Hello All, Browsing through the forum after some time inspired me to share a story of my Indian-made Eagle stove. In 2012 I visited the Himalayas for the first time and during a stop-over I had two spare days in Delhi. I have previously found an Indian web site with images of a collapsible brass stove, obviously a copy of the classic one-pint design. Although it seemed to be advertised as a new product, I did not manage to find any information about it. But it ignited my interest. While roaming around the incredible bazaars of Old Delhi I set my mind on finding a stove shop and possibly buying the small stove. It is almost impossible to describe the mayhem of the crowded streets, you can find virtually anything, but certainly not a particular thing you are looking for... After hours of desperate effort I was asked by a local young lad what I was looking for. "A small folding kerosene stove" said I, being almost certain that this would end the conversation - as it has numerous times before when I asked the locals. But the boy just told me to follow him. He led me through the maze of the bazaars for a few kilometres and stopped in front of a tiny shop on the corner, crammed with stoves. He even did not ask for a tip and was happy he could have helped me. Incredible luck! The owner of the shop climbed a ladder and after some time came down with a dust-covered cardboard box. A brand-new "EAGLE 0"! The price was only 700 or 800 rupees, so I bought one right away. It turned out to be a very crude product, obviously machined to the very loose Indian standards. Some of the threads were stripped already from production - namely the cup of the pump rod:-) Compared to this stove the European-made vintage versions are as precise as Swiss watches. Although the volume of the tank is roughly the same, the burner is larger than the common size on one-pint stoves. However, it turned out to be quite reliable and serves well. My intention was to get a substitute for my more valuable stoves to be taken on expeditions to untrustworthy places. Since then I have been to Delhi in 2013 and 2016 and bought 3 more stoves for my friends. I don't know whether they are still made or whether this shop has some remaining stock, but it seems to be a reliable source. And you can hardly beat the price:-) Those are the GPS coordinates of the shop, according to the google satellite map - in case anyone would like to get one;-) 28°39'27.6"N 77°12'57.0"E I see the "Eagle 0" is already mentioned in the Stove Reference Gallery. Perhaps this information could be added? https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/eagle-super-no-0.8332/ Some shots of the stove in operation: My "Eagle 0" lent out to a local in the mountains of Kashmir, India in 2013 ...the stove posing during dusk in Dolpo, Nepal, 2016 This is what you can do when you have a surplus of kerosene and instant potato mash and a lack of any other food - after about two weeks of trekking in Dolpo, Nepal. It took a looong time to heat the stone, but the result was edible:-) The wind shield was quickly made from a small tin (the stove did not include one)
Brilliant post, @Matej. Remarkable story and magnificent photos. The stove's obviously very effective and solidly made. Any problems with the quality of the local kerosene, with much pricking of the jet to do (or filtering of the fuel beforehand) or was it ok? It obviously burns cleanly. John
John: The stove is not solidly made at all:-) For example, one of the four pieces I bought had numerous tiny holes in the riser tube - it was obviously machined from a defective piece of brass. All the threads are very loose and easy to strip... but yes, this one burns nicely, so far! Concerning the quality of kerosene: this is one of the reasons I don't want to take one of my better stoves to those places. The liquid they call kerosene is thick, black, non-transparent and smells totally different. In the Eagle I used it without filtering and without any complications. Stoves with classic roarer burners are still commonly used in this part of the world. But they are typically huge and heavy, with tanks and pot supports welded from steel, carried around by horses.
Matej - bravo... Main truth is "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" - again Local stove on local fuel - and local way to preparing food