A tiny lamp

[FABphones]

Sorting through a few boxes today, came across this tiny old lamp. Dusty and almost forgotten, I have had this little lamp since the mid 80's and know nothing about it. I have no idea how old it is. It has never really had a place to live, and I have never lit it. I don't even know what fuel it takes.

It is weighted in the base, the wick is still in there and the glass is in good order. I can't see any damage to it, nor can I see any makers name.

I have always called this a Nursery Lamp due to its small size, but I don't really know what it's original purpose was. I can't imagine it would burn for a long time due to it's small size.

Anyone got any ideas?

First photo taken in front of a blu-ray case for size comparison.

[Jim Stettler]

My dad had a small oil lamp about that size. As a kid he used the lamp to light the way to his attic bedroom.
In his room, he had a full size oil lamp. The little one was just to light the way.
Jim

[Doug Rose]

Jan and I found this years ago in a tiny antique store in Hyannis that is long gone. Heavy brass 8.5" tall, never used...Doug

[TelePlay]

I don't even know what fuel it takes.

It is weighted in the base, the wick is still in there and the glass is in good order. I can't see any damage to it, nor can I see any makers name.

I have always called this a Nursery Lamp due to its small size, but I don't really know what it's original purpose was. I can't imagine it would burn for a long time due to it's small size.

To answer your questions, that is a round wick burner that works just like a candle wick, sucks air up from the bottom of the wick as it burns. Does not have a burner and does not have a air/fuel mixing chamber.

There is a difference in terminology between the US and UK and the names of the proper fuel. Using US terms, this is not a kerosene lamp, it is a candle oil or US paraffin oil lamp. I think kerosene is named paraffin in the UK, very confusing.

Your lamp uses paraffin lamp oil, or liquid candle wax. Its the same oil used in restaurants in their small atmosphere generating table lamps. The oil comes in clear or colored. It has a higher flash point (200° F or higher) than kerosene (UK paraffin) which is about 150°.

These lamps put out much less light than a air tube driven kerosene lantern but because of that, they burn for a long time. Yours would burn for days on one filling.

Image attached for examples. You need to look for round wick liquid candle wax or table lamp oil in the UK, whatever that is called. In the US, most stores that sell candles have oil/wick candles in that section along with bottles of the fuel.

Yours would be a very nice table candle lamp, something to lighten up the area while watching anything on TV.

[twocvbloke]

I was just looking on ebay to see if there were any fuel options for this, and just happened to come across a listing for an identical lamp:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174229935553

So it's a Kelly "Pixie" lamp, which given the size seems like an appropriate name... 

[FABphones]

Thanks for the info guys, very helpful.

Will keep a watch on the eBay listing, never thought I would see another. 

———-

ETA: This dvd much more to my taste in viewing... 

[TelePlay]

I did a Google search for "liquid candles uk" and got a lot of hits including this one. There have to be smaller bottles. Seems paraffin wax is candle wax and paraffin oil is kerosene. twocv will know.

Liquid wax

[twocvbloke]

The only other options to fuel lamps I saw on ebay were labelled as "Indoor Lamp Oil", but not knowing what they're using for the base fuel, I couldn't say whether or not they would be any good, even the citronella-filled "Torch oil" I bought last year (reduced to clear, at 75p for a litre of the stuff) doesn't specify what the base fuel is, but seems to burn well in my lanterns, but those are of course flat-wick designs, not sure how the flame is affected with a round wick like this little lamp has...

[FABphones]

Very surprised to see the identical lamp sell for £31 plus postage.

[Babybearjs]

I always loved the tiny kerosine lamps.... the problem always is that they run out of oil fast!

[19and41]

In the US two types of lamp fuel is sold.  One is kerosene in various purities.  The other is sold as lamp oil.  The lamp oil I have tried is paraffin in a liquid suspension.  Kerosene lamp fuel is for flat and tubular wick lamps.  The oil is for the rope shaped wick lamps and oil candles.  The oil will at best foul a flat or tubular wick lamp.