Some prefer them shiny ... Radius 17 - archivist ... but personally I prefer them like this, unrestored, unmolested and without having had the stove equivalent of a perma-tan ... especially when I've not had to pay top dollar for the privelege of having the evidence of ownership of a couple of generations of users stripped away True, the 'patina' gets a bit excessive here and there, with some corrosion in the steelwork It's always good to have the tank travelling cap still around after all those years ... ... together with the compacted soil samples from many a picnic ground still stuffed in the tubular legs Basic checks revealed the tank filler cap seal's not hardened up ... ... and the lead tank-to-riser seal's as functional as ever Priming, and you get to know when a paraffin stove's in great shape when that little pilot flame appears at the jet nipple even before the air valve's been screwed shut. Tells me it's raring to go Absolutely John
OMG John That is a superbly beatifully patinated stove. Well done on the find and maintaining the many years of maturation. Bubble of jealosy rising as I type this
John I love, love, love Radius stoves. So well made and harder to find than Primus, Optimus an Svea. I especially like the early ones like yours with the great engravings. I also love that quirky trivet. Of course, despite its age and past use, it fires up magnificently.
Thanks for your comments, Graham and Trevor. Like all the best finds, I associate it with a bit of an adventure that had me driving over to Dewsbury in the morning to pick up this Primus butane stove, which the seller wouldn't post because of the gas cartridges ... Primus 2251 ... taking in Skipton en route to pick up 21 gas cartridges for this stove ... Jet Gaz 'Fan Fan' butane stove ... then ending up in Stockport because the seller of the Radius wasn't keen on posting, since he'd been messed about by fussy buyers saying goods weren't as described etc. Most heart-stopping moment of the bit of an adventure was getting through the outskirts of Saltaire without tripping any or all of about six Truvelo speed cameras in the space of less than a mile ... Truvelo John
Hi John Veeerryyy nice , if only they could give up their secrets & tell their stories of a stove life lived lovely patina & should be found snuggled in the boot of a touring Triumph TR3 or Aston Martin DB3/4/5 8) Stu
Hi John, I think these early Radius No.17 stoves had around 11 languages featured on the tank: https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/5507 Best Regards, Kerophile.
Presscall - Your topics remind me of the 'Haynes' type car repair books available for home mechanics. Very good descriptive detail in your topics backed up with professional photos as well.
Threedots said: I've certainly consulted plenty of those in my time to keep jalopies and motorcycles ticking over! Black and white photography was the order of the day though John
Nice one, John, and what great flames. Looks about as good as the day it left the factory in terms of heat output. And a simply gorgeous patina on the tank. Sometimes the convoluted stove appointments are the best. I recently visited my sister in Northern California, some 6 hours drive from where I live in Southern California. On the way back, I linked up with a photographer who used to shoot photos for MSR stoves. For my persistence and trouble, I was rewarded with a titanium fuel bottle (fairly rare and worth a bit of coin to a collector) and an MSR "espresso star" which is a device to allow a small radius espresso maker to sit on a stove whose pot supports would normally be too far apart. Oh, and I got a stove and two repair kits out of the deal as well as two regular aluminum fuel bottles, all for $100. Anyway! This post is about your beautiful Radius. I was just relating to your drive to pick up your stove. Good stuff! HJ
Hi John, A Radius No.17 marked up as made by Radius rather than Radius Ltd. According to Stefan's research that would make it pre-1938. Best Regards, Kerophile.