The wire that secure the outer cap is original on this stove. The wire is 1mm in diameter. I have started to secure the silent burner caps on my other stoves in my collection this way now. It is much easier to keep the right caps to the right stoves this way and you do not lose them in transport. Michael
Hi Michael, I think it's possible this could be older than from the Late 60's or 70's. I'm saying this because of the SRV fill cap and the thin "cookie cutter" style control knob. The no.7 appears in this 1952 catalog and this 1957-58 catalog. Ray
Hi @Ray123 As to dating of the Optimus No7, i believe that it is post - 1957/8 as the catalogue for that year shows the Optimus No.7 with a flush, rather than sunken filler nozzle: https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/1957-58-appr-optimus-catalogue.9292/ Michael's @cmb56 stove clearly shows a sunken filler nozzle. The same 1957/8 Optimus catalogue shows the launch of the "new" Op. 45 S and Op.48 S models, with the newly introduced sunken filler nozzles ( S = Sunken) Best Regards, Kerophile
When I met Clayton Abbott (one of the founders of A&H and before that USA rep for Optimus), he secured all of the silent burner caps that way. I assumed it was common practice at the time. It's certainly a good idea. ....Arch
@ArchMc I know that other collectors have done this for some time now and I have found a wire that is not to hard or to soft that I now use. I bought a few Petromax burners that had a wire as original but in my opinion it is too thin and soft. I do not know if these burners was original Petromax or copies but the quality is high. I tried a 0.75mm wire but it was a little to thin and soft so I went after a wire of 1mm as the original Optimus. I have found a suitable at my work that I have found is good. Michael
@cmb56 I've been using stainless steel wire of about 1mm. I just looked at a stove I got from Clayton Abbott, and the wire he used is slightly thicker, more like 1.25mm, also stainless steel. ....Arch
I have used stainless welding wire with good results. I think it is slightly less than 1mm thick but as it came for free it is no big deal if it needs replacing. Best regards, Wim