Courtesy of David Baker This one looks to be the same as the one above. This can be dated as post 1962 when Optimus acquired the rights to make & sell the Primus range of liquid fuelled stoves. They adopted the instruction sheet used by Primus at that time which is shown in this picture. The graphics shown on the tin were used into the 1970's.
PRIMUS TRADING COMPANY The Primus Trading Company (PTC) was set up in 1962 when Optimus bought the Primus brand name for liquid fueled stoves. It went out of business in 1976 (I think) In 1969 Optimus also bought the Svea brand name These dates help in the dating of Optimus stoves made before the PTC period, during it and after it. BURNERS Immediately prior to the PTC Optimus marked their burner tops OPTIMUS SWEDEN. Primus marked their burner tops PRIMUS SWEDEN. In 1962 Optimus started to make both Optimus 00 and Primus 210 stoves. It would have caused unnecessary expense to produce burners with separate markings so the burners were marked OPTIMUS PRIMUS and fitted to either model. Any burner with this marking was made between 1962 and 1969 In 1969 they started to make Svea 121s as well as the other two models. There was not room on the burner top to put OPTIMUS PRIMUS SVEA so instead they simply put MADE IN SWEDEN which covered all three makes. This marking was used between 1969 and 1976 When PTC was wound up I think in 1976 the marking on the burner was changed to OPTIMUS I think. Whilst the burners were made in those periods the stoves that they were fitted to could be made later as previous stocks of burners were used up. Any PTC 00s or 210s that have burners on that are marked OPTIMUS SWEDEN or PRIMUS SWEDEN were made no sooner than 1962 and probably no later than 1964. Any PTC 00 or 210 with a burner marked OPTIMUS SWEDEN was probably made no sooner than 1964 and 1971 when the burners with that marking were used u.p Any PTC Svea 121 with a burner marked OPTIMUS PRIMUS could not have been made before 1969 and probably no later than 1971 when burners with that marking were probably used up. Any Optimus 00, Primus 210 or Svea 121 with a burner on marked MADE IN SWEDEN was made no sooner than 1969 and theoretically no later than 1976 however 00s continued to be made after that so some made immediately after 1976 will still have that burner marking on it. Any late Optimus stove with a burner marked OPTIMUS could not have been made before 1976 HOWEVER Optimus also used this marking on burners made up until at least the end of the 1930s. Obviously this presupposes that the burners have not been changed FLAME RINGS Prior to the PTC Optimus marked their burner rings OPTIMUS SWEDEN and Primus marked theirs PRIMUS SWEDEN. I think that after the beginning of the PTC the flame rings were marked OPTIMUS SWEDEN. From 1969 they were marked SWEDEN SWEDEN because they were then being fitted to three makes of stove. They are still marked that now WINDSHIELDS From at least the middle of the 1950s up until 1976 Optimus used a black coloured steel windshield with a keyhole type slot on one side. That is the same as on this stove. I have never seen a brass windshield that could be identified as original on a PTC stove. By 1980 the windshield had become made of brass and they still are even now. The brass wind shields may have started with the demise of the PTC but I have no evidence of this DATING There is no cast iron method of positively identifying the date of an Optimus stove however the above information can be used to roughly date the PTC stoves and those immediately before the PTC period and after the PTC period. If ally three sources of dating coincide the dating is reasonably accurate. Unfortunately flame rings and windshields can be easily lost and changed. PHOTOGRAPHED STOVE Unless the windshield has been changed the stove was made after 1976 Ross you have got me into a long reply , again. I hope that someone bothers to read it
Hey - not guilty - that it an old post from the old Collectors Galleries & was added to the new site last May when we were under construction.. The actual contribution is several years old. My text is based on the few clues actually in the photo that was originally emailed to me. Windshield looks black to me on my laptop - I'll take a better look later on the PC. I'll also move the bulk of your reply to a the OO category in it's own right - it's too useful to be tagged to this picture where it won't get as much exposure
Hi Ross My brain slipped out of gear and I forgot the most permanent indication of stove age. Prior to the formation of the Primus Trading Company in 1962 the bottoms of the tanks were marked After the PTC came into being they were marked . At least these markings are unlikely to be replaced! It is crude but at least you can definitely say that the stove is Pre PTC or after 1961. The PTC was formed in 1962 so some PTC made stoves will have been made in that year. Please move this to wherever you are putting the previous reply Regards Bryan
