I can't remember what we called these at scouts (probably the same as you to be honest) Our group owns a few of them, and we have the manuals too, but I haven't seen them for years.
Hi, I've recently picked up one of these. To my mind there should be two "lids". One for the bottom, and one for the top when being transported. However, mine only came with the bottom "lid", and I see David's is only shown with one. Anyone any idea as to whether my supposition is correct?
Sorry to resurrect this old thread, but these Bleuet "Cornflower" stoves in the colorful blue tins - are they from the late 1960 or late 1950s? Were they made for a decade or just a few years? Any other history on these models (e.g. were they the first to use gas canisters, if not then which ones were?). Thanks.
I believe the Bleuet was the first of the disposable cartridge butane stoves - early/mid 1950's I'm guessing - and was largely responsible for making the format and the fuel popular. Also responsible of course was the massive effort and investment the Campingaz company made to ensure the replacement cartridges were widely available. Earlier butane stoves, such as this Wee-Dex ... Wee-Dex, 1949 ... required the user to swap empty fuel bottles for full ones at one of a network of refilling outlets, much fewer than the number of retailers who subsequently stocked Campingaz disposable catridges. The Bleuet sold well and was still around in 1961 as this catalogue shows Campingaz products 1961 What led to its demise appears in that catalogue, the 'Super Bleuet' which used larger disposable cartridges (the pierceable 190g ones still available today) and was a better, more stable, stove. The 'Super Bleuet' (distributed under the Garcia label in the USA) gained a lot of sales and credibility when an American team of mountaineers made it their expedition stove of choice when they climbed Everest in 1963. It performed very well indeed, helped by the fact that unlike at sea level, the butane was unaffected by cold (10,000 feet of elevation and the consequent reduction in atmospheric pressure is equivalent to warming the contents by 20 degrees Fahrenheit at sea level). Even on a moderately cold day at sea level or low altitudes, a 'vapour fed' stove such as the Bleuet, or Super Bleuet, will fail to operate, or only feebly, because of the effect of the cold reducing the vapour pressure of the gas in the cartridge to virtually zero (so no gas appears at the burner). With that basic flaw, it can only have been summer campers who popularised it. Serious all-season campers and hikers stuck with their kerosene or Coleman fuelled stoves. John
You realy have a nice stove. In french, he word "bleuet" means "cornflower". It refere to the color and patern of the flame ans is a trademark of "campingaz". Note that in canadian french "bleuet" means "blueberry" wich is a bit more tasty
You're right John. The earliest advertising I've seen with a bleuet butane on it is dated 1956 (see picture below). Before this there was another butane stove with 1l interchangeable bottles (I will post about it, maybe not next week, but the week after), but heavier. It also seems that early bleuet butane models have got a metal scroll wheel (aluminium, I guess), and later model have a blue plastic one (like the one on this post). And right again! The Super Bleuet was apparently released in 1959 (I have several ads about that one), but the original bleuet butane was still sold at this time. It has apparently been discontinued later. Another interesting fact: I think that campingaz released an earlier version of their "soudogaz" welding lamp, working with earlier bleuet-butane-type canisters. I've seen one, that is probably from the mid 1950's, with a canister compartment that is lower from the later version. If I get it, I'll post pictures of it. But according to its style, color and markings, it's definitely an early model (maybe the first welding lamp with disposable canisters?). Bastien.
@David Shouksmith for me, your Bleuet could be dated post-1960. I explain: early versions have the aluminium control knob. Later versions get that blue plastic control knob, very similar to the one campingaz used on their Super Bleuet and Lumogaz products in early 1960's (1961 or 1962).
Hmm, I wonder what happened to that little Bleuet stove - it was an ornament in my bathroom for years sitting on top of the lavatory cistern. Then I updated the bathroom around 3 years ago...
