The 'Pixie' burner

The Pixie burner is a popular burner for small decorative lamps and nightlights. Also used in 'Sanctuary lights' because of its long burning and safety.
Very popular through the 1920's up to the 1960's and produced in both Germany and the UK the burner is still made in the Far East today but quality has suffered..
Correct 'Pixie' wick has a braided cotton sheath with a many strand core, often modern lamps have fibreglass or simple string wicks which do not burn well at all. The wick is also popular for decorative oil burners where the wick simply fits though a brass collar in a decorative base.
The correct chimney for this type of burner is the 'Pixie' style, mostly available in clear glass today. Originally frosted, patterned, coloured glass and plastic was available and collectors of the small, non-tip nightlights are keen to find all the variants.

Here is a classic, weighted base nightlight sold in their thousands right up until the mid 1960's. There were several sizes and styles including the nickel plated 'Silver Pixie'

On the right an English made nightlight with opal white pixie chimney, these were also available in clear, coloured and patterned glass.
On the left is a decorative 'bric a brac' lamp from the 1960's with a German burner. The unusual glass chimney matches the base which has three glass 'feet'.
These little lights are very common and a nice collection can be made at very little cost from curio shops and boot fairs.

Left is a 'Pixie' burner with clear chimney in a simple enamelled tin wall lamp. Attached to the nursery or lavatory wall this tiny lamp would give as much light as a candle but be much safer to leave unattended.

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