Won this old English tea kettle today. Paid a whole $10 for it. I thought it would look nice on top of my Primus 51. I did not polish this stove and the kettle will be a nice compliment.
Lovely kettle Is it brass? Well if I had one just like that I'd probably do the same as long as the patina is even. Ron
A splendid, proper kettle indeed! I've always wondered if the coily things in the base of this style actually improved performance or not. Seems as though the added surface area for the flame to contact should make some sort of difference. I also agree, leave that nice patina alone! Blotches and dirt are one thing, but that lovely dark aged copper is something only time can create Regards, Doug
Ron, the kettle is copper. I don't believe it is a real Simplex but who knows. If not, it is a good knock-off! And for $10 I won't hesitate to take it camping.
Years ago, when I fancied coin collecting, a coin dealer told me that he routinely cleaned copper coins then re-established the patina by making a paste of petroleum jelly and powered sulfur. I tried it and it works very well on copper coins. I wonder if it could be used on brass? I wanted to try it but can no longer find small quantities of powered sulfur.
Hi Bob, I believe that you have acquired a genuine British "Quick-boil" copper kettle. It is a good kettle and should perform weel on your classic stoves. Best Regards, Kerophile.
George, thanks for the feedback. I took a liking to the shape right off and the patina was a deal maker. Did you get my PM regarding the small castings?
You did get yourself a real bargain, this kettle is a quick boil and is designed to be used over an open flame be it wood, gas, spirit or oils, The little coils definitely make it boil quicker, i had both models and this one boild a lot quicker, the other models are designed to run on solid iron burner plates such as cast iron cookers, agas or an electric plate etc, they are great and last a lifetime, i used to have one on my Taylors stove on my boat years ago. enjoy as they say and dont polish it!!!
here is a link to the current version and uk/euro pricing http://www.tcschandlery.co.uk/6123/Simplex-Copper-Quick-Boil-Kettle.html
Well, it does not say Simplex on the bottom like it should so it might be a knock off. It does say "made in England" though so who knows.
I received the kettle today; very stout indeed. Looks nice on the old Primus 51. They can now grow old gracefully together!
Well, received the kettle and finally had time to marry the stove with the kettle. The stove is still burning orange-ish and in Kerophile's technical terms, it is "still burning the crap out of the tank". Yup. Heats quickly and puts out a good head of steam.
