This stove appealed to me because it is different than the ones I have. Not knowing what it is obviously didn't deter me from buying it, but now that I have, I'm curious what I have. After looking in the gallery, I think it might be an Optimus 88, but I'm unsure. Here are some photos from the auction site where I bought it.
77, I was given one of these in the mid-1970's by my parents when they came back from visiting friends in Sweden. It took over from my Primus 210 for most of my climbing trips, and I still have it!
They made a couple different variants of that, good units. Optimus 88, 91 77A, all pretty close. I've got one that sees a goodly amount of use. Is that the large military burner or the standard, Trangia size? Try it, you'll like it!
Thank you @BigScott very cool that you still have it! @Majicwrench I'm unsure about the burner, I just bought it yesterday, I believe it will arrive late next week. I'm eager to try it. Sometimes I like buying used stoves since I don't worry about firing them up. The eBay ad is still up for now. I know I overpaid, but I wanted to try it. Vintage OPTIMUS Single Burner Camp Stove Metal Sweden | eBay
Nothing wrong with that price. I'm fond of stoves with stories buried deep inside em wanting to come out. Think of the adventures they could tell us. Looking at it, I can't decide which burner that is. Might go get mine and look.
It's easy to see it is the 77 as pressings and burner size are identic with the original swedish army ranger storm cooker - later versions have different burner holders, either for the military size burner or Trangia size burner and the last version hade Trangia sized burner and slightly different but yet back compatible pressings.
@lisantica I'd say that's a bargain. well done, congrats. once in-hand have a close look at afterburner's 77A. Optimus 77a yours should be a match i recall some confusion commenced in that thread, for your comparison/reference just stick with the 77A afterburner presents in his 1st entry/comment in the thread. I expect your burner will be exact match to afterburner's and mine (Burner of that 77a doesn't have any markings. Bottom of the burner there is co-centric pressed circles with diameter 70mm and 53mm.) The burner size/type is common: the bigger Swedish military type. Bigger (maybe not better) than the later/current Trangias. That exact Optimus-77A-provided burner is more rare and different than the more common Swedish military issued ones. Nice.
Thank you @OMC, I will definitely have a closer look at the burner once it is in hand and compare it to the one in the link you provided. I'm glad I am getting feedback that the price wasn't too bad.
It looks like the same burner that I had which is similar but not the same as the military burner, better threads on the lid. Mine came with a fixed opening simmer ring which I had to open a bit more to get a decent simmer. Come on get it going!!!
Here's mine. The larger burner w simmer ring came with it, I made the adapter so I can use smaller burner if I wish. I had a another of these 77s?, also took the larger burner, but had a little different windscreen burner height. A caveat on the larger burner, that is the burner that was in the kit when I opened it just now, but I have three of those large burners, it MAY not be the one that came with the kit when I bought it. That burner is unmarked on bottom. Another is marked "Made in Switzerland" and a third has the three crowns and a different not-quite-thread way of holding cap on.
Here's a picture of the one I sold w simmer ring on. If you look closely you can see the plate where burner sits is slightly different
@lisantica Nice score. I got mine just over a year ago. It's anything but pretty, but it works well. I may take on an extended motorcycle trip later in the year.
