I'm looking to get into kero stoves.. But being a Yank I only know from white gas beasts.. So I'm looking for some starter tips..

I have a rough idea of what I want, but I'm not certain what the best brand to start with is. Or conversly what brands to avoid..

The things I'm looking for are: colapsable(sp?), dual fuel (white gas/kero. So I can indulge my white gas hobby as well), & well, that's about it.. Other than not wanting a box stove like an optimus hiker..

Any ideas?

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I also have a question about what kind of fuel you can feed a kero stove.. Will they do alright with liquid paraffin (lamp oil) or a synthetic kerosene (clearlite)? (My aladdin lamp seems happy with the clearlite, but doesn't like the paraffin oil. The Dietz lanterns don't seem to care.) Or do I need to try and find some real kerosene somewhere? I've also heard that in a pinch you can use diesel fuel, is this true?

As a fellow Yank, I can comment on fuel. Kerosene is widely available here. If you've bought Clearlite, you can buy kero at the same places. Indeed, Exxon has quit making Clearlite, at least last I heard. Clearlite works very well in a kerosene stove; it's my preferred fuel for indoor use of my keroburners because it is largely odorless.
I wouldn't use lamp oil; much of it is kerosene, but with additives. K-1 grade kero is the thing.
As for dual-fuel petrol/kero stoves, the selection is tiny, mainly the Optimus 111 variants and a couple of others.
The way you can best indulge kerosene and petrol stove interest is to buy both types! Based on your criteria, my suggestion for starters are the small to mid-sized collapsibles: Primus and Optimus 96, Primus 210, Optimus 00, Svea 121, etc.
You'll learn a lot just cruising through spiritburner's site. Welcome!

Hello,
My first stove was a Radius 17. It is a collapsible stove that is awaiting the resovour / transport cap. My suggestion is exactly what Ed has said get a small Primus 210 or Optimus 00. A stove with the tin, and all the accesories tend to go for a higher price. But , that is not a bad thing. Because you will get a really nice stove. The price is up to you. I find that most of the really nice older brass models from Sweden tend to be in the UK. So shipping becomes a factor. I have met some nice stovies here on this board and have traded with them. I got some nice stoves and made some good friends. I would advise you to hang about here and read up on stoves and see what apeals to you. Watch stoves on E-Bay and see what stoves of a particular model are selling for that way you will know a deal when you see it. Beware of the 'Rare' Optimus 8R and the 'complete stove' that is missing the pot supports and burner domes. The galleries here show what a complete stove should look like.
You can always ask qustions and get advice from here but, I would caution you on asking about the values. As what a stove is worth and what it will sell for are always the unknown.

Chuck

I got into this hobby over two years ago strictly by chance. I found a M1942 and M1941 at a garage sale. When I first saw them they were in there canisters and I had no idea what they were. I was very surprised that these two stoves fitted into the canisters, the same canisters (adjustable) at that. I picked them up for a song and went straight home to get on the internet to find out what I could about them both. It has been all downhill from there. These two stoves were acquired by chance. I have since picked up nearly 200 more by choice, not to mention the lanterns, blow lamps, soldering butts, etc. BEWARE, this hobby can entice you into the "got to have it" mode quicker than you might anticipate.

For the first stove, I would have to recommend the M1942 military WWII mountain stove. It has all the design basics associated with the swedish varities but is made from stainless and brass, is compact, historic, completely removeable pump and just plain interesting. Gordon