A curiosity from 1988, when Optimus became a UK-based company, but owned by Camping Gaz. The Optimus International ‘Weekend Division’ pierceable butane cartridge in bright yellow lacks the colour harmony of its Camping Gaz stablemate. A label on the stove echoes the unsuitability of anything but the blue cartridge … … obviously making an exception for the Optimus cart! John
My parents were very early adopters of Camping Gaz so I never grew up with paraffin stoves. Didn't see a pressurised brassy lovely until I was 16! It was love at first sight, not gonna lie. But...can't deny, every photo I see of the blue gassies brings back so many childhood memories. No partiuclar affection for the stoves themselves, but the memories they hold are priceless. And the sound of a Camping gaz lamp (got us through the Winter of Discontent in the late 70s) still evokes happiness, though I now much prefer a Tilley. My parents would never have purchased a yellow gas cannister. The instructions say blue. It was ALWAYS blue. Though to be fair, they had stopped camping by the late 80s.
Weekend division! I like that a lot. It seems a subtle way of saying 'Not really our thing'. Interesting twist in the history of Optimus though. @alcina I'm the same- my family camping was based around such blue stoves and lamps and although nostalgic I'm firmly into paraffin!
@Blackdog I have a specific memory with this particular Camping Gaz stove model: summer 1976. My mother was studying for a degree and so very busy, and as part of that degree we were on holidy somewhere in the south of England so she could study some Roman remains. My father, my sister and I were left to our own devices. We'd stopped somewhere to brew up. The gas cannister was empty and as my father unscrewed it the burner part also unscrewed and fell into a drain! My father (ex army) lifted up the drain cover and jumped down (the relevance of it being 1976 is that we were in the middle of a drought so the drain, fortunately, was empty). It took him rather longer to get out of the drain! But get out he eventually did, with the burner and a ripped shirt, and we had tea in the car park as planned! My father died a year ago almost to the day. Seeing @presscall's posting brought all those happy memories back. Thank you.
Somewhat humorously... The yellow color of the Optimus cartridge, combined with the blue of the rest, I associate with the colors of the Swedish flag. That is, the homeland of Optimus.
Damn fine observation @Knee !!! The blue of Camping Gaz is notably NOT the French royal blue. But it is, combined with the yellow of the Optimus cannister EXACTLY the same blue and yellow of the Swedish flag!
To the best of my knowledge Camping Gaz never 'owned' Optimus, Camping gaz UK distributed Optimus in the UK along with Katadyn water filters, Nalgene plastic bottles and Sigg. Optimus Had offices in Rushden, Northamptonshire from 1978 to 1987 until they handed over distribution to Camping Gaz UK. They worked from Rushden for a short while, then moved to Offices in Slough from 1988 t0 1996. In 1996 distribution changed to Alde International UK, an arm of a Swedish company specialising in heating equipment for motorhomes. Unfortunately Camping Gaz had not maintained the warehousing and pricing of spare parts for years and when Alde took over distribution a lot of new stock had to be obtained and prices revised. We saw the price of a 2500 nipple, (#1, #5, 00 stoves), rise overnight from 62p plus tax to £3.90 plus tax....! In 2005 major changes at Optimus AB in Sweden marked the end of distribution in the UK by Alde and discontinuation of all classic stove parts by Optimus. In 2007 the Optimus brand was sold to Katadyn who own a number of outdoor brands. Now distribution of the 'modern' Optimus stoves is handled by Lyon Equipment in Cumbria and manufacturing is in China. :-(( Camping Gaz themselves were swallowed up along with Coleman by 'Newall Brands', a company specialising in brand names and boast of their 30 brands and 25,000 employees Worldwide. Newall own Spontex, Rubbermaid, Crockpot, Mr Coffee, Sharpie, Dymo, Parker Pens, Yankee Candle, Coleman, Marmot, Camping Gaz, Babyjogger and more.....
@Mike the stove I’m very grateful Mike (of Base Camp) for that insight, a significant contribution to stove and lantern collectors’ knowledge. Thank you. John
John I join the curiosity re Optimus distribution in the UK. I add that the Optimus cartridge says made in England. (fwiw Gaz cartridge made in France)
Yes the cartridges were made and filled in the UK, possibly by Tamar who's brand name was Epigas. The original Gaz brand cartridge had a domed top and was copied mercilessly by anyone. The Italians in particular produced very cheap compatible cartridges, we used to sell them three for a pound against one Gaz brand for 75p.... To get round this Gaz put four little indentations in the rim or the cartridge and patented their position. The stoves and lanterns had four matching strips punched into the body of the cartridge holder so no other cartridge would fit. It did not take the opposition long to produce cartridges with an indentation all round the rim of the cartridge..... sidestepping the patent Things stayed that way until Gaz produced their 'Easy Clic' cartridge, a patented push in type with a rotating plastic collar on the appliance to complete the seal. That's how they are today with the patented cartridge, the pierceable cartridge is still made but butane/propane mix now.
Camping Gaz aquired the business of Optimus UK Ltd (a subsidiary of Optimus in Sweden) in 1988, so locally in UK Camping Gaz owned the distribution business until some time in the 1990's. During this time period, there were distribution cooperations between Optimus and Camping Gaz also in other countries.
All, I’m bowled over by your contributions to this thread, arising out of an obscure gas cartridge that could have gone the way of all disposable carts, years ago.
