An unrestored 1 pint stove made in Palestine by 'J.W.' during the British mandate period. This makes it most likely 1930s, or possibly 1940s WW2 period. The tin is painted in the distinctive British army desert reconnaissance 'Pink Panther' colour. But looks like it has been used by some camels for football practice. The stove itself is very basic and chunkey. It has several interesting features: an unadorned short hex bar riser, a large No.1 size burner head instead of the smaller burner size normally found on a 1 pint stove, the head is also being of an unknown mark (to me at least), peculiar fixed leg socket feet, and an unusual meths tin lid.
Hello IGH, Now that would surely have to be a rarity!!! Wonderful. Hope to see it going!!! Best regards, Mike.
Hi Ian, another interesting stove. Have a look at my one: https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/9107 A Good New Year, Best Regards, George.
Thanks for that link Kerophile. I had completely forgotten about that stove - but being so old my memory is not what it was. As soon as I saw the post, I remembered your communications with Doron but did not remember the JW at all, just Phoenix. Did you ever find out what 'JW' stands for?
George, What!?! - that's got to be tongue-in-cheek! Hasn't it? Your great 'Phoenix' model looks a lot more sophisticated design and production quality, as well as having survived in rather better shape. Will Doron have anything more to add? Ian.
Hi, very interesting find. Actually the actual origin of the Phoenix stoves and burners is unknown here as well. It was either manufactured or imported and branded by a metal factory here in Israel. Pal-Bell is an Israeli company for the production of useful metal items and art founded by Maurice Ascalon and brother in law, Abraham. Established in 1939, the company has created hundreds of different items made of copper and brass - one line of decorative items (art and design) and the main line of Judaica, when most of the products are intended for export and sale to Jewish tourists in Israel. Product design was influenced by different styles that were prevalent at that time in Europe, including Art Deco and Viennese bronze industry flourished at that time. During the Revolutionary War they manufactured for the IDF ammunition and at the request of the government converted the Pal-Bell plant for the production of ammunition for the war effort. It suspected that they tried stoves as a side business that wasn't a real success.
Another couple of possibilities: Supplementary question to Doron: " do you think that there could be any possibility that these were produced either by a Palestinian firm maybe at Haifa or by a Mandate period British entrepreneur; either of these would presumably have disappeared without trace after 1948/9?" Response: "Could be. Israelis after the '50s did not like to save old stuff and a lot of history went missing (small details)... a lot of people got rid of the stuff that reminded them of troubled years".
