need to get more lanterns.
I love my 4 Coleman white gas lanterns. One of them is from the 40s and they all run well. I did just get a dietz 80 for $14 on amazon to try out as I don't have a burner lantern. I know the light output isnt near a white gas lantern but i do like how simple kerosene/oil lanterns are to operate.
@@Mixwell1983 I'm now up to 3 Colemans myself - just fixed up two over winter, and I paid $5 each for them, plus a bit more for the mantles. I think you'll like the Dietz. It's nowhere near as bright as a Coleman, but it lasts way longer. I plan to experiment a bit on mine this year and post the results.
Hey ! / ABCDean ..... Good info. Thanks. I have a few lamps, cold draft , round wick, and mantle. It is always good to hear more info. I would suggest a brief video from you regarding fuels to use, and NOT use, for our lanterns. At local thrift shops, where I pick up many of my lantern parts and such for restorations, I find that "colored candle lamp" oil has been used in many of the fine lamps. Gumming up the works so to speak. Ciao for now ! In The Light ! A.
Good point. And before the snow hit up here I was doing exactly that. I need to do a script revision and set up in my indoor workshop but I see at least one video on this topic. And possibly two.
Coleman pressure lanterns are brighter, but more trouble with the fragile wicks and more dangerous because of the flammability of the fuel. I prefer my Deitz lanterns for emergency lighting and have four of them. I live in a very rural area of the Missouri Ozarks in a 100 year old farm house and am the very last electrical service on the entire line. I can heat with wood and the Deizt lanterns furnish my light needs in a power outage. I only use Clean Heat brand refined kerosene which i get at Lowes for ten bucks a gallon. It has no smell when burning unlike regular kerosene and the Deitz lanterns also emit heat which helps in super cold temps. They are fool proof and for over a hundred years have done the job just fine, and they still do.
And still, the myths persist. The latest I've heard is a v-cut, which I tried and it was worse than any in this video. Always someone trying to ice skate uphill....
Ya never know when the skills you learned in kindergarden will come in handy! Now on to paste eating and glitter. Always wondered about which way was best if any. Thanks, Dean. -YB
Yeah - my scissors skills are rusty and it took a while for me to learn how to color inside the lines too. That is, until I switched from crayons to colored pencils. I still have a box of those, in fact. And at least my lanterns throw a lot of light and a lot less soot too!
Clear or dyed kero is recommended by Dietz, but lamp oil and Kleen Heat do seem to work. So does diesel but you may need to search for additives to make it work. Diesel clogged my wick completely on my big heater.
On dead-flame lanterns, definitely. Not so much on cold or hot blast lanterns. Still working on a couple scripts for more lantern videos, and I'm actually covering that.
Just picked a dietz 80 in blue from amazon for $14 plus shipping so $20 total. I have 4 old coleman white gas lanterns but I couldnt resist getting a wic burning lantern. Was going to get the walmart one but others suggested amazon for a dietz one. Havent got it in yet but i am excited.
I have the #80 also but in red. The manual even tells you to cut straight across for best light. I tried the cutting to point way looks good but to me doesn't throw enough light like alot people claim. I will stick to what dietz recommends and cut straight across. Thanks for your video my brother and GOD BLESS
May God richly bless you also. And in the few years after I shot this video I've experimented with several different styles of cuts on the wick. And guess what? Dietz is still correct and so was I. Flat is best.
Hi Dean, I have a question. What size wick would I install into a Dietz Jupiter 2 oil lantern that was built in Poland. Do I use a 7/8 " wick? I attempted to insert it but it was to wide and would not go in. Are there other size wicks available that I could use. It was from my father's house and he collected them. I would like to see if I can get the lantern to light and work. Any help, assistance or opinions would be appreciated. Have a Good Day...
Hi Peter. I have a few ideas here. Wicks go from 1/2" up to 1", and there is a 3/4" wick available. All the documentation on the Jupiter 2 says it takes a 7/8" wick, but if that doesn't work, a 3/4" or even a 5/8" wick might fit. You'll get a bit less light, but you'll burn less fuel too.
Nice video. I was curious where you'd end up and we agree. I love hurricane lamps and when I was experimenting with my first ones 45 years ago, I tried different wick shapes -- pointed, beveled, curved, straight. I expected a curve that matched the curve of the burner mouth would be best. It wasn't. Pointed is a disaster. Straight across is best. It gives the best flame when adjusted correctly. It also gives the slowest rate of wick consumption -- near zero, as it should be. Any other shape will cause the wick itself to be consumed more rapidly. Not that wicks are expensive but why waste them? If you cut straight across and adjust the lamp correctly, the wick lasts an extremely long time.
That's what I've found as well. And I'm very pleasantly surprised at how long the wick lasts too. The big roll of wick I bought last year hasn't been needed at all yet.
@@AlbertaBushcrafter Don't hold your breath. I don't think I have ever had to replace the wick in one of my own lamps. I have rolls of every size wiick that I use to replace wicks in used lamps that I purchase.
Dean this is my first video watch than your website and so this question may have already been answered I have tons of Coleman lanterns and a few kerosene lanterns my question is this when using a barn style Lantern such as in this video what happens if you leave it outside and it starts to rain I would love to hear from you and your viewers how many of ended up with a fractured chimney using one of these as a child when he got wet it broke and I kind of stopped using them since I also had this happen once with a Coleman lantern. I am now starting to use the kerosene lanterns again have one and ordered for more but would like to know about using them in the rain what luck people have had walking in the rain with him and leaving them in the rain. When I checked with some of the larger retailers of these lanterns they implied like walking from the house to the chicken coop in the rain might be okay but to leave them out burning in the rain would not would love everybody's opinion and experience thank you Simon
A few drops of water or snowflakes shouldn't be a problem, and the only time I've left my Dietz out in a storm and the glass cracked, it was because I had an old globe (and possibly a knockoff at that). My brand-name Dietz globes haven't given me a problem even in rainstorms, but my Coleman globes have cracked under the same conditions. Colemans burn way hotter, so that much water and snow must cool the globe down too quickly or something like that. The cheap knockoffs and craft lamp chimneys like the ones at Michael's are even worse. I had a Chinese knockoff lantern crack its globe when I did absolutely nothing to it! (Maybe I looked at it cross-eyed.) But this is one of those instances where the brand-name stuff (or after-market globes like W.H. Kirkman's) are worth the extra money.
Alberta Bushcrafter Hey Dean thanks for the response so I'm a little confused here are you saying that your normal Dietz lanterns have been in rain storms to where they're getting pelted by water and for the most part have not cracked. The reason I'm asking these questions is done at my Country Place we normally leave Coleman's burn out by the fire on a big plywood table and sometimes rain storms come up are you might even fall asleep and forget to turn it off. I was wanting to start to use things like Deets Air pilots to leave out on the table instead and to also have hanging from iron poles around camp the same thing might happen where they would get caught in the storm. Back in the day when we had to run for the Outhouse many times it also was raining just wanted to know if these kerosene lamp Globes will hold up under these situations. I will watch the rest of your videos thank you for your time Simon ps I will now be a subscriber thanks again
@@simonkenton5927 Thanks for the sub, Simon! Yes, I've had these Dietz #80 Blizzard lanterns out in rain and sleet storms bad enough that the rain was blowing at 45 degrees. Usually that's only been for 5 to 10 minutes, but in one case I left all three hanging from the deck rafters for 4 hours in a spring sleet storm, and they held up wonderfully. But I think the big trick here is to keep the flame lower than usual (about 40-60% of full power) so it doesn't burn as hot. All my Colemans burn way brighter, but also way hotter, so they crack sometimes in nasty weather. And the Dietz Air Pilot is a great lantern - smaller than the Blizzard, but tougher. I plan to order a couple from W.T. Kirkman, along with some spare clear and colored globes soon. Kirkman's is the best and cheapest Dietz supplier I know of that also ships to Canada.
Hey Dean just so you know in the sale may be over I don't know but Lehman's was selling the blue not the black but the blue Air pilot for $9.99 a few days ago the black was slightly more they had quite a sale on their Barn type lanterns you could even get a German feuerhand for $19.99 you needed 2 choose either pink or Dusty blue to get that price the rest are much higher but I checked and the dusty blue is the same exact Lantern as most of the others except for the bronze and some other color that I can't remember they were like $44. I will be purchasing from WT Kirkham soon also customer service at both places are exceptional so far I have not been able to get a response from anyone on the WT Kirkham UA-cam site that maybe they're just busy I did not send a PM did not know how to. Anyhow thanks for your gracious and quick response I will try using mine out in the weather and leaving them burn in the weather and see what happens. I noticed the German Lantern as a special chimney that is supposed to be weather resistant. Have a great day enjoy your lanterns. While even at my cabin I can flip a switch and get power it is nice to know that at least light wise I can go off grid for a month or so without needing the electric for light. It is a great way that we can connect with the past and I have started collecting and using candles and lamps from the earliest periods.
@@simonkenton5927 Lehmann's is also a great company, and that is a great sale price too! Unfortunately, like a lot of US companies their shipping to Canada isn't that great. But if you're in the US, they'd be a top choice - love their selection of items, and they're great for off-the-grid farmhouse gear!
Had an old timer who used to work for the railroad say that they used to cut a V in the middle of the wick to essentially make 2 flames. He said this produced the most light. I’ll have to give this a try one day
Interesting idea! Good thing I have some spare wick. However, I have a feeling that this method would also produce a lot of soot as well, because the flames would be smaller. Worth a try, though.
I have recently discovered that I had an affinity for storm lamps. Rolling blackouts occur often in South Africa so these have become somewhat of a necessity. You wrote an earlier comment about cutting "lamp oil" with kerosene. Can I therefore just mix citronella and paraffin with a 1:1 ratio? Regards.
That's a very prudent affinity to have. And yes, I've been able to mix paraffin (kerosene, for our North Americn viewers) and citronella lamp oil without a problem. Good luck!
I've been experimenting with a inverted V cut, I start with a straight flat cut and using small very sharp hair scissors and slightly cutting from each side to the middle slightly lower. Another way to achieve this without cutting the wick is bring down to flush position and hold down a small flathead screwdriver in the middle of the wick then raise the wick while applying pressure, this will lower the middle. Results are this...when lit at at a low level you notice a wider V shaped flame. As you turn it up you get a wider than normal flame that starts to even out at higher than usual level resulting in more light and no soot. Any flame wants to converge to a sharp centerpoint and will result in sooting at lower level, the trick is to give the flame 2 separate centerpoints that pull off each other and as you raise the wick higher the middle will start to fill in. All together you'll get a wider flame at a higher point.
I’m playing around with a few styles of trimming again. Trimming the corners does give a higher flame, straight across gives a wider one, and doing a V-cut soots up the globe and is only good on dead flame lanterns. But I want to try curving the cut to fit the burner as it’s worth another look.
Best thing is not to trim it, it's fluffy from manufacturer, if you must, cut it straight across then rough it up with coarse sandpaper if you can. Drop the globe down before adjusting wick. Wait for cold blast principle to kick in, then turn it down some more. I've made wicks from cotton shirts that seem better and brighter than the store bought wicks, denim jeans make good wicks too.
Actually, it doesn't unless it's a very deep "v" cut. And while that sometimes works on the older oil lamps (called "dead flame" lamps), cutting a V into the wick on lanterns like the Dietz just makes the flame burn quite dirty with a lot of soot. I tried it and it blackened up the globe in about an hour - something that usually doesn't happen for 2-4 weeks of heavy use.
Can’t see the wick when you hold it to show us because it’s dark against a camo background. Why not hold it about 16” to your left so it shows better against a light background? Just asking…
Glad you asked, as that's where this video was shot - on my own porch. If the porch is enclosed, you may notice a few degrees of warming but not a great deal even with three lanterns - normally I notice about 5-10 degrees F gain, and the colder it is, the less gain I have. Plus, the more glass there is on the porch, the less heat gain you'll notice.
Kerosene (pricey), lamp oil, or Kleen Heet (at Lowe's or other hardware stores. And tiki torch fuel also works. Just remember - if it's citronella, it shouldn't be used indoors according to a few sources I've read.
Sure! The less refined a fuel is, the more additional chemicals are in it. Some of these don’t burn as cleanly. For example, I’ve heard people claim they can run these lanterns on extra virgin olive oil and from my own experience that just doesn’t work. EVOO has a lot of suspended solids in it and they eventually clog up any wick to the point that nothing flows through it. When I made some simple oil lamps, the flame died out after several minutes and there was no way to get it going again. But I tried another one with the el-cheapo over-refined olive oil that experts say is bad for you, and it worked great.
Thank you for the video and the tips. Wondering what your preferred fuel is I just recently picked up a lantern and I'm not sure what I should burn, bought it for use in a tent, it is an older one says Beacon on it, picked it up at a second hand store roughly the same size as the ones in your video. Also wondering if you know a good source for Quality lampwick? Thank you : ) Tyler
I use the lamp oil you find in most hardware or big box stores, and I often cut it 1-to-1 with kerosene. That's especially true with citronella lamp oil, which I find may clog the wick if it isn't diluted with kerosene or regular lamp oil. As for wicks, my favorite place is W.T. Kirman at www.lanternnet.com.
I have several lanterns but just bought a brand new blizzard #80 . I trimmed the wick straight across and made sure there was no fuzzy pieces of wick . I cannot get a good flame as it has a dead spot on one side and the other side spikes very high above the normal flame. Do you have any advice on how I can fix this problem ?
Try fluffing out the wick a bit at first. If that fails, it could be a slight fault in the wick, and what I usually do with these is advance the wick half an inch and trim it again.
I figured out the problem with my lantern . It came from the factory with a bad cone . I put two pieces of high heat metal tape on the sides of the cone covering about 3/16" of the cut out . Perfect flat flame . I have many old lanterns and two new ones . One a Little Wizzard and one a Blizzard 80 . The Little Wizzard works great but I am very disappointed with the Blizzard.
Hi Dean, thanks for the video. I'm thinking about either this Dietz No. 80 or the W.T. Kirkman #2 Champion Lantern. How has your experience been with the overall performance of the No. 80's ?
The Dietz No. 80 Hurricane is quite simply the best lantern of its type I've ever owned. Ithas a large fount so it lasts for many hours, and it's one of the biggest and brightest kerosene wick-type lanterns out there. And while I really like all of the Kirkman lanterns, they're too pricey for me when you include shipping costs. Kirkman is a great organization, but Customs Canada is not.
@@AlbertaBushcrafter Glad you mentioned the kerosine. Do you find it to give off more odor than the paraffin? I ask because my lantern will be used primarily in doors.
@@jakeweston8616 Paraffin and kerosene are the same thing, according to a number of sources I checked (and from a lot of exposure to Brits). And they can stink if the wick is too long. Lamp oil is slightly different and works better indoors as it has much less odor. But use lanterns like this indoors with extreme caustion. They create a lot more carbon monoxide than candles. Make sure you have a good carbon monoxide detector and keep it in working condition.
Can I burn one of these safely inside a tent? Some of the lamp oil says it's safe to burn indoors, obviously a tent is smaller. Or am I likely to die? Maybe use a co2 detector. Some people say they heat your tent up.
It's actually those little candle lanterns that can marginally warm up a tent. Dietz and other lantern companies actually advise against that, mostly because a lantern wick is like one or two dozen candles burning at once. A carbon monoxide detector wouldn't be something I trust as I've never seen a prtable CO detector or alarm that doesn't cost a fortune. Plus, while tents have some fire-retardant properties, they will burn, and surprisingly quickly. A few years ago I was camping beside a guy whose tent caught fire, and it burned to the ground in moments. The melted nylon also burned him badly enough he had to go to the emergency ward. So I wouldn't use a lantern like this in a tent - especially a nylon one. You might get away with it in a big canvas wall tent, though.
Sorry but you can't see the flames at all, too much reflection inside the globe. I was always tought that for the best light and least soot to trim the wick in an arc matching the profile of the flame shroud. I will experiment with your suggestions and see if I can get a better result than what I've been doing for 60 years. Thanks
Thank you for such a great video. However, I must say, if you're getting a brighter flame it's because you're increasing the fuel consumption. But I suspect the increase in consumption may just be so small you are not noticing it.
I used to think triangle point was best to make the flame symmetrical, but I started to realize that it was the worst. The light is terrible. To get a decent amount of light, you have to burn the flame so high that is smokes which is bad. Straight really is best.
Sadly, I tried that but the camera couldn't pick up the difference. I could try it again with a good light meter, but the meter on most cameras simply isn't sensitive enough.
now you called it a hurricane Lantern in the video and in description it says it's a blizzardcs number 80 looks like a hurricane to me but they keep calling the blizzard how much and where to buy them I've been buying quarter inch Wick lanterns just now getting into them
OK - the style of lantern is called a "hurricane lantern" because it still stayed lit in high winds and rain. (Not sure if anyone tried it in an actual hurricane, though.). But the actual make and model of this particular lantern is the Dietz No. 80 Blizzard. It's still the most available lantern out there. So "Blizzard" and "hurricane" lantern are interchangeable. As for sources, my two favorites in the US are Lehmann's ( www.lehmans.com/ ) and W.H. Kirkman ( www.lanternnet.com/ ) while in Canada the only place I've seen them is at Lee Valley Tools ( www.leevalley.com/en/ ). Shipping costs from the US to Canada can be a royal pain, but I may get a few different models of lantern from Kirkman this year as they've got a wonderful selection. It's apparently a favorite source with collectors too.
I need advice. I bought a replacement wick for my Dietz #2. I can't thread it through the burner, the teeth on the rotator just won't grab it. Any ideas??
That could be a number of issues. The #2 uses a 7/8-inch wick, so larger wicks will jam, and sometimes smaller wicks (like a 1/2 or 5/8 inch) may not grab. Another possibility is the burner is worn out. One of mine in this video just started doing that - it won't grab a wick no matter what I do. I fixed mine by using a very thin set of needlenose pliers. I removed the burner, stuck them down through the top, and pushed the wick up and grabbed it and pulled it through. But if that doesn't work or it gets jammed, you can always buy replacement burners from places like W.T. Kirkman at www.lanternnet.com .
@Jonathan Goodman - I bought a very cheap wick for my Feuerhand 276 and have the same problem. the new wick has a looser weave and is a little bit wider - The teeth of the burner just can't seem to bite whereas the original wick was actually thinner and narrower but with a tighter weave, much like a canvas seam. I think a more careful wick choice is most likely to solve my problem. In the meantime I attach a few inches of masking tape to create a narrow leader to feed through the burner and draw the wick through before trimming it. The teeth have enough drive to optimise the shape of the flame but I'll blow it out rather than wind back the wick to extinguish it, otherwise it jams up again. Next day I pull through a little bit more wick with my fingernails. Not ideal but it works well enough 'til I get a better fitting quality wick.
@@-Pol- Good idea! I've managed to get by using the "World Famous" brand of wicks and I thought they were one of the cheapest brands available. They still work fine, though, as they've got that tight weave you were talking about. I have only seen the really crummy wicks once or twice until just this weekend, in fact; I was fixing up an old cheap oil lamp and it had one. The darn wick was so cheaply made it jammed in the burner and was very tough to remove. I think I'll start getting my wicks from a good online source like W.T. Kirkman.
trimming a wick is my new dreaded thing right after dry burning a kerosene heater. Its easy enough to do but somehow still a pain in the butt. Those wicks just dont wanna cut straight.
I found that to be the case too sometimes, so now I advance the wick barely above the burner and then use the burner as a guide. But if in really frustrated I'll yank out the wick, put down a bit of newspaper, and grab a utility knife and combo square or straight edge from the shop and trim it that way. The used newspaper goes right in the fireplace on my deck to start the next fire.
Hello. I trim my wicks flat and usually after I freshly cut one and light it, the flame burns flat instead of that nice rounded spaid shape. What makes it do this and how do you fix it?
After I cut the wick and light it, I turn the wick all the way down till the flame almost snuffs out. Then I extend it again until the flame spreads out and is at the brightness I need. If the wick is too high above the burner, the flame remains flat and pointy (and sooty!). The burner is what fixes this, by first compressing the wick on low flame and then letting the wick expand on higher flames. Hope this makes sense.
@@AlbertaBushcrafter Exactly right. That's good advice. After you cut the wick straight across, you light the wick in the lowest position it will take a flame. Then slowly raise it up to just under the smoke point. I don't know why but if you raise a newly cut wick too fast it messes it up. Raising it slow works every time and gives you a nearly perfect shaped silver dollar flame. Thanks for the video. There are a ton of people making videos preaching all kind of weird shaped wicks. Straight across is definitely the best. It looks like about 25%-30% more light when it's cut and adjusted correctly.
Eventually that does happen. But often there are little stray bits of wick that burn differently and darken the globe with soot. But I trim all three lantern wicks every two to four uses (depending on how long I use it each time) and thought it's a bit of work, they throw a little more light. Trimming the wick any time you have to remove and clean the globe is a good plan as well.
You missed one: trimming the wick so that it has a point. That seems to perform better than the round wick trim. See this comparison: ua-cam.com/video/XDHuK6waXWA/v-deo.html Do the burners for conventional table-top oil lamps differ from the Dietz lanterns?
Yes they do. Conventional oil lamps don't rely on hot- or cold-blast venting principles. That means they don't recycle the exhaust gases for a more complete burn, but rather they're more like an old oil lamp - which was just a wick in a bowl. Dietz and similar burners are vented in such a way that they bring in outside air from those two arms on the sides. Incidentally, I've compared lanterns to oil lamps, and the conventional ones stink, even with a perfectly-trimmed wick. That's because of the incomplete combustion mentioned above, and it's also why the lamp chimneys get dirty with soot so fast.. It takes a lot to get a Dietz to stink.
@@AlbertaBushcrafter Very interesting. I had no idea the arms of the Dietz lanterns were functional. I thought they just held up the top part so the glass globe could be better supported. Are their table lamps that recycle heat from the exhaust? Also, is there any advantage to the pointed wick trim in the Dietz? If a pointed trim yields a brighter flame in an oil lamp, why would it not do the same if the air is pre-heated?
@@Berkana I figured it out - she was using a round wick! Dietz use a flat wick and I've found that trimming it straight across tends to work the best. And I know of one oil lamp that has a specialized wick and burner - the Aladdin. But they are far from cheap, usually over $100. But with a round wick like the one in that lady's video, cutting it to a point would work. But most people I know who use round wicks just fray the wick out so it's bigger on the end.
Actually I dug a bit further, and she was just using a dead flame lamp. The wick is flat, but dead flame lamps vent differently than hot and cold blast lanterns. I tried cutting the wick to a point and all it did was cover my lantern chimney in soot without giving any more light.
Love it! Hopefully you find one at a good price as these lanterns are the best! I suspect the little one is a Little Wizard - I want to get one of those too. @@kipperwhite2976
I have about a dozen or so Dietz lanterns and every method used in this video is prone to human error. The best way to trim any wick style lantern or lamp is straight by raising the wick until the soot line is just above the top of the wick tube and trim flush to the wick tube this guarantees that your wick will be perfectly even and have a steady and even flame
I agree with what you say and do exactly that on 3/8, 1/2, and 5/8 inch wicks. Believe it or not the newer version of the millenium 2000 has a wick slightly less than 3/4 inch. However, this does not work on the 7/8 wicks properly. Read my post just made on a very slightly concave (down just a tad in the center) by using a 6.5 inch plate, a self healing cutting mat, and a new razor. This gives me a wide beautifully shaped flame on my Kirkman Champion no. 2 (similar to the 7/8 inch wick blizzard in the video from what it look like) nice and wide but not too high in the center. The center does rise higher after warming up. Kirkman has brass wick tubes to help vaporize the kerosene but this method also works on the standard Dietz 7/8 wicks as well. I have not seen anyone making a concave shape likely because it is so hard to do. I get much more light out of it this way and a better flame shape similar to my 1/2 inch Feuerhand and Dietz 76's when I cut them using the method you describe above. Best regards, Mike
V-notch works well on dead-flame lanterns, but the Dietz models are generally cold-blast lanterns. That means those two curved tubes on the side actually feed back into the burner to improve airflow. Because of that,, the v-notch smokes too much, which is why Dietz and other big manufacturers say that a flat-trimmed wick is best on hot- and cold-blast lanterns.
I'm 80 yrs old from the Ozarks yu tri the wick t match the shape fthe burner. Just rl it u and use the burner as the guide for the cut peeping I he saw distance from the burner. If you cut it flat over a rundedburnr the corners will be farther from the chamber and carbon up. Match the shape of the burner. Dandahermit
Hi Dean, I watched your videos about lanterns many times, not so much because they teach me anything new, but because I love your voice, your presence, and the topics. I'm a lantern collector, and you helped me with understanding how they work when i started the collection 4 years ago.... Hope you're well, greetings from Belgium Mate . P.S: Dietz are great lanterns, even the new ones still available, though made in the Far East, I own a N° 76 and N°90 D-Lite, amazing lamps, the US quality is still present...(original tooling) just the globes are a bit thinner than originally... finding original globes isn't a big deal. I own both original and modern Dietz's
Thanks very much! As soon as the winter weather ends here, I have a few more videos coming out on these fine lanterns. And the ones you have are two of my favorites.
@@AlbertaBushcrafter can't wait for your videos. Have a great day
Thank you for the video.
I wished you put the 3 on the table at the same time for visual comparison.
Cheers 🤲❤️
I get the same results. I also stopped buying Hattersley Wicks. Don’t get me wrong, they’re very good. But the 6 foot rolls I get from Amazon from $5 to $7 work well. I honestly don’t see any brightness or runtime advantage to the more expensive Wicks. As far as the lifespan of the Wicks, I don’t see any noticeable advantage to the more expensive Wicks. So, I get the Wicks that have the best price at the time I order.
Thanks for sharing your results, it’s most appreciated.
thank you.
I havebeen wondering if the British made wicks would be more superior than what I buy from Temu.
China invented fireworks and makes some of the best fireworks in the world so I figured their wicks for oil lamps wouldn't be that bad either 🙂
@@MrHelidude I found the British Made wicks to be excellent, and they do seem to burn cleaner somehow. I found I wasn’t having to trim them as much. If I could find a U.S. supplier, I would likely go with them for my indoor oil lanterns. While they seem to be of higher quality than the Amazon wicks, the cost of the shipping/post negates the value of the higher quality wicks.
The wicks I’ve been buying on Amazon are perfectly fine, and what I would call the best quality to value wicks.
I heard about Temu, and I purchased two of their Feuerhand Baby knockoffs, and I was surprised buy the quality. They’re actually not at all bad, and quite good. They come with their 1/2” wicks, and they seem to work okay after some trimming & shaping, but I load them with my Amazon wicks when their wick are used up.
I'd imagine the British ones are better as they have much better quality control.
Yup same here. I trim my lantern wicks straight across in my lanterns as I get a good amount of light & even for a dead flame lantern like my Adlake lanterns. I trim it’s wick straight across in the Adlakes Great tutorial vid too!🙂🙂
Very instructional. Straight across it is.
Thanks! Exactly what I was wondering about. I'm not doing a hurcain lamp but same thing as one. Spanks! 😊
Thank you very much for this video.
I watched another channel which mentioned to cut the wick in a curve and so I tried that.
I experimented three oil lamps which I have with various size wicks, at the same time. Initially I had all flat cuts, then tried the curve cut style and then came back to try the flat cut sagain.
The flat cuts definitely gave a wider and brighter flame. Definitely staying with the flat cut style ...... 🔥
Many many happy greetings from Tasmania - Australia ...... 🙂
Dean, your presentation is just FANTASTIC ! Taking me right back to my childhood when my grandpa in Sicily ( tiny village/town Castelmola ) was ALWAYS arguing with my uncle, " How wick in the lamp should be cut ". Thank you
Thank you! I just had this discussion with a couple of old-timers out here last weekend. And the flat cut won yet again! 😁😁
I did some experimenting and had the same results. The perfectly flat wicks have a much wider flame on my lamps. Any deviation from perfectly flat (rounded, pointed etc) creates a narrow, peaky flame with less light. No reason to complicate things, like you said!
Couldn’t agree more, it seems the pointed flames also soot up the globe and inside of the lantern. Flat wick= nicer flame and less cleaning
Completely agree also. I tried the same on three oil lamps. The flat cuts gave much wider and brighter lights ..... 🙂
Thank you for an informative video. Will now get me a nice pincer tool for a good straight cut.
Thanks for making this. I just got my first Dietz lantern (Jupiter).
Congratulations! The Jupiter is one of my favorites.
Thanks Dean, I am glad you did this test, I too am an avid lantern collector and a lot of people don't believe me when I tell this to them and I see a lot of videos telling to trim wicks on all sorts of angles but I also find that the brightest flames that I get from my lanterns are when the wicks are trimmed as straight across as possible without any loose fibers and this is the job of the burner cone to properly shape the flame accordingly, also I find that trimming a wick wet with fuel is easier than cutting a dry wick.
I'd love to see videos of your collection! Good point about trimming when wet too - I missed that one. And getting rid of those pesky loose fibers is the key to getting the best flame. Thanks!
How does the fuel usage for a straight wick compare with the various curved options?
dubyrunning i never tested it based on fuel consumption but probably not a whole lot of difference i would imagine the straight wick would use slightly more fuel hence the wider and brighter flame
Thanks Dean, for this very clear and informative video. Since I was a child I have always appreciated the brightness and reliability of storm lanterns. This year I bought a Feuerhand Baby Special 276, it's very common in Europe (I am Italian), and I cut the round wick because I had read it was the best way. I will follow your advice and try the straight cut to see the difference. See you soon. Tony
Glad I could help. And Feuerhand lanterns are excellent - you made a good purchase.
Excellent, thank you.
I have Coleman and a bunch of fluorescent and then lately, LED lanterns. Still love my oil lamps, particularly Kirkman and Dietz (love that Jupiter!). Thanks for your excellent video.
Thanks! Even more to come once I reshoot the three I'm working on now.
Very interesting 🧐, I will make sure that my wick is trimmed flat for better performance.
Thanks Dean.
I had one cheap lantern and just purchased a Dietz 76 to start off my collection. Thanks for the informative videos.
You're welcome! The 76 Original is a very nice and fairly compact model. I think you will enjoy it.
Great video, mate 👍🏼. I’m just refurbishing my lantern and they are so versatile old lamps.
Yes, they certainly are.
Interesting!
Do you have a video on the various types of lanterns, how they were used, and lantern fuels throughout history along with safety?
How to make various lantern fuels and storage?
Way back in 1964 my mother bought me a Dietz junior red lantern while we were fishing in a place named Bruce Mines. The resort was named Greenbay Cottages located about 50 miles from Sue Saint Marie on the Canadian side. And from the moment she poured the lemon scented kerosene into the fuel tank and lit the wick, I was never the same again! Over my 64 years of life I have probably purchased 50 lanterns. 5 or 6 for myself and many others to give as gifts. I always include a package of 3 extra wicks and a jug of citronella scented kerosene. Sooner or later everyone that I have given a kerosene lantern to has called me up or written to me to tell how grateful they were to have one of these lanterns. Flashlights are fine for short term use, but when a power outage stretches out for hours, days or weeks, nothing comes close to having a dependable lantern! Especially when you have no less than 4 gallons of kerosene in yea ole garage. I live in Southwest Michigan and the weatherman is talking about 3 to 4 FEET OF SNOW TONIGHT!! Sure glad I have 3 Dietz lanterns, 2 table top oil lamps and 5 gallons of kerosene on hand... Thank you for the great video, Mama was right, always cut the wick straight across and wash the globe for maximum light.
100% agree - and good luck with the snow. I also have about 5-6 gallons on hand at any time for just such a reason.
@@AlbertaBushcrafter Yeah, the snow barely amounted to one foot, sppose' I should be happy... Maybe next storm.
Yes, I have more than a dozen kerosene lanterns (2 dozen...but would have to count to be certain) but mine are a mix of new Kirkman, Dietz, 100 year old Dietz, Feuerhand, and cheaper Chinese lanterns. You are correct on wicks that are 5/8, 1/2, and 3/8 but I believe from massive testing that is incorrect on 7/8 wicks. I am using good ole kerosene. With 7/8 inch wide wicks the fuel does not act the same. It rises in the center. I take a ceramic plate (6.5 inches in diameter) and a new very sharp razor blade with a small sewing type seal healing cutting mat. I cut a convex (goes down slightly but ever so slightly) in the center....not up in the center. With my Kirkman Champion 2 (basically a premium version of the lantern he is using in this video) I get a superbly shaped flame that is nice and wide but after it heats up I still get the point in the center that is taller. I have other tricks as well. I've found that the burner rattles inside the cone. I put the cone inverted in a vice with the shoulder hitting the vice and slowly tap while moving around the cone on the upper lip. This causes the cone to seat better around the burner. I personally do not like 7/8 wicks because they are soooooo tempormental. My favorite lantern is a Feuerhand 276 (galvanized) follwed by a Dietz galvanized Original 76 followed by a customized Dietz Little Wizard No. 1 with increased fuel tank size and an extra burner I have customized so I can use either 3/8 or 5/8 wicks like they used to do for the older Dietz traffic lanterns. Best regards, Mike K
Thanks for the info! I may try some of those ideas.
thanks for making a simple and easy to follow video.
Glad you liked it!
Thanks für the video. Some years ago I tried this with some lanterns in my collection and came, despite the findings I read in some internetforums, to the conclusion that a flat trimmed wick is the best.
I have a Dietz Blizzard, a Kirkman Champion and a similar lantern from a local hardware store here in Austria that costs under 10 EUR. This one looks like a Blizzard or a Champion, and is made in China like the other two.
But it has a burner with a 6mm round wick installed. I modified the lantern a little bit and installed a 7/8'' Dietz burner.
Now I have three good lanterns in my collection, that cost me 16 EUR (Lantern + new burner), 30 EUR (Dietz Blizzard) and 60 EUR (Kirkman Champion). All three have a flat trimmed wick and all three give the same amount of light and are absolutely reliable.
That Champion is one I'd like to add to the collection. If it's the one I was looking at, it's very similar to the Dietz No. 80 Blizzard and apparently even some of the parts are interchangeable.
@@AlbertaBushcrafter yes the "Champion" is a good buy.
Apart from the writing on the tank it's the same lantern as the #80 Blizzard. Woody Kirkman says, it's made on the original old Dietz machinery.
The burner of the Kirkman is a bit better made than the original Dietz and the globe is far better. It's a very thick glass like an old jar of jam. Althoug I had no problems with the Dietz globes so far, it's fine to hold this heavy piece of glass in your hands.
Unfortunately it is quite expensive for a simple lantern. But if you treat them well, they will last a long time, I think.
@@Charley-Mike I'll have to add it to the Wish List, then. And I think it may already be in my Amazon store.
Just love your channel , you always have great advice . My old Beacon lanterns always work their best with a flat trimmed wick. Keep up the good work and I'll be watching.
Thanks very much! I've started doing videos again, so stay tuned!
Thanks
Hello Sir.
Thank you for a great video!
Greetings from Western Jutland in Denmark!
THANK YOU! What a great video . Very helpful. I have had some problems with mine smoking and sooting up the glass.
You're quite welcome! That's the exact reason I did some research and then shot this video, in fact.
Funny how modern lantern/lamp enthusiasts are always trying to improve on a thoroughly tested, tried and true method used by millions of lantern/lamp users for 150+ years. Thanks for this demonstration and helping to dispel the fancy wick cutting theories being promoted. There may be something to those theories but most people won’t be able to get the fancy cut just perfect to achieve the better results. Most people are better off just going with a straight across cut using the wick guide as a straight edge. Good quality wicks cut straight across with sharp, proper wick scissors are your best bet
Thank you!!! , I learned something new today 🤩👍
I've been collecting and burning kerosene lanterns for about 30 years. I agree with your wick trimming in regard to that particular model, as well as other similar cold blast designs. However I've found the hot blast designs tend to burn best when there is a very shallow, perhaps 20-30 degree cut off each corner across about a third of the wick. Basically I cut them perfectly straight using the thread lines as a guide, then I cut the corners off just slightly so there's about a third of the wick that remains flat in the center. This is close to a flat cut but not quite. Anyway, most of my hot blast lanterns are the old Victor and Monarch styles from the late 1800s to pre-WW1 and this seems to work best for them.
Thanks for the advice. I don't currently have a hot blast lantern, but I'm planning to get one. I'll try out your advice when I purchase it.
Thanks man, I'm lantern collector , have about 200 of them. It was educational. I like to cut wick on my lanterns as you do, even if a flame sometime looks like a fish tail. Light output is priority. Also, like you , i'm not fan of pressure lanterns (Coleman and so on). They bind you somehow, and you lose night vision. Canadian lanterns are awesome, try to use Beacon vintage lanterns. In my experience they have the best light output.
200 lanterns - that's amazing! I've looked for some at garage and yard sales, but all I've found are the el-cheapo knockoffs that leak like hell. As for pressure lanterns, I now have 3 Coleman lanters and am planning to convert one to kerosene, but they were $5 each. They have their uses, like emergency lighting, but I also don't like their brightness. And thanks for the tip on the Beacon lanterns. I'll keep an eye out for them. I just bought 2 huge rolls of wick for $14 CDN, so I'll need to get more lanterns.
I love my 4 Coleman white gas lanterns. One of them is from the 40s and they all run well.
I did just get a dietz 80 for $14 on amazon to try out as I don't have a burner lantern. I know the light output isnt near a white gas lantern but i do like how simple kerosene/oil lanterns are to operate.
@@Mixwell1983 I'm now up to 3 Colemans myself - just fixed up two over winter, and I paid $5 each for them, plus a bit more for the mantles. I think you'll like the Dietz. It's nowhere near as bright as a Coleman, but it lasts way longer. I plan to experiment a bit on mine this year and post the results.
Thank you. Very informative.
Nice to see another canuck with true Canadian spirit
Thanks very much!
You're awesome man thanks for the info
Hey ! / ABCDean .....
Good info. Thanks.
I have a few lamps, cold draft , round wick, and mantle. It is always good to hear more info.
I would suggest a brief video from you regarding fuels to use, and NOT use, for our lanterns.
At local thrift shops, where I pick up many of my lantern parts and such for restorations, I find that "colored candle lamp" oil has been used in many of the fine lamps. Gumming up the works so to speak.
Ciao for now !
In The Light !
A.
Good point. And before the snow hit up here I was doing exactly that. I need to do a script revision and set up in my indoor workshop but I see at least one video on this topic. And possibly two.
Coleman pressure lanterns are brighter, but more trouble with the fragile wicks and more dangerous because of the flammability of the fuel. I prefer my Deitz lanterns for emergency lighting and have four of them. I live in a very rural area of the Missouri Ozarks in a 100 year old farm house and am the very last electrical service on the entire line. I can heat with wood and the Deizt lanterns furnish my light needs in a power outage. I only use Clean Heat brand refined kerosene which i get at Lowes for ten bucks a gallon. It has no smell when burning unlike regular kerosene and the Deitz lanterns also emit heat which helps in super cold temps. They are fool proof and for over a hundred years have done the job just fine, and they still do.
That's why I love my Dietz lanterns as well. Nice tip on the fuel as well - thanks!
great vid dispelling the myth curved or shaped wicks throw off more light the cutting straight across!!
And still, the myths persist. The latest I've heard is a v-cut, which I tried and it was worse than any in this video. Always someone trying to ice skate uphill....
Lol. I guess there is a reason dietz even recommends cutting it straight across. I'll skate downhill anyday.
Ya never know when the skills you learned in kindergarden will come in handy!
Now on to paste eating and glitter.
Always wondered about which way was best if any.
Thanks, Dean.
-YB
Yeah - my scissors skills are rusty and it took a while for me to learn how to color inside the lines too. That is, until I switched from crayons to colored pencils. I still have a box of those, in fact. And at least my lanterns throw a lot of light and a lot less soot too!
Great video and great information
Great video
Thanks, I just trimmed mine, and I had to use it for over an hour tonight before that, high winds took the power out from 2am till after 3am.
Hope everything is back to normal now. So how well did your lantern hold up?
Fine, it's just an oil lamp I keep on an end table.
Thanks Dean
Thanks, Dean! Good to know! P. S. I wish I was, "Alberta Bound!"
Thank you sir
Great video - thank you. What type of fuel works best in Dietz lanterns for you? Kleen Heat? Dyed Kero, Clear Kero, Diesel?
Clear or dyed kero is recommended by Dietz, but lamp oil and Kleen Heat do seem to work. So does diesel but you may need to search for additives to make it work. Diesel clogged my wick completely on my big heater.
I like to peak the wicks on the dead flame lanterns. Looks real cool on that particular setup only. Not as effective on hot and cold blast lanterns.
On dead-flame lanterns, definitely. Not so much on cold or hot blast lanterns. Still working on a couple scripts for more lantern videos, and I'm actually covering that.
Just picked a dietz 80 in blue from amazon for $14 plus shipping so $20 total. I have 4 old coleman white gas lanterns but I couldnt resist getting a wic burning lantern.
Was going to get the walmart one but others suggested amazon for a dietz one. Havent got it in yet but i am excited.
I'd be excited too! The Dietz lantern is way better than the Walmart ones, and you got it at a great price!
I have the #80 also but in red. The manual even tells you to cut straight across for best light. I tried the cutting to point way looks good but to me doesn't throw enough light like alot people claim. I will stick to what dietz recommends and cut straight across. Thanks for your video my brother and GOD BLESS
May God richly bless you also. And in the few years after I shot this video I've experimented with several different styles of cuts on the wick. And guess what?
Dietz is still correct and so was I. Flat is best.
Hi Dean, I have a question. What size wick would I install into a Dietz Jupiter 2 oil lantern that was built in Poland. Do I use a 7/8 " wick? I attempted to insert it but it was to wide and would not go in. Are there other size wicks available that I could use. It was from my father's house and he collected them. I would like to see if I can get the lantern to light and work. Any help, assistance or opinions would be appreciated. Have a Good Day...
Hi Peter. I have a few ideas here. Wicks go from 1/2" up to 1", and there is a 3/4" wick available. All the documentation on the Jupiter 2 says it takes a 7/8" wick, but if that doesn't work, a 3/4" or even a 5/8" wick might fit. You'll get a bit less light, but you'll burn less fuel too.
Hi Dean, thank you for the tips. I did use a 5/8 wick and it worked...👍👍
Flat makes the widest flame and I always found it spots up the globe a bit.
I tried a "V-cut" like several channels suggest. No change in brightness, really, but it really soots up the globe.
Nice video. I was curious where you'd end up and we agree. I love hurricane lamps and when I was experimenting with my first ones 45 years ago, I tried different wick shapes -- pointed, beveled, curved, straight. I expected a curve that matched the curve of the burner mouth would be best. It wasn't. Pointed is a disaster.
Straight across is best. It gives the best flame when adjusted correctly. It also gives the slowest rate of wick consumption -- near zero, as it should be. Any other shape will cause the wick itself to be consumed more rapidly. Not that wicks are expensive but why waste them? If you cut straight across and adjust the lamp correctly, the wick lasts an extremely long time.
That's what I've found as well. And I'm very pleasantly surprised at how long the wick lasts too. The big roll of wick I bought last year hasn't been needed at all yet.
@@AlbertaBushcrafter Don't hold your breath. I don't think I have ever had to replace the wick in one of my own lamps. I have rolls of every size wiick that I use to replace wicks in used lamps that I purchase.
Dean this is my first video watch than your website and so this question may have already been answered I have tons of Coleman lanterns and a few kerosene lanterns my question is this when using a barn style Lantern such as in this video what happens if you leave it outside and it starts to rain I would love to hear from you and your viewers how many of ended up with a fractured chimney using one of these as a child when he got wet it broke and I kind of stopped using them since I also had this happen once with a Coleman lantern. I am now starting to use the kerosene lanterns again have one and ordered for more but would like to know about using them in the rain what luck people have had walking in the rain with him and leaving them in the rain. When I checked with some of the larger retailers of these lanterns they implied like walking from the house to the chicken coop in the rain might be okay but to leave them out burning in the rain would not would love everybody's opinion and experience thank you Simon
A few drops of water or snowflakes shouldn't be a problem, and the only time I've left my Dietz out in a storm and the glass cracked, it was because I had an old globe (and possibly a knockoff at that). My brand-name Dietz globes haven't given me a problem even in rainstorms, but my Coleman globes have cracked under the same conditions. Colemans burn way hotter, so that much water and snow must cool the globe down too quickly or something like that.
The cheap knockoffs and craft lamp chimneys like the ones at Michael's are even worse. I had a Chinese knockoff lantern crack its globe when I did absolutely nothing to it! (Maybe I looked at it cross-eyed.) But this is one of those instances where the brand-name stuff (or after-market globes like W.H. Kirkman's) are worth the extra money.
Alberta Bushcrafter Hey Dean thanks for the response so I'm a little confused here are you saying that your normal Dietz lanterns have been in rain storms to where they're getting pelted by water and for the most part have not cracked. The reason I'm asking these questions is done at my Country Place we normally leave Coleman's burn out by the fire on a big plywood table and sometimes rain storms come up are you might even fall asleep and forget to turn it off. I was wanting to start to use things like Deets Air pilots to leave out on the table instead and to also have hanging from iron poles around camp the same thing might happen where they would get caught in the storm. Back in the day when we had to run for the Outhouse many times it also was raining just wanted to know if these kerosene lamp Globes will hold up under these situations. I will watch the rest of your videos thank you for your time Simon ps I will now be a subscriber thanks again
@@simonkenton5927 Thanks for the sub, Simon! Yes, I've had these Dietz #80 Blizzard lanterns out in rain and sleet storms bad enough that the rain was blowing at 45 degrees. Usually that's only been for 5 to 10 minutes, but in one case I left all three hanging from the deck rafters for 4 hours in a spring sleet storm, and they held up wonderfully. But I think the big trick here is to keep the flame lower than usual (about 40-60% of full power) so it doesn't burn as hot. All my Colemans burn way brighter, but also way hotter, so they crack sometimes in nasty weather.
And the Dietz Air Pilot is a great lantern - smaller than the Blizzard, but tougher. I plan to order a couple from W.T. Kirkman, along with some spare clear and colored globes soon. Kirkman's is the best and cheapest Dietz supplier I know of that also ships to Canada.
Hey Dean just so you know in the sale may be over I don't know but Lehman's was selling the blue not the black but the blue Air pilot for $9.99 a few days ago the black was slightly more they had quite a sale on their Barn type lanterns you could even get a German feuerhand for $19.99 you needed 2 choose either pink or Dusty blue to get that price the rest are much higher but I checked and the dusty blue is the same exact Lantern as most of the others except for the bronze and some other color that I can't remember they were like $44. I will be purchasing from WT Kirkham soon also customer service at both places are exceptional so far I have not been able to get a response from anyone on the WT Kirkham UA-cam site that maybe they're just busy I did not send a PM did not know how to. Anyhow thanks for your gracious and quick response I will try using mine out in the weather and leaving them burn in the weather and see what happens. I noticed the German Lantern as a special chimney that is supposed to be weather resistant. Have a great day enjoy your lanterns. While even at my cabin I can flip a switch and get power it is nice to know that at least light wise I can go off grid for a month or so without needing the electric for light. It is a great way that we can connect with the past and I have started collecting and using candles and lamps from the earliest periods.
@@simonkenton5927 Lehmann's is also a great company, and that is a great sale price too! Unfortunately, like a lot of US companies their shipping to Canada isn't that great. But if you're in the US, they'd be a top choice - love their selection of items, and they're great for off-the-grid farmhouse gear!
Had an old timer who used to work for the railroad say that they used to cut a V in the middle of the wick to essentially make 2 flames. He said this produced the most light. I’ll have to give this a try one day
Interesting idea! Good thing I have some spare wick. However, I have a feeling that this method would also produce a lot of soot as well, because the flames would be smaller. Worth a try, though.
Great vid, Very informative. Thanx
You're quite welcome! Trimming a wick properly is a bit of an art, I've found.
I have recently discovered that I had an affinity for storm lamps. Rolling blackouts occur often in South Africa so these have become somewhat of a necessity. You wrote an earlier comment about cutting "lamp oil" with kerosene. Can I therefore just mix citronella and paraffin with a 1:1 ratio? Regards.
That's a very prudent affinity to have. And yes, I've been able to mix paraffin (kerosene, for our North Americn viewers) and citronella lamp oil without a problem. Good luck!
I've been experimenting with a inverted V cut, I start with a straight flat cut and using small very sharp hair scissors and slightly cutting from each side to the middle slightly lower. Another way to achieve this without cutting the wick is bring down to flush position and hold down a small flathead screwdriver in the middle of the wick then raise the wick while applying pressure, this will lower the middle. Results are this...when lit at at a low level you notice a wider V shaped flame. As you turn it up you get a wider than normal flame that starts to even out at higher than usual level resulting in more light and no soot. Any flame wants to converge to a sharp centerpoint and will result in sooting at lower level, the trick is to give the flame 2 separate centerpoints that pull off each other and as you raise the wick higher the middle will start to fill in. All together you'll get a wider flame at a higher point.
Straight across with the corners cut off works best for my lantern. It allows a higher centre peak without smoking while still having high sides.
I’m playing around with a few styles of trimming again. Trimming the corners does give a higher flame, straight across gives a wider one, and doing a V-cut soots up the globe and is only good on dead flame lanterns. But I want to try curving the cut to fit the burner as it’s worth another look.
Thank you ✌
Best thing is not to trim it, it's fluffy from manufacturer, if you must, cut it straight across then rough it up with coarse sandpaper if you can. Drop the globe down before adjusting wick. Wait for cold blast principle to kick in, then turn it down some more. I've made wicks from cotton shirts that seem better and brighter than the store bought wicks, denim jeans make good wicks too.
I wonder if its cut down towards the middle would it look like two flames
Actually, it doesn't unless it's a very deep "v" cut. And while that sometimes works on the older oil lamps (called "dead flame" lamps), cutting a V into the wick on lanterns like the Dietz just makes the flame burn quite dirty with a lot of soot. I tried it and it blackened up the globe in about an hour - something that usually doesn't happen for 2-4 weeks of heavy use.
Can’t see the wick when you hold it to show us because it’s dark against a camo background. Why not hold it about 16” to your left so it shows better against a light background? Just asking…
How much heat do you get from them? Do you think they'd have any warming effect on an enclosed 3 season porch?
Glad you asked, as that's where this video was shot - on my own porch. If the porch is enclosed, you may notice a few degrees of warming but not a great deal even with three lanterns - normally I notice about 5-10 degrees F gain, and the colder it is, the less gain I have. Plus, the more glass there is on the porch, the less heat gain you'll notice.
By the time you clipped the corners of the straight cut wick is was more rounded than the rounded one. 😅
What kind of fuel do you use? Thanks
Kerosene (pricey), lamp oil, or Kleen Heet (at Lowe's or other hardware stores. And tiki torch fuel also works. Just remember - if it's citronella, it shouldn't be used indoors according to a few sources I've read.
What fuel is best for the brightest flame?
Actually, K1 kerosene and lamp oil work equally well, but careful! They're pricey.
i have a brighter flame with a pointed wick. and, was it me? or did he have 2, "third lanterns"?
Can u elaborate on the "impurities" comment that causes burned wicks? Is it impurity in the wick or oil?
Sure! The less refined a fuel is, the more additional chemicals are in it. Some of these don’t burn as cleanly. For example, I’ve heard people claim they can run these lanterns on extra virgin olive oil and from my own experience that just doesn’t work. EVOO has a lot of suspended solids in it and they eventually clog up any wick to the point that nothing flows through it. When I made some simple oil lamps, the flame died out after several minutes and there was no way to get it going again.
But I tried another one with the el-cheapo over-refined olive oil that experts say is bad for you, and it worked great.
Thank you for the video and the tips. Wondering what your preferred fuel is I just recently picked up a lantern and I'm not sure what I should burn, bought it for use in a tent, it is an older one says Beacon on it, picked it up at a second hand store roughly the same size as the ones in your video. Also wondering if you know a good source for Quality lampwick? Thank you
: ) Tyler
I use the lamp oil you find in most hardware or big box stores, and I often cut it 1-to-1 with kerosene. That's especially true with citronella lamp oil, which I find may clog the wick if it isn't diluted with kerosene or regular lamp oil. As for wicks, my favorite place is W.T. Kirman at www.lanternnet.com.
I have several lanterns but just bought a brand new blizzard #80 . I trimmed the wick straight across and made sure there was no fuzzy pieces of wick .
I cannot get a good flame as it has a dead spot on one side and the other side spikes very high above the normal flame.
Do you have any advice on how I can fix this problem ?
Try fluffing out the wick a bit at first. If that fails, it could be a slight fault in the wick, and what I usually do with these is advance the wick half an inch and trim it again.
I figured out the problem with my lantern . It came from the factory with a bad cone . I put two pieces of high heat metal tape on the sides of the cone covering about 3/16" of the cut out .
Perfect flat flame . I have many old lanterns and two new ones . One a Little Wizzard and one a Blizzard 80 . The Little Wizzard works great but I am very disappointed with the Blizzard.
Hi Dean, thanks for the video. I'm thinking about either this Dietz No. 80 or the W.T. Kirkman #2 Champion Lantern. How has your experience been with the overall performance of the No. 80's ?
The Dietz No. 80 Hurricane is quite simply the best lantern of its type I've ever owned. Ithas a large fount so it lasts for many hours, and it's one of the biggest and brightest kerosene wick-type lanterns out there.
And while I really like all of the Kirkman lanterns, they're too pricey for me when you include shipping costs. Kirkman is a great organization, but Customs Canada is not.
@@AlbertaBushcrafter Glad you mentioned the kerosine. Do you find it to give off more odor than the paraffin? I ask because my lantern will be used primarily in doors.
@@jakeweston8616 Paraffin and kerosene are the same thing, according to a number of sources I checked (and from a lot of exposure to Brits). And they can stink if the wick is too long. Lamp oil is slightly different and works better indoors as it has much less odor.
But use lanterns like this indoors with extreme caustion. They create a lot more carbon monoxide than candles. Make sure you have a good carbon monoxide detector and keep it in working condition.
Can I burn one of these safely inside a tent? Some of the lamp oil says it's safe to burn indoors, obviously a tent is smaller. Or am I likely to die? Maybe use a co2 detector. Some people say they heat your tent up.
It's actually those little candle lanterns that can marginally warm up a tent. Dietz and other lantern companies actually advise against that, mostly because a lantern wick is like one or two dozen candles burning at once. A carbon monoxide detector wouldn't be something I trust as I've never seen a prtable CO detector or alarm that doesn't cost a fortune.
Plus, while tents have some fire-retardant properties, they will burn, and surprisingly quickly. A few years ago I was camping beside a guy whose tent caught fire, and it burned to the ground in moments. The melted nylon also burned him badly enough he had to go to the emergency ward.
So I wouldn't use a lantern like this in a tent - especially a nylon one. You might get away with it in a big canvas wall tent, though.
Sorry but you can't see the flames at all, too much reflection inside the globe.
I was always tought that for the best light and least soot to trim the wick in an arc matching the profile of the flame shroud. I will experiment with your suggestions and see if I can get a better result than what I've been doing for 60 years. Thanks
Thank you for such a great video. However, I must say, if you're getting a brighter flame it's because you're increasing the fuel consumption. But I suspect the increase in consumption may just be so small you are not noticing it.
That's right - with the 26 oz. tank on this lantern it isn't really noticeable.
I used to think triangle point was best to make the flame symmetrical, but I started to realize that it was the worst. The light is terrible. To get a decent amount of light, you have to burn the flame so high that is smokes which is bad. Straight really is best.
I agree. It relly is a bad way to trim the wick. My lantern globe was almost black after two minutes with this cut.
So, the manufactures recommended wick trim is best.
I wouldn't have thought so, but yes.
Wish you had put all three on the table so we could see the comparison.
Sadly, I tried that but the camera couldn't pick up the difference. I could try it again with a good light meter, but the meter on most cameras simply isn't sensitive enough.
now you called it a hurricane Lantern in the video and in description it says it's a blizzardcs number 80 looks like a hurricane to me but they keep calling the blizzard how much and where to buy them I've been buying quarter inch Wick lanterns just now getting into them
OK - the style of lantern is called a "hurricane lantern" because it still stayed lit in high winds and rain. (Not sure if anyone tried it in an actual hurricane, though.). But the actual make and model of this particular lantern is the Dietz No. 80 Blizzard. It's still the most available lantern out there. So "Blizzard" and "hurricane" lantern are interchangeable.
As for sources, my two favorites in the US are Lehmann's ( www.lehmans.com/ ) and W.H. Kirkman ( www.lanternnet.com/ ) while in Canada the only place I've seen them is at Lee Valley Tools ( www.leevalley.com/en/ ).
Shipping costs from the US to Canada can be a royal pain, but I may get a few different models of lantern from Kirkman this year as they've got a wonderful selection. It's apparently a favorite source with collectors too.
I need advice. I bought a replacement wick for my Dietz #2. I can't thread it through the burner, the teeth on the rotator just won't grab it. Any ideas??
That could be a number of issues. The #2 uses a 7/8-inch wick, so larger wicks will jam, and sometimes smaller wicks (like a 1/2 or 5/8 inch) may not grab. Another possibility is the burner is worn out. One of mine in this video just started doing that - it won't grab a wick no matter what I do.
I fixed mine by using a very thin set of needlenose pliers. I removed the burner, stuck them down through the top, and pushed the wick up and grabbed it and pulled it through. But if that doesn't work or it gets jammed, you can always buy replacement burners from places like W.T. Kirkman at www.lanternnet.com .
@Jonathan Goodman - I bought a very cheap wick for my Feuerhand 276 and have the same problem. the new wick has a looser weave and is a little bit wider - The teeth of the burner just can't seem to bite whereas the original wick was actually thinner and narrower but with a tighter weave, much like a canvas seam. I think a more careful wick choice is most likely to solve my problem.
In the meantime I attach a few inches of masking tape to create a narrow leader to feed through the burner and draw the wick through before trimming it. The teeth have enough drive to optimise the shape of the flame but I'll blow it out rather than wind back the wick to extinguish it, otherwise it jams up again. Next day I pull through a little bit more wick with my fingernails. Not ideal but it works well enough 'til I get a better fitting quality wick.
@@-Pol- Good idea! I've managed to get by using the "World Famous" brand of wicks and I thought they were one of the cheapest brands available. They still work fine, though, as they've got that tight weave you were talking about. I have only seen the really crummy wicks once or twice until just this weekend, in fact; I was fixing up an old cheap oil lamp and it had one. The darn wick was so cheaply made it jammed in the burner and was very tough to remove. I think I'll start getting my wicks from a good online source like W.T. Kirkman.
trimming a wick is my new dreaded thing right after dry burning a kerosene heater. Its easy enough to do but somehow still a pain in the butt. Those wicks just dont wanna cut straight.
I found that to be the case too sometimes, so now I advance the wick barely above the burner and then use the burner as a guide. But if in really frustrated I'll yank out the wick, put down a bit of newspaper, and grab a utility knife and combo square or straight edge from the shop and trim it that way. The used newspaper goes right in the fireplace on my deck to start the next fire.
Hello. I trim my wicks flat and usually after I freshly cut one and light it, the flame burns flat instead of that nice rounded spaid shape. What makes it do this and how do you fix it?
After I cut the wick and light it, I turn the wick all the way down till the flame almost snuffs out. Then I extend it again until the flame spreads out and is at the brightness I need. If the wick is too high above the burner, the flame remains flat and pointy (and sooty!). The burner is what fixes this, by first compressing the wick on low flame and then letting the wick expand on higher flames. Hope this makes sense.
@@AlbertaBushcrafter Exactly right. That's good advice. After you cut the wick straight across, you light the wick in the lowest position it will take a flame. Then slowly raise it up to just under the smoke point. I don't know why but if you raise a newly cut wick too fast it messes it up. Raising it slow works every time and gives you a nearly perfect shaped silver dollar flame. Thanks for the video. There are a ton of people making videos preaching all kind of weird shaped wicks. Straight across is definitely the best. It looks like about 25%-30% more light when it's cut and adjusted correctly.
I find no matter how I cut the wick it burns to take the shape of the flame spreader. We demonstrate this to our Boy Scouts.
Eventually that does happen. But often there are little stray bits of wick that burn differently and darken the globe with soot. But I trim all three lantern wicks every two to four uses (depending on how long I use it each time) and thought it's a bit of work, they throw a little more light. Trimming the wick any time you have to remove and clean the globe is a good plan as well.
👍🏻
do you have any canadian made or USA made coleman lanterns? that might make a good AB video?
I wish, but not so far.
'mornin, Dean; Great How-2 Demo Brother Stay-Frosty, Freiend. ATB Terry God Bless
Thanks, Terry!
You missed one: trimming the wick so that it has a point. That seems to perform better than the round wick trim. See this comparison:
ua-cam.com/video/XDHuK6waXWA/v-deo.html
Do the burners for conventional table-top oil lamps differ from the Dietz lanterns?
Yes they do. Conventional oil lamps don't rely on hot- or cold-blast venting principles. That means they don't recycle the exhaust gases for a more complete burn, but rather they're more like an old oil lamp - which was just a wick in a bowl. Dietz and similar burners are vented in such a way that they bring in outside air from those two arms on the sides.
Incidentally, I've compared lanterns to oil lamps, and the conventional ones stink, even with a perfectly-trimmed wick. That's because of the incomplete combustion mentioned above, and it's also why the lamp chimneys get dirty with soot so fast.. It takes a lot to get a Dietz to stink.
@@AlbertaBushcrafter Very interesting. I had no idea the arms of the Dietz lanterns were functional. I thought they just held up the top part so the glass globe could be better supported.
Are their table lamps that recycle heat from the exhaust? Also, is there any advantage to the pointed wick trim in the Dietz? If a pointed trim yields a brighter flame in an oil lamp, why would it not do the same if the air is pre-heated?
@@Berkana I figured it out - she was using a round wick! Dietz use a flat wick and I've found that trimming it straight across tends to work the best. And I know of one oil lamp that has a specialized wick and burner - the Aladdin. But they are far from cheap, usually over $100. But with a round wick like the one in that lady's video, cutting it to a point would work. But most people I know who use round wicks just fray the wick out so it's bigger on the end.
Actually I dug a bit further, and she was just using a dead flame lamp. The wick is flat, but dead flame lamps vent differently than hot and cold blast lanterns. I tried cutting the wick to a point and all it did was cover my lantern chimney in soot without giving any more light.
Sub'd today impressive lesson TY & neatest Dietz ive ever seeen gonna start 2 save up now. As a $$ poor DAV be awhile ;)
4got 2 share got dietz abt half that size use itCat-fish'N & works well. So likev 2 have a XL size one someday
Love it! Hopefully you find one at a good price as these lanterns are the best! I suspect the little one is a Little Wizard - I want to get one of those too. @@kipperwhite2976
I have about a dozen or so Dietz lanterns and every method used in this video is prone to human error. The best way to trim any wick style lantern or lamp is straight by raising the wick until the soot line is just above the top of the wick tube and trim flush to the wick tube this guarantees that your wick will be perfectly even and have a steady and even flame
i'm gonna try that soon, thanks!
I agree with what you say and do exactly that on 3/8, 1/2, and 5/8 inch wicks. Believe it or not the newer version of the millenium 2000 has a wick slightly less than 3/4 inch. However, this does not work on the 7/8 wicks properly. Read my post just made on a very slightly concave (down just a tad in the center) by using a 6.5 inch plate, a self healing cutting mat, and a new razor. This gives me a wide beautifully shaped flame on my Kirkman Champion no. 2 (similar to the 7/8 inch wick blizzard in the video from what it look like) nice and wide but not too high in the center. The center does rise higher after warming up. Kirkman has brass wick tubes to help vaporize the kerosene but this method also works on the standard Dietz 7/8 wicks as well. I have not seen anyone making a concave shape likely because it is so hard to do. I get much more light out of it this way and a better flame shape similar to my 1/2 inch Feuerhand and Dietz 76's when I cut them using the method you describe above. Best regards, Mike
I was told a V notch is best
V-notch works well on dead-flame lanterns, but the Dietz models are generally cold-blast lanterns. That means those two curved tubes on the side actually feed back into the burner to improve airflow. Because of that,, the v-notch smokes too much, which is why Dietz and other big manufacturers say that a flat-trimmed wick is best on hot- and cold-blast lanterns.
@@AlbertaBushcrafter - thanks for the info
I'm 80 yrs old from the Ozarks yu tri the wick t match the shape fthe burner. Just rl it u and use the burner as the guide for the cut peeping I he saw distance from the burner. If you cut it flat over a rundedburnr the corners will be farther from the chamber and carbon up. Match the shape of the burner. Dandahermit
Came here after reading Mathew 25. Parable of the ten virgins
Somehow, that's strangely appropriate. In a very funny kind of way.