Hi, It is wet and windy here in the North of Scotland today, but I had my morning brew-up in one of the dry intervals. I used my 1930s Chinese ANCHOR No.3 stove which I acquired almost two years ago in a swap deal. This Anchor stove was made in the K.S. Machinery Factory in Shanghai, probably in the 1930s. It is a seriously well-made stove. All the parts fit well and the engraving and finish are both very good. As you can see it performs well, with a powerful flame pattern. The pump-knob shares duties as a reserve cap when the stove is stored or in transit. I made the wind-shield this morning because of the windy conditions, and the pan-rest is a kerophile coat-hanger special When I get around to polishing the stove I will post some images of it, and its nice tin, in the Reference Gallery. Best Regards, Kerophile.
Hi George very nice pics of the Anchor No3 i agree it looks a very robust well built stove i like the wing nnut style filler cap it may not look as nice as a standard knurled filler cap but very practacle as it is much easier to get a good grip on it for doing it up and undoing it i see the pump knob doubles as a reserve cap for the tank when the burner is removed.
VERY cool. A 1-pt, yes? And I like the winged filler cap a great deal; very practical. How is the Anchor for parts compatibility, and where do you go to hunt for spares --i.e., are any of the threads the same as for Primuses, etc? What's the NRV like, should it need fettling or, worse, fail completely? What's the nipple like? Might have to go prowling for something like that. (Grappling for an anchor? ) Alex
Hi, the Anchor No.3 is a one-pint stove, very similar in size to a Primus 210 or Optimus 00, although perhaps slightly taller overall. I will try to take a photo of it tomorrow, alongside a more familiar stove type . I know of only one other Anchor No.3, Ross's,: https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/10400 So I can't see one of these coming up for auction any time soon. Since more conventional one-pint stoves are ten-a-penny I don't think I will be using this model as an everyday stove, so spare parts are unlikely to be an issue. I did replace the jet and cap washer on this Anchor No.3, but not the NRV pip as the pump seems fine at present. There have been some comments on the Site about the variable quality of some current Chinese stoves and other products. Whatever your experience, I can vouch for the quality of this stove. The KS Machinery Factory of Shanghai certainly produced a very good quality stove in the 1930s! Dave, Shanghai was the most international city in China, perhaps the whole of Asia, in the 1920/30s. There would have been a large, wealthy, and sophisticated expatriate population, as well as rich Chinese merchants, all with plenty of money for motor-cars, yachts, country cottages etc. A picnic stove like the Anchor No.3 could have been very useful. I am sure these stoves were not aimed at the local Chinese population. Best Regards, Kerophile.
Hi, here as promised are some photos of my Chinese Anchor No.3 stove alongside a 1955 Primus No.210: In each photo the Primus No.210 is left and the Anchor No.3 on the right. Best Regards, Kerophile.
And here are some photos of the contents of the nice box: I believe that everything, apart from the windshield and wire pan-ring, is original to the stove outfit. Best Regards, Kerophile
what a very beautiful stove ! I am very curious as to what market the were aiming toward when they manufactured these? I would hazard a guess to wealthy Chinese market, but that is primarily based on the graphics on the box. I bet that noodle stalls used charcoal. A noodle vendor in 1930 would not have so much money to outlay for a nice stove. Charcoal burns in a little clay bowl with legs.
Hi Paul, i addressed the target buyer query earlier in this thread and posted: " Shanghai was the most international city in China, perhaps the whole of Asia, in the 1920/30s. There would have been a large, wealthy, and sophisticated expatriate population, as well as rich Chinese merchants, all with plenty of money for motor-cars, yachts, country cottages etc. A picnic stove like the Anchor No.3 could have been very useful. I am sure these stoves were not aimed at the local Chinese population." This is a well made, quality stove IMO. Best Regards, Kerophile.
The Shanghai connection was more explicitly made with the contemporary views of the city on the box of this export model Phoebus.
Hi, There are some good descriptions of expatriate life in pre WW2 Shanghai in JG Ballard's " Empire of the Sun" and the subsequent motion picture: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_of_the_Sun Best Regards, Kerophile.
Beautiful and rare stove! So nice to see good quality. I wonder if this is the same Anchor that exists today? I have an Anchor lantern, patterned after the Petromax. Thanks, sam
Hi Sam, yes it is a well- made stove! Both. Ross and I have assumed that this Anchor stove is an ancestor of the current brand. I guess it would be easier for a speaker (of the appropriate Chinese language) to reseach this than either of us. A lot ot water has flowed under the bridge in China since this stove was produced in the 1930s. Best Regards, Kerophile