Hello,I've just finished repairment of OPTIMUS No .1. I would like to know when she was made. I try to learn from CCS but difficult for me to judge 1912 -1915 -1918? Please give me an idea of her age. My best regards HONDA
Thank you Honda, The undated Optimus stoves and an earlier example... (Q&A in a ref post) Without considering more details in-depth, I suggest circa 1918. Seeing the No.1 use of external NRV ended by 1921 production year (pump valve caps not offered in 1921 catalog). Definitely, for ref. post that's all I've got for now. -------------------------------- It appears your burner is original. I checked a discussion re Optimus roarer burners (in sequence). Year ranges have not yet been associated with the different vintage burners. Thanks again.
I have a similar looking stove from Primus, Primus 1sor. It has the same priming cup and also a stamp on the pump cup. Maybe both manufactureres used parts from the same source? On the tank bottom it is stamped with D, so it was produced in 1914. Sorry for the bad photo, its an older one, the focus was on the flame pattern. Ciao, Bastian
Thank you Bastian. Your Primus has stamped with D oｎ the tank bottom, so it was produced in 1914. Mine has O on the tank bottom and pump knob E. What dose it mean? Sorry I didn't undestand well. Ciao Honda
Hi @HONDA Optimus did not date-code their stoves. The random letters that you sometimes find on Optimus stoves are perhaps for internal control in the factory but are not a code for dating the component or stove. We have to rely on specific features of the stove appearing in illustrations from dated catalogues, or accompanying dated papers, such as instructions, to indicate likely manufacturing date. Best Regards, Kerophile.
Hej @HONDA I just wanted to emphasize the similarities between both stoves. The letters on the pump knob doesn't have anything to do with the production date. But only a few pump knobs are stamped, so maybe this only typical for a special time era. As Kerophile said, it is just a specific feature, which can be used to compare theses stoves. The same with the priming cup, stoves from other times has other formed priming cups. Ciao, Bastian
Hi @Steven Whalley . Your Optimus stove is of the correct period for such a date but I have never seen nor heard of an Optimus dated stove, and certainly not one with a clear year date prominently displayed on top of the tank. It is a rare item.... It was not unusual in the early part of the 20th C. to see retail outlets or importers add their own details to imported stoves, but invariably engraved or embossed on brass labels or plaques soldered onto the top or side of a tank. It is possible that the “Model No.1914” on your stove tank was added to a production stove, for use as a display item at a National Show or event. The lettering looks factory made but I doubt Optimus as a source. I think it more likely that this lettering was added post-production by a competent tradesman using a commercial engraving machine. Best Regards, Kerophile.
