Hi All Found in Tasmania recently. I am hesitant to attempt an accurate date as there are quite a few details on this stove that differ from known examples. After much research on CCS I am leaning towards late 1890s? The burner being a fixed outer cap silent burner (possibly from a No 5?) is not as far as I can find original. a roarer should be in place? I am unsure of the originality of the pump assembly? The trivet although looking to small looks similar to early catalogue entries. A flashlight was needed to allow photos showing stamps. photos are As found. First photo is from sales website grandchildren cleaning out Grandpa's shed. The burner looks to have had the jet soldered in permanently to seal a leak. Asbestos washer still in place. cannot see any numbers stamped On the burner as yet. Pump knob looks to have an L stamp. Smooth pump knob rim, or highly worn? Filler cap has a dot between words rather than an asterix as seen on other examples. Tank base has Y stamp which suggests 1934. However an early No1 in the gallery also Y stamped was dated much earlier. Also stamped BA HJORTH & CO STOCKHOLM SWEDEN. There doesn't appear to be any inscriptions on the side of the tank. Spirit cup appears to be original. The pot supports seem to be longer than usual. Any and all advice and information on this stove would be much appreciated. Here she is And she fired first try... Regards Scott B
Hi Scott, A very nice and really quite early Primus No.1 for which which I'd put money on best a estimate date of 1896. As a No.1 you are correct that it should have a roarer burner, but that early type silent burner is both sought after in its own right but also a genuine part of the stove's history. The 'Y' is a manufacturing process mark, not a date letter. The date letters came in much later and were built into circular stamps. Why suggest 1896 as a most likely date i.e + or - a couple of months? First it has a fixed pump assembly. Before 1896 the entire pump assemblies could be unscrewed from the tank. Secondly, as far as I can see the only 2 markings on the tank top are 'Primus No.1' and 'Patent', there is no sign of an additional 'PRI#MUS' logo with the '#' being a small stove image; that came in in 1897. Other original features which in themselves cover a slightly larger date window, but which are still fully consonant with the date 1896, are: the crescent shaped B.A.Hjorth provenance mark on the tank base, the plain B.A.Hjorth name on the filler cap (ie no additional 'AKT.BOL.' in the legend), and the distinctive early pattern pump rod assembly. That really is a nice find. Note too little details like the concentric rings visible on the tank base indicating that that piece was spun, not stamped in production. And you are so lucky to have both the inner and especially the domed outer cap for that burner. I am not at all jealous Ian @Scott B
Wow, that's done some great work, the wear on the pump tube end cap is enormous! I love these older 'domestics' with all the evidence of being depended upon, used, abused, repaired, cobbled together but still able to cook a meal without hassle! That first photo of it alone is a work of art! I'll let the experts discuss the likely date, but with the spirit cup fixed to the riser (often called the 'pine cone' type) the 'Y' stamping on the tank is not a date code. (Edit- igh371 beat me to it!) Nice to have a fixed flame ring burner, even if not original to the stove, and good that it is burning for now, a new nipple seat would be a tricky repair, but possible. The pan ring is interesting, is it known wheter Primus stoves of this era were exported with pan rings, or were they made locally? I wonder if it is the original, or an in-service replacement? Interesting stove next door in the first pic, with a Radius pressed steel pan ring and home-made heat shield... Thanks for sharing this glorious piece of history, just the sort of thing to make my day. Let's see a meal cooking on it next!
Hi All Thankyou @igh371 @Blackdog For your help in identifying and your great comments. I thought I had a special stove here but was looking for some experienced advice to confirm Any ideas where the burner would have belonged before being fitted to this No 1? Does the Y stamped on the base refer to a particular production line or factory? All I will do now is give the stove and trivet a light clean to remove the loose crud to prevent further corrosion. And of course use the stove to make coffee and or breakfast. The NRV appears to be burred and well stuck but for now it is functional so I will leave it alone. Thankyou @Nicola Francesco Elia For the encouragement to head on a day trip to retrieve these these old gems. I picked up the Radius also. It will be examined in the coming weeks. Regards Scott B
@Scott B What a great find, especially all the way from Sweden in Tasmania! Australia was an early importer of Swedish stoves, and this must be among some of the earliest. @igh371 has given the date of manufacture, so quite early compared to known Australian advertising. 1. The burner looks in excellent condition and would have been from an early Primus No. 5. These are quite rare in good condition. 2. The use of the lone letter stamps is unknown, but assumed to be some form of manufacturing process ID. 3. The trivet is an early Primus trivet and it’s great that it came with the stove. Take a look on the underside of the trivet and see if it has any cast marking numbers. (@Blackdog, it was not made in Australia). Cheers Tony
Hi @Tony Press It would have been an epic journey to get here from Sweden back then! We can only imagine... We can be sure it wasn't through Australia post as we know it today! Multiple sailings over a very long time I imagine. Who and what else travelled along with it I wonder. When I clean up the trivet I will search for any stampings There are none visible at the moment but it is quite rusty at the moment. Thankyou for your advice Tony Regards Scott B
Thanks Tony, Yes I was sure many early Primus trivets did not have 'Primus' cast into the top, but as far as I know there is not a definte chronology (yet!). @Scott B You have my admiration for just doing the very basics cleaning up this stove, it's great to see the 'cosmetically unrestored' movement gaining pace, especially with such important pieces of history such as this. Regards the letter on the underside of the tank, have a look at this interesting thread when you have a spare evening, although much of it relates to later stoves it may help you understand the lack of understanding! Similarly, if you have not seen it already, have a look at the Primus production graph and discussion here.With regards to the burner replacement of your stove, many roarer stoves used domestically were converted to silent burners when these became available, or when the original burner was damaged or thoroughly worn out. Can't wait to see the Radius too!
Hi All It has been Nearly 3 years since this post has been active, However the stove has seen use every now and then, and a trip to meet @Tony Press and @Rodger Willows who presented her with a functional NRV and a nice new filler cap gasket, thank you Gents, I thought it about time to clean off the years of shed grime in fear of further corrosion taking hold, Not a restoration by any means but a clean and service retaining as much patina as possible, The trivet will receive a further going over when the weather permits painting outside. As found And the process of reassembly. Previous solder repairs make it difficult to read details on the burner, The trivet appears to have SWEDEN stamped twice but no other legible markings, To be continued....
Further photos of parts and shots of her fired up and burning Coffee duties to come. Scott B Very happy with the results. Kind Regards Scott B
