Hi friends Not that much information about this alcohol stove Optimus 111A and 22 The 22 is in NOS condition. The 111A are in excellent condition With very little use. Only dusty. Hope you like them. Be safe friends. ///Fernando
Hi @Fernando Alicea Beautiful stoves in such good condition, I believe that your Op.111 alcohol fuelled stove likely dates from the mid-1950s: Optimus 111 from 1950s What do you think? I have never seen an alcohol-only Op.111 before.... Best Regards, Kerophile.
@Fernando Alicea They are very fine stoves. Like, @kerophile, I have not come across an Optimus 111 “For Alcohol Only”. Best regards Tony @Staffan Rönn
I am surprised too. The stickers inside the lid, are they original Optimus or from an importer/dealer? There are area's where alcohol is the only available fuel, and, with regard to a fossil fuel free society, not such a bad idea. Alcohol can be produced almost anywhere with simple means in comparisson to a refinery.
@Fernando Alicea Congratilations Fernando! Does it mention some special model on the 22's istructions leaflet? Regards. Enrique (instructions) I meant...
@Fernando Alicea My error... There are already alcohol burning #22's on the gallery But the #111's with those dedicated burners... Enrique
I like alcohol pressure stoves, because the brass and steel parts are manufactured and shipped without any use of fossil fuels.
I like them because you can drink the fuel during the cocktail hour while you wait for your meal to heat. Backpacking Screwdriver: Ethanol fuel + Tang + Water Ben
Very nice collection @Fernando Alicea ! I cannot remember having come across the alcohol version of 111 before. My wild guess is that it is an adaptation to market conditions somewhere were petroleum based fuels were either scarce or more expensive than ethanol. Through the years, there has been adaptations to local markets and also special versions for e.g. military customers. Do you know anything about the origin of these stoves Fernando? BR/Staffan
Hi friends I been lucky to come across to this 3 rare stove. I put some pictures on Facebook and a couple of people ask me if I can show them in CCS because is not information about them any where. I’m like everybody else. When I see the first 111A I never see one before. I don’t know Optimus made and 111 to run in alcohol. Here are some pictures of the NOS 22 And picture of the directions paperwork. Hope this can answer some questions. thank you friends. ///Fernando
Hi Fernando @Fernando Alicea If you have any information on the origin of the stoves it would be very interesting. I can see you live in the US, is that where you acquired them? Any indication they come from a country outside of the US? /Staffan
Hi friends The two 111A stove came from Denmark. They both made in Sweden by Optimus. The 22 from America. ///Fernando
I think we are ( or not) assuming that they were made by Optimus. Is that sticker an official Optimus sticker?
I’ll vouch for that both the 111A’s have been on Danish hands for a decade or two - and that both are nice runners on Meth They are the rarest of the 111-family. So far I’ve held two completely similar 111A’s in my hands and I’ve seen only one or two on the INET in total. The 1-2 others had the same dedicated Alco-Burner.
Interesting with the potential Danish connection. During WWII petroleum based fuels were scarce in Sweden, so several manufacturers made ethanol versions of their products for the local market (Primus example here: https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/1944-no-8032-primus-alcohol-burning-apparatus.19171/ ). The 111 is of course later than WWII, but just thinking - was there scarcity or rationing of paraffin in Denmark in the 50's justifying the alcohol versions (if these 111's were indeed originally destined for the Danish market)?
During- and right after WW2, there was general rationing on a lot of items in Denmark. - there has (to my knowledge) only been real rationing on fuel (gasoline, Petroleum and other Oil-derivatives) during the Suez-Crisis in 1956-1957. During/after the Yom Kippur War in 1973 (Fall) restrictions such as “car-free Sundays” were imposed - but no rationing on fuel as such in Denmark. Agewise the 111-A could be from the mid-/late 1950’es, but any relation to rationing as a consequence of the Suez-Crises and the 111-A production will be guessing from my part.
