With @Twoberth Duncan’s masterly paper on the history of Monitor 17 and 127 stoves as my reference I’ve been getting to know a Monitor 127, 1937 predecessor of the popular Monitor 17B of the 1950’s. The primary feature distinguishing the 127 from the contemporary Monitor 17 and Monitor 17B a couple of decades later are its stubby and not fold-away feet. The stove’s tin box is a beauty with a black, red, yellow colour scheme and with scenes contemporary to the 1920’s, pre-dating the stove’s 1937 date by a good ten years. 1920’s car Guide’s uniform of the 1920’s Pressure release valve in the fuel cap. A variation from the usual hexagonal securing nut for the pump cup assembly. Distinctive ‘ledge’ in the burner bell, which the cast iron flame plate doesn’t actually rest on (it bottoms out in the slots). The collapsible windshield. There’s no way the keeper cap could be tightened sufficiently to make a seal with the lead washer in the vapouriser mounting boss. The slot’s too shallow. My solution (reversible for authenticity) is a nitrile rubber insert. Finger tight using the cap’s knurled perimeter it seals reliably. Indentation of the lead washer. Having ensured I can back-pack the stove without it leaking fuel I think that for such outings I’ll temporarily replace the original tinplate spirit can with a rather nice reproduction brass one, avoiding rusting of the tin. A good performer. John
Absolutely magnificent John ! You have done a trememdous job with this stove . Congratulations - Alastair
A brilliant documented and tutorial post of the Monitor 127 John. The graphics and design of the 1920's tin is superb, and i really like the condition of this tin all the graphics are all clear enough and yet it really shows it's age and nicely preserved. Once again John brilliant work as all ways
@Twoberth Hey, thank you Duncan. You led the way in alerting me to the charm of the model. Thanks All!
Great stuff, I like the striking Monitor colour scheme of red, yellow and black which continued post-war. The out of date graphics on the tin are intriguing... deliberate nostalgia of more carefree pre-depression days prehaps?
A simpler explanation is that though the 127 was produced in the late 30’s the model 17 pre-dates it, originating in the late 1920’s (Duncan’s research). The tin box produced back then for the 17 remained unchanged and the 127 was marketed in it too. Night fell here.
