Oil lamps are a thing of the past. Or are they? It’s easy to imagine romantic, ancient lands with clay or metal lamps that run on oil and spout gentle flames from cloth wicks. Like many old but beautiful objects, lamps that run on oil have modern versions.

Modern Lamps with Oil

Lamps that run on oil are rarely ever used these days for functional reasons. Proper incandescent or fluorescent lighting are preferred and necessary when one has to read or work. Lamps that contain oil however have other great uses. Here is why you might want to own classic or modern oil-run lamps:

·    The appearance of an oil unit is often the sole reason why people choose to have them. The classic, elegant look of this kind of lamp simply communicates warmth, comfort and beauty. These lamps are perfect to set a romantic mood or simply create the sensation of stepping back into another time and place.

·    Aside from setting the mood through the light it produces, a lamp can also be used for aromatherapy. Scented oils used for these lamps can be a source of great relaxation.

·    An oil lamp dispenses with the inconvenience and discomfort of having candles on the table. Candles can smoke and produce a waxy mess on your table. Modern wick designs make sure that smoke doesn’t come out from your lamp.

·    The flame from this sort of lamp is as gentle as candlelight but is not as glaring or  impersonal as the light from a bulb.

·    Some people simply want to have real authentic antique lamp pieces. With these lamps, the wick may have to be replaced at some point after prolonged use. Modern lamps however now have wicks made of fiberglass. With proper use and care, these wicks can last a very long time.

Lamp Safety and Care

If you are convinced that an oil lamp is ideal for you, then you need to remember to never put lamps on an irregular surface and keep them away from small children.

Common sense should also dictate that kerosene and gas are no longer safe and acceptable for use with lamps. Liquid paraffin is now the standard source of fuel for oil lamp types. There are however, other acceptable kinds of fuel used like the scented type. Do remember though that switching from one fuel type to another may affect the durability of your lamp and wick.

Oil lamps are truly beautiful pieces of art. If you are ready to have one of your own, make sure to take proper care and safety precautions.