According to whaling records whale oil was the finest grade of oil anywhere on the planet. It burned smokeless, didn't have a bad odor, and did last a while. Also, it didn't go rancid. Oil wasn't the only thing whalers got from the whales. Baleen was important. It was used for buggy whips, the hoops in hoop skirts, stays in corsets, the holds in lampshades and also was layered and used as a type of spring under the buggy seats. It was all a big business. Thank God for the discovery of oil in the US. That probably saved the whales at that time.