When did Katadyn move Svea123R production back to Sweden?

OK, I looked at the box etc and it does indeed say "MANUFACTURED IN TAIWAN" although they have done their very best to "not quite hide" that information on the bottom with a flap nearly glued over it. it might also say similar in French or German but that IS hidden!



It clearly states OPTIMUS of Sweden (their bold / italics not mine) on the front


and gives contact details as:
Katadyn Scandinavia
P.O. Box 8009, 192 08 Sollentuna, Sweden.
E-mail: outdoor@optimus.se WWW.optimus.se



The only mark on the stove itself that indicate it's possible origins is SWEDEN



Anyone who goes into a decent outdoor store that puts goods out for their customers to inspect is going to be deceived.

I'm sorry if Katadyn don't like this but I think they are being economical with the truth! Which is a pity because my first impressions of the stove itself are very favourable.

Regards
John

 

Just to be clear the box says Katadyn Scandinavia not Katadyn Sweden as I previously stated. But Scandianavia is clearly not Switzerland which is where I believe that they originate.

 

There's a lot to a name. To me, Optimus is a stove, an "00" to be precise. To my eight year old boy, Optimus is the first name of a Transformer, some kind of alien robot thingy.

When I was showing the Optimus 00 to him he pointed to the filler cap and asked "Daddy, is this where the energon goes?" It's a generational gap I guess.

On another point, does anybody remember when Abercrombie and Fitch was a place that a man could go to outfit himself for a trek anywhere in the world? A real man wouldn't be caught dead there now.

So much for names.

Regards,
Ridge

 

They are all 123s so there isnt really a problem. They are all adequatly marked so you can differentiate between them and the copies. If you look at a say Paccook copy of the 123 which also came from Taiwan (same factory?) there are no markings declaring it might be the same thing.
For us collectors there are other differences so this could be made into a longer list but there are 3 basic types of 123
First the original made by SVEA before they sold out to Optimus These have the slanted control valve.There is no Optimus written on the tank. There may be a sub group of these that does have the optimus logo.
Original 123r still labeled SVEA but also labeled Optimus and Made in Sweden. These have the horizontal control valve and cleaning needle. I dont know but it is possible that there was some licence agreement meaning the SVEA name had to endure on this stove.
Current 123r owned by Optimus/Katydin but manufactured in Taiwan It is mechanically identical to the earlier 123r with all parts interchangable Only difference is the removal of the words "made in" Some people have had issues with quality but most were still good
There are other differences over the years like the filler cap etc

 

There is no stamping of "Optimus" or the logo of Optimus on my 123r. So if earlier Optimus made 123r has been stamped with this, that is also gone on the Katadyn made 123r.

 

You are correct. I bought my 123r in about 1985 new and there is a made in sweden but no optimus. My other 123r of uncertain vintage is marked the same. Was this stove the only petrol stove Svea made at the time they sold there petrol stoves off and concentrated on gas?

 

I like my "Classic Camp Stoves" best of all, the older the better.

Ken in NC

 

bump
With limited time i have I'll try to update a sequence i listed above
Re sequence of Optimus 123R packaging: Exeter Yak's 123 *post ca. July of 2009:
*Svea 123 Research Project, prelim
In his post he ends his sequence with:
> [BLUE box] label "Optimus 123 Climber", light blue background, shows a climber wearing red (contents: Optimus SVEA 123R).
i add example. source: Circa 1992 123R

> BRUNTON is not shown [in Exeter yak examples] but described as the next version in his stove/box sequence, "a Brunton version 123R..."
i add image. source: Optimus Svea (123R) by Brunton
Open question: Country of manufacture?

> "SVEA" White box [Asia], w/front cut-out/window, titled only "SVEA" in large black text.
sole source (that i know of and he had 3!!) is Doug's link above. No other example/image to share.
Open question: Country of manufacture?
-END Doug sequence.

The next example (most likely), 1st offered at some point prior to Sep 2012, btw offered new in Mar 2023.
> "OPTIMUS SVEA" white box & green box w/front cut-out window.
source: scroll up in this post, other examples in gallery.
Country of manufacture: Taiwan.

> "Optimus Svea 123R" (retro packaging). example, recent purchase, posted May 2025.
source: New Optimus Svea 123r
Country of manufacture: Taiwan
-----------------
i try to fill-in 123R packaging details for year range c1992 to 2025 YW


3100 views

 

Are there any differences between the various 2009-present Taiwan made Svea 123r's apart from the different cardboard boxes they come in?

 

Rich_S, Myself, i do not know.
---------

*update to sequence i listed above
[*update / re-do. To edit the above comment was my preference but that hasnt happened. So, re-do]

Exeter Yak's post (July 2009) he shows us examples in-sequence. Svea 123 Research Project, prelim

Below I'll add details to (123R) examples near the end of his sequence and continue with subsequent 123R examples, bringing the list to-date, 2025.

> [BLUE box] label "Optimus 123 Climber", blue sky background, shows a climber.
i add example. source: Circa 1992 123R
Open question: Country of manufacture ???
Note1 [for sure, by '92 (mid/late 80s?)] It has been said 123Rs were outsourced to Asia. The only country confirmed, for other examples, has been Taiwan.

 

> BRUNTON is not shown [in Exeter yak examples] but described as the next version in his stove/box sequence, "a Brunton version 123R..."
i add image. source: Optimus Svea (123R) by Brunton
Open question: Country of manufacture?
Note1 It has been said 123Rs were outsourced to Asia. The only country confirmed, for other examples, has been Taiwan.

 

> "SVEA" White box [Asia], w/front cut-out/window, titled only "SVEA" in large black text.
sole source (that i know of and he had 3!!) is Doug's link above. No other example/image to share.
Open question: Country of manufacture?
Note1 It has been said 123Rs were outsourced to Asia. The only country confirmed, for other examples, has been Taiwan.
-END- of Doug sequence.
NOTE TWO: btw, beginning w/blue box example above, the tanks are stamped only "SWEDEN" (no longer stamped "Made in Sweden").

 

The next example (most likely), 1st offered at some point prior to Sep 2012, btw was still offered new in Mar 2023.
> "OPTIMUS SVEA" white & green box w/front cut-out window.
source: scroll up in this post, other examples in gallery.
Country of manufacture: Taiwan.

 

> "Optimus Svea 123R" (retro packaging). example, recent purchase, posted May 2025.
source: New Optimus Svea 123r
Country of manufacture: Taiwan
-----------
i try to fill-in 123R packaging details for year range c1992 to 2025 YW
3200 views

 

Another box. I purchased this new last September. Made in Taiwan.

 

@Chumango, Nice. Thank you.
gnome's post (linked above) shows your example, the current offering.. i like it!!
Available on ebay... few details/pics.

Favor? Might you compliment (add to) details? If you post 5 or 6 pics (please):
top,
*4 sides and
bottom to show "...Taiwan..."

in link of gnome's example above,
we do not see bottom (Taiwan) and
*do see 3 sides of box,
(i presume 2 sides are the same is why 4th side not shown, i dont know? but while you have it handy,
you know what's what).
thanks again
cc @gnome

 

Chumango, Thank you also for Sep 2024 detail, helps w/timeline/dating:

^^^ 123R in White & Green box was offered
2012 September (some point prior to),
to 2023 March still offered new.
======
======
vvv Optimus Svea 123R (retro box) was offered
2024 September (or earlier)
to current. vvv

 

When does an item transition from “Classic” to “Ultra Classic?”

 

Yes two sides of the box are identical. That is why I didn't post the 4th side.

 

Two sides are identical, as previously stated. Here are the five unique sides.

I have a 1974 vintage 123R and there are only minor differences between it and the new one in construction and burn characteristics.