Aladdin started providing a wick cleaner with every lamp sold from model 4 to the present day. Over the years there have been at least 20 versions of the wick cleaner, including at least 4 versions of the plastic wick cleaner. I do not have one of every Aladdin wick cleaner made, so those illustrated here represent a partial selection

The earliest wick cleaners were one piece and had three prongs folded out from the wick cleaner's sides

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 straight bottom two skirt versions are likely for model 9 through 11 lamps.  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 1942 to 1945. Wick cleaners made during that time are of plated steel as was the wick cleaner provided with the steel Brazil model C burner. Aladdin was still selling model 12 burners in Australia during WWII. The model 12 wick cleaner provided with these burners were gray painted steel.

The first plastic wick cleaners were made in England, likely for the model 21 burner and were supplied with new lamps through 2013. A new brass wick cleaner was introduced in 2014.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  In today's world of computer controlled precision machining, stamping and assembly it is easy to forget the metal wick cleaners were largely hand manipulated and assembled with not real thought of exact tolerances.  All that really mattered was that the wick cleaner base fit into the top of the wick and that the skits  or prongs that cleaned the wick were the same height. When I first started collecting wick cleaners I noticed that some of the same type were taller than others and assumed they were different versions. Then it occurred to me that it didn't make sense and I looked closer.  Variations in height within a style occurs on the top part of a two part wick cleaner.  The differences were how far the top part was pushed into the lower part before the dimples were applied to hold the two parts together.  The height was not a specification that affects a wick cleaners fitness for use.  My guess is that someone grabbed a bottom part from one bin, a top part from another bin, pushed them together and offered the assembly up to the machine that punched the dimples.  I also have a couple cleaners in the same family that have slightly different length top sections.  This too is not a function critical specification so I suspect the differences may be how the worker set up the cut off tool that day for the top part of the wick cleaner. It is the bottom part that is the most critical and I have not seen any variances within a family on the bottom part.  I'm suggesting that height differences between members of a family are more a matter of differences in assembly and not changes in specification. unless you are comparing steel WWII wick cleaners to their brass equivalent.  The slight height variations may be just a matter of how the worker was feeling the moment he pushed the two parts together.

The Aladdin model 4 instruction booklet is the first to mention a wick cleaner. This is the wick cleaner I currently believe was provided with the model 4 and possibly the model 5 Aladdin lamps. This wick cleaner has smooth rounded edges on both sides of the arms. All later Aladdin wick cleaners presented a flat edge to the wick top when turned in the proper direction The flattened edge would do a better job of removing carbon from the wick.

Wick cleaner courtesy of Steve Fowler

The common Model 6 wick cleaner. This wick cleaner has a notch in each side flange that presents a horizontal surface that removes the carbon build up on the wick. The cleaner is turned in the direction of the notch.

NOTE:  This wick cleaner has been reproduced by B&P lamp supply. If the brass looks bright & new it probably is

This is the B&P Lamp Supply reproduction of the Aladdin model 6 wick cleaner.

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 wick cleaner on the left has straight sides with no curve at the bottom. This is usually associated with Aladdin models 9, 10 and 11 lamps.

The wick cleaner on the right has a curved bottom and is usually associated with the UK Super Aladdin lamps

REPRODUCTION

This is NOT and Aladdin wick cleaner.  It is a reproduction made by B&P Lamp supply.

Do not get fooled into thinking that this is a genuine Aladdin old wick cleaner.

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 right wick cleaner creates sharp letter edges while the dies used for the left wick cleaner produces a more rounded or fuzzy letter edge.

This is a steel model 12 wick cleaner from Australia.  Made during WWII. It has smooth sides with no knurling along the top sides.

Reads:" Model 12, unreadable number, Aladdin Wick Cleaner"

Another model 12 wick cleaner from Australia. This one is brass and is the only Aladdin wick cleaner I have seen with a closed bottom

READS: "Model 12, No8303, Aladdin wick cleaner"

Photo courtesy of Steve Fowler

There are two known versions of the Australian model 12 wick cleaner with a closed bottom. They each have a different shape in the skirt where it cuts off carbon bits from the top of the wick. Also one has a knurled top and one is smooth.

These wick cleaners were most likely for model A and model B lamps. The most noticeable difference between the left cleaner and the other two is the font used for the Aladdin name. The most obvious difference is the L and D's in the name Aladdin. The earlier version have these letters almost the same height as the A. Later versions have these letters shorter than the capital A. The wick cleaner on the right is plated steel produced during WW II.

Aladdin wick cleaners with Aladdin in script were likely post WWII model B wick cleaners.  Three of them have no knurling along the top sides.  The one at the bottom left is shown in a diagonal view below. This script font style was also used on model 14, 21 and 21C lamps

This wick cleaner clearly has knurling and is a little shorter than the other three. This wick cleaner came to me from the UK.

This wick cleaner came from the UK and is the only type found so far that has both the underlined script logo and a wider top knurl .

Photos by Steve Fowler

I believe this wick cleaner was supplied with the Nashville model C lamps.

This steel wick cleaner was made in Brazil and sold with the Brazilian Aladdin lamps made between 1973 and 1975. These, along with those provided with the model 21C were the last of the metal wick cleaners. There are a few brass versions of this wick cleaner.  They evidently came with the rare brass Brazil model C burners.

This wick cleaner is associated with the model 23 made in England lamps.

When manufacture of the lamps was moved to Hong Kong, the wick cleaners were labeled "Made in Hong Kong".  Sometime, years later the colour of the plastic was changed to a darker gray.

These Aladdin wick cleaners are associated with model 23 lamps made in Hong Kong