Yes, are you sitting comfortably? I'm about to go into lecture mode. The mantle is cotton treated with Thorium, only other use is nuclear reactors. Initially they are just like cloth. When it is lit for the first time the heat causes a change and it becomes brittle and delicate, never try to light the lamp with a damaged mantle. The Parrafin vapour burns inside the mantle, which glows as a result of the heat, otherwise it would be a hurricane lamp. Cost about £3 each, but you can buy in bulk fromvarious internet sites. Or a full service kit from Tilley themselves, you do need a meth wick that clamps around the heater pipe to pre heat the burner.