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One of the "oldest" pieces of technology that I own that still gets used on a regular basis is this Cobalt Blue Aladdin Lincoln Drape lamp. While this is a modern unit with a Type 23 burner, it's essentially the same thing that Aladdin has been making for the last 100 years.

This one still has a Thorium-232 mantle and burns kerosene. It has the output of about a 60W electric lamp. It draws air in through the base of the burner and drags it up through a thimble in the center of the burner to bring the temperature of the flame to a point where it makes the thorium incandesce. Newer mantles use yttrium and don't glow as nicely.

This will burn for about 12 hours on a quart of kerosene.

One of the "oldest" pieces of technology that I own that still gets used on a regular basis is this Cobalt Blue Aladdin Lincoln Drape lamp. While this is a modern unit with a Type 23 burner, it's essentially the same thing that Aladdin has been making for the last 100 years. This one still has a Thorium-232 mantle and burns kerosene. It has the output of about a 60W electric lamp. It draws air in through the base of the burner and drags it up through a thimble in the center of the burner to bring the temperature of the flame to a point where it makes the thorium incandesce. Newer mantles use yttrium and don't glow as nicely. This will burn for about 12 hours on a quart of kerosene.

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My mom has a dozen of those of varying sizes and color patterns brings back tons of memories nice. Enjoy them they are cool

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Same here. I have to force myself not to bring another one home when I find a good deal on one.

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No no get them down road convert a few to a different fuel so you have options

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They don't convert to other fuels. They're essentially a wick oil lamp with a mantle stuck on top.

The only other thing you can use is liquid paraffin, but kerosene works just as well if not better.

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My mom had electric version of this. I say had because they disappeared sometime after I moved out. They were neat, pretty complicated, but neat.

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During the "Americana" period of the 50s-60s, electrics that looked like oil lamps were quite common.

Aladdin does make a drop-in replacement electric "burner" if you want to use a light bulb instead of happy earth burny joy juice.

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I liked them because the switch felt like turning a key. I know that's dumb sounding, but that's the only reason I remember them. I hated them because they got hot and I could never remember where the switch was. lol

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Yeah, that was pretty common. They had what looked like a skeleton key head on the switch, I always thought those were pretty cool.

You can still get them for projects where you're fixing or refitting a lamp. They screw on to a standard edison-base light socket switch screw.

https://pic8.co/sh/IdeW0t.jpg

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I love how old stuff like this lamp is just as much art as function.

I have a cheap kerosene lamp in my emergency supplies (have a kerosene heater too so made sense), but it isn't anything pretty like this.

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Those cheapies work well enough. If you don't mind lots of blue shirt niggers, you can pick up some extra wick at Lehman's in Kidron.

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Looks like an interesting store.

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The price on Mantle Lamps has gone through the roof, I see. If you want one, I see them all the time at flea markets. Look for one that has a burner with a small knurled wick raiser knob (Model C) or an octagonal wick raiser knob (Model 23.) Those will be the most useful without replacing a burner. The last one I purchased was a pre-war green glass model for under a bill.

I don't have any experience with the current Max-Brite burners.

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They went really tourist-y some years ago, but it still serves the local goatroper community. They have a decent selection of no-electric goods.