A wick is a cord or strip of absorbent fibre, usually cotton, that draws liquid fuel or melted wax upward by capillary action so that it can burn steadily as a flame. It is the essential component of candles and of oil, colza and paraffin lamps.
Early candles of tallow and beeswax used twisted cotton or rush wicks that burned unevenly and needed frequent trimming with snuffers, which is why snuffers and wick trimmers were standard companions to candlesticks. In the early nineteenth century plaited wicks that curled into the flame and burned away cleanly reduced the need for trimming. Oil lamps developed alongside wick technology: the Argand lamp of the 1780s introduced a hollow circular wick with a central air supply, while Victorian paraffin lamps used flat or circular woven wicks sized to fit specific burners. Choosing the correct width and type of wick is important for safe, clean burning and good light. Collectors of working lamps often seek original or correctly sized replacement wicks, as a poorly fitted wick causes smoking, uneven flames and soot deposits on chimneys and shades.
