Trim and keep a wick

A flat trim, a quarter inch of height, and why a sooty flame is a wick problem before it is an oil problem.

Why the trim matters

A flame takes the shape of the wick top it stands on. A ragged edge gives an uneven flame, and an uneven flame paints the inside of the chimney with soot. Most of what people blame on the oil starts at the scissors.

A cotton wick does not really burn while oil is feeding it. It chars when the font runs low or the wick is set too high, and char is what you trim away.

The quarter inch habit

Keep the lit edge about a quarter inch above the collar and cut it straight across. Raise the wick slowly after lighting; the flame settles for a minute before it holds its height.

If the glass keeps fogging, lower the wick a touch before you reach for a new bottle of oil.

When to replace instead

Replace the wick when it is too short to reach the oil or the char has turned to a hard crust that will not trim clean. Our flat wicks come in 5/8 and 3/4 inch; the width stamped on the burner collar beats any chart.