Not sure about the date but guessing early ‘70s… boxed and unfired. It won’t stay that way because I plan to use it…
Can I see the vaporizer, below the bell? Smooth is early, after '69 purchase of Svea by Optimus. Rings indicate a later version, but before the 123R introduction.
If you want to be a smart consumer. Sell it as unfired, and by several, or more, to use. People will jump at a chance of unfired 123 for their collection.
I agree with @snwcmpr … As to the date, there may be a date on the box; and @OMC has done some work on the different boxes. Tony
Hi @Doug Imrie You have a beautiful stove outfit there. It would be really useful if you could take some close-up photos of the stove box, in particular a close-up of the Svea shield and any lettering on it. If you could post a copy of the instructions for the Reference section that would also be great, as the Printer’s marks can often include a date. Thank you, Best Regards, Kerophile.
If the chain is original to the stove, then I agree it’s likely early ‘70s. @snwcmpr is right about the vaporizer being a definitive identifier, though. Can you please post a photo with the wind shield removed? ….Arch
Thank you. A transition 123. It is what I call a very undervalued 123. It does not have the engraving and stamping on the parts of a Sievert Svea 123, that make them pricey, but has the parts of one. Sold by Optimus, they run like a Sievert. The later 123, with rings on the vaporizer, seem to have details changed, and do not run as well. Nice find.
Hi @Doug Imrie Hi, the red shield label on the box, which contains the Sievert Svea stove 123 reads; “Svea Stoves Trading AB-SWEDEN” This is the same convention as Optimus used for Primus after they acquired their rights in 1963 ie Primus Trading AB. An online search for this form of the Svea Company name reveals a catalogue for blowlamps on the site; blowlamps.co.uk This catalogue has the following address for the company: SVEA STOVES TRADING AB S-19401 Upplands Vasby, SWEDEN. This is also the registered address and location of the Factory of Optimus. Sievert had previously had their registered address at; PO Box 55, SUNDBYBERG, SWEDEN until their factory there was closed in 1969/70 when the Svea brand was acquired by Optimus. So it looks like the stove is post the Optimus takeover of Svea and therefore made after 1969/70, and before the Optimus Factory in Upplands Vasby itself closed in 1985. Best Regards, Kerophile.
My Svea 123 with the rings, was purchased in Sacramento California in 1970 right after I moved there to attend college. Used it with a Sigg cook set for years. Burned 'great guns'. Still does. Don't have the original box. It's in my rotation of morning coffee makers and still one of my favorites. I have a duplicate stove and Sigg set unfired. Just to admire and recall how my well used kit looked back in 1970.
Welcome @Doug Imrie, Thank you for posting this as well as your other recent examples posted, all well done. Congrats on this score, it's very nice. re "Not sure about the date but guessing early ‘70s… " title is: SVEA 123 circa 1971? 1971: is an excellent guess. There is another very complete in-box exact match to this stove that has a very faded "...71 " on top. So one exactly like it in every way is from '71. credit kerophile (for decades) with name on crest as dating detail . In this case it is Svea Stoves Trading... (Optimus), a good detail to post while the box is still handy. re: If you could post a copy of the instructions for the Reference section that would also be great, as the Printer’s marks can often include a date. In-general for all examples a legible pic of instruction page is always a good thing. In this case, specifically, i would expect: "Sievert" is in the crest (upper right). Did i get that right? If yes, yours could be exact match to this version link credit Ross for *example and explanation in 2008. This is the last ver. of 123 instruction with "Sievert" anywhere. Following the link Ross shows (and explains) this same instruction, *his Optimus 123 stove differs slightly vs similar 123 in OP.
The rings are a transition detail. At some time between the purchase of the Svea line by Optimus in '69, and the introduction of the 123R a few years into the 70s, Optimus added the rings to the vaporizer. Your saying 1970 is evidence that the rings were added earlier, rather than later. Possibly after the existing stock of Sievert made vaporizers were used up OR Optimus started adding Optimus made vaporizers while still using up the Sievert made stock. In '70, it was 2 years after leaving Sacramento and I was in Sparks Nevada. What a coincidence. I spent almost all of my childhood in Sacramento.
