Use a sharp pair of scissors to trim wick perfectly flat with as
few stray fibers as possible. Then trim it occasionally to keep it this
way removing as little wick as possible. (approximately 1/8 inch)
An optimally trimmed wick will produce the most  even flame and
thus the most  light.

Another method that requires a less steady hand but is somewhat
more messy is to burn the top 1/8 inch or so of the wick even
with the burner entrance. You can accomplish this when the
lantern is new before you add fuel, or by running the lantern
out of fuel. Burn the wick down to the burner entrance then brush
off the excess particles. It will then be very even.

Wicks are consumed at 1/4 - 3/8 inch per gallon of fuel burned.
This is an approximate generalization and will vary substantially
depending upon many variables.  Wicks will be consumed rapidly if
your lantern is out of fuel.

Never fill a lantern above the bottom level of the filler hole when
it is sitting level. They will seep and appear to have a weeping fount.
If you do overfill dump some fuel out to bring it to the proper level
then set  it on some absorbent material it will probably seep for a while.

You can burn kerosene, lamp oil, citronella oil and charcoal lighter.
Usually the clear types of fuel burn the best.. Clear lamp oil and
Ultra pure tm lamp oil produce little or no odor, kerosene has a
slight odor. Most  odor is produced when you extinguish the flame.
If you do this outdoors you will substantially reduce undesirable odors.
 Kerosene is the cheapest at about $1.50 a gallon. DO NOT USE
GASOLINE OR COLEMAN FUEL.

If you store your lantern outside in temperature extremes
condensation will form inside a full or partially full fount. The
kerosene will float on the water and the inside bottom of the
fount will rust. If you keep them outside in an unheated garage
or outbuilding dump the fuel out. If you store them inside dump
the fuel every year or so to keep it reasonably fresh.

When first lighting keep the flame low a few minutes and
allow the lantern to warm up before doing your final flame
adjustments. Adjust the flame so no smoke or soot is produced.
If your flame is smoking the soot  it  produces will darken the globe
and possibly crack the glass if allowed to continue this way.

To remove the globe from these lanterns do the following:
First make sure the lantern is cool, and the globe is in the down
position.With the bail in one hand pick up the D ring on top of the
lantern with one of your fingers .(same hand as the bail) With the
other hand tilt the globe out. Then release the bail and
D ring and remove the globe.

I prefer to extinguish the flame by slowly lowering the wick until the flame
goes out. This is easier for me than blowing out the flame.

There are basically three types of kerosene lanterns.
Dead Flame, Hot Blast, Cold Blast

Dead Flame
Dead Flame Lanterns have no channeled air supply to the flame.

Hot Blast
Hot Blast Lanterns channel the flames own exhaust back to it. This
type of lantern produces a orange type flame and tends
to flicker more than the cold blast.

Cold Blast
Cold Blast Lanterns channel fresh air to the flame. This type produces
an almost white type of flame. It is the brightest of the three
and the most efficient

Dating Antique Lanterns
Many antique and vintage  Dietz lanterns can be somewhat dated by
determining the patent date. Examine the sideposts
(centerpost on a hot blast type)very closely. On one a series of
patent dates will be very lightly stamped,with
the most  recent being on the bottom. This will give you an
idea of its'production time. A magnifying glass is very helpful
when attempting to locate these dates.

Replacement Parts.
Lanterns online has a complete stock of replacement parts for all
lanterns for sale at this site. I also have a stock of some antique lantern parts. Email me with any requests for parts not listed.