Some weeks ago one of our English stove brothers sent me a PM. He brought my attention to an old post where I had written that I had all variants of the Optimus 111 but the 111b. "Would you like to get a 111b burner?" Of course I would like to get a 111b burner! Yesterday it arrived. The very first 111b burner I've ever had my hands on. They are in fact very rare in Norway. For many years petrol/white gas stoves where not allowed here. Here it is, my first 111b burner From my shelf I picked this, a plain 111 paraffin stove. Thousands of them in Norway Five minutes later, voila, a 111b! (oops, what happened to the tank cap?) It seems to do its job rather well too Thank you Ian. A small package is on its way across the North Sea.
Good job, but isn't that a little like converting a Ferrari into an Alfa Romeo? What is the benefit of the 111b over the 111? You can burn gasoline/white gas in a regular 111 just fine.
Ferrai or Alfa Romeo? Don't know and don't care The point is, now I have one, and yes, can say I have one . If I ruin two of my stoves every year from now, there would still be plenty stoves left for my grandchildren when I leave. And I am not an old man. So why am I looking for stoves every day? I even buy stoves that are far from being as good as stoves I already have. Why do I do this? The answer: I love to have stoves, different stoves. Love to look at them, fire them up, feel the smell and listen to the sound. I am specially happy when I find a stove that I don't have before. Maybe I can burn petrol in my 111's, but that is not the point. The burners are different. The 111 is not a 111b. As I wrote in the first post, the 111b is rare in Norway, they were not sold here. My country is flooded with 111 keroes. I have enough 111 keroes in the shelves, but had no 111b. Now I have the plain 111 keroes in many variations, a pair of 111T's, a 111C and now also a 111b A happier man
A True Collector ! Actually, one could say, that this modified 111 is in reality the Mythical l ' 111A' ! 8) Ultra rare, the only existing 111A
I guess the situation there is the opposite of the US. Here in the US, it seems there are plenty of 111B's floating around, but the regular 111's are somewhat rare.
Hey, Arne K?re, You have illustrated the situation we all share, concerning acquiring stoves, so very well, that nothing more needs to be said, Mate!! VERY well said!!! Congrats on your 111B, too! I was in much the same situation, but in reverse, a few years back. And, in fact, Brother Ian was the one who helped me rectify that situation, as well, just as has for you. He very kindly sent me a 111 burner, with which I changed one of my many 111B stoves into my very first "real" 111!!! (Thanks, again, Ian!!) Since that time, I've acquired another 111 that came from the factory in that variation, so now I have two of them, and couldn't be happier!! Again, way to go on getting your first 111B, and have fun with it! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
