Aladdin started providing a wick cleaner with every lamp sold from around model 4 to the present day. Over the years there have been at least 30 versions of the wick cleaner, including at least 4 versions of the plastic wick cleaner.

If you fancy collecting wick cleaners or even wish to make sense of which wick cleaner should be paired with which lamp (Important for original caboose lamps) you will need the definitive treatise on Aladdin wick cleaners. This was published in the Aladdin Knights, Mystic Lamp newsletter, volume 26 Number 4, dated November 1998. This issue is still available for sale through the Aladdin Knight web site. This treatise, written by Bill Courter, is a must if you wish to have a hope of understanding wick cleaners verities

The earliest wick cleaners were one piece and had three prongs folded out from the wick cleaner's sides. I'm not positive but I suspect a 2 prong version of the three prong wick cleaner was supplied with Aladdin match holders starting with model 6. The only wick cleaner that can fit into the wick cleaner pocket is a three prong version minus one prong. The one I have with two prongs fits the holder nicely, unlike all the others and the third prong was cleanly cut off suggesting that it was done on purpose with tools rather than broken with use or abuse.

The straight bottom two skirt versions are likely for model 9 through 11 lamps.

The two skirt wick cleaners are a two piece construction. There is a thimble shaped body with the bottom skirt held in place by a friction fit and dimpling the assembled parts. This means the positioning of the skirts in relation to the lettering on the thimble part is not fixed and can vary during assembly.

The earliest versions of the two skirt wick cleaner had a straight bottom. The bottom of later versions were curved inwards to prevent insertion damage to the wick. The Brazilian model C wick cleaners (lowest on left) had the most pronounced curve at the base.

Brass was rationed from 1943 to 1945. Wick cleaners made during that time are of plated steel.

Top and bottom views of the wick cleaner used on Aladdin model 7 and 8 lamps.

Model 6 three prong wick cleaner (left) and models 7 & 8 wick cleaner (right) side by side for a size comparison.

The top of the model 7 & 8 wick cleaner has a much larger diameter than the earlier ones.

The serifs on 12 and Aladdin are different between the two versions of model 12 wick cleaners. For instance, the serif on the L in Aladdin is shaped like a check mark on the right cleaner and is a left angle on the left cleaner.

One way to tell them apart is the sharpness of the lettering. The dies used to form the lettering on the left wick cleaner creates sharp letter edges while the dies used for the left wick cleaner produces a more rounded or fuzzy letter edge.

These wick cleaners were most likely for model A and early model B lamps. The most obvious difference is the L and D's in the name Aladdin. The earlier version have these letters the same height as the A. Later versions have these letters shorter than the capital A. In this instance the cleaner on the left is brass and the one on the right is plated steel produced during WW II.