Following some correspondence with a collector about 8s and 8Rs I checked the web site and some of the items on those stoves are not correct in that 8Rs are being wrongly classified as 8s simply because they are in 8 cases I decided to put a quick post on the site to try to clarify the situation. Please excuse the photos as they were taken from the sales listings. I no longer have the stoves so have to rely on the photos that I have PTC stands for the Primus Trading Company which Optimus set up in 1962 after they acquired the Primus brand name for liquid fuelled stoves CASES The date that I have for the introduction of the 8 is 1935 but I have no idea where that date came from. Ross can correct it if I am wrong. The patent stated on the earliest cases was applied for on 28 September 1927 It was not granted until 27 January, 1931 so the stoves definitely cannot predate that date because the patent number would not have been known. The patent was for a 2 burner stove but the 8 used the same principles so the patent was shown on the 8 cases. The upper photos are of an aluminium case and which was bought from France so may have been specific to the French market. This case was also produced in plated steel and green painted steel I bought stoves in both cases in the Uk so I presume that they were the correct cases for UK stoves. The patent period at present is 20 years in this country so provided the patent period was the same in Sweden at that time the patent case should not have been used after 27 September 1947. I do not know if the case was used without the patent number after the patent expired. The lower case is the one used on the stoves in the early 1950s. It came in metallic light green and metallic light blue. These two photos show the case which was used when the 8Rs were introduced in 1955. You will see that the stove is identified as an 8R by a sticker on the case. However if you look inside the case you will see that the sticker covers an embossed 8. Optimus were using the obsolete boxes to house the 8Rs. The stickers come off and many 8Rs are being wrongly identified as 8s because of the case. This was the case used up until 1962 STOVES The stoves are very easy to identify although the differences do not show on these photos. The fuel pipe on an 8 comes from the centre of the tank. The nipple is the same size as a conventional nipple and needs a pricker to clean it. The regulating spindle is small. The fuel pipe on an 8R comes from slightly left of centre of the tank when facing it from the front. The nipple is enlarged to accommodate an internal cleaning needle. The regulating spindle is large with an enlarged housing on the burner to accommodate the cleaning needle REGULATING KEYS & WHEELS Refer to the open stove photos above All of the 8s that I have seen were fitted with a regulating key the same as on an Optimus 80. The 8Rs that I have seen were firstly fitted with a regulating wheel the same as a 111 and were later fitted with a regulating key the same as a 123. The key may have been introduced after Optimus closed their factory in 1983 TANK LIDS I have only seen two tank lids used on pre PTC The left tank lid has been on all 8s in the patent boxes. The right lid has been on all stoves that I have seen from the 1950s and was in use until some time in the 1970s. Regards Bryan
Hi Bryan hope you don't mind me pointing out that the key on the 8r is the same as a svea 123r not 123 as you said atb Bill [who feels like a bit of a pedantic ar5e for saying anything, sorry ]
hi Bryan are you going to do the timeline with the 8/8r's the way you did with the 96's? as i check that thread fairly regularly to see what the 96's are on the bay, i've got a few to get yet but with that post at least i can try and work out the differences before i bid, btw your costing me money i was quiet happy in my ignorance but now i have been shown the family it seems that i should at least try and get them all thanks for all your great posts atb Bill
Hi Bill Sorry I am just passing through. This post is amongst the last that I am likely to do and I only did it because the 8s and 8Rs appear to be misunderstood with 8Rs being in inappropriate 8 cases. The 96s cost me a fortune but fortunately I got my investment back when I sold them. Ironically I wrongly thought I had a bucket of 96 tanks and since selling my collection I have been buying 96s to turn into specials. You can take comfort in that my post seems to have increased the 96 prices so is also costing me money. I never got the first two versions and suspect that I would buy them if I saw them even though I am not collecting standard stoves. Mind my wife still wonders what is in the parcels that come through the door! Regards Bryan
I should have mentioned that I have put another post on that follows on after this post PTC & post PTC 8Rs Regards Bryan
Wonderful work Bryan!!! Thank you. I just finished fettling an 8. Excellent little stoves. Best Regards, Jeff
Gentlemen and Ladies, I came to this post seeking dating information for the little 8R that I recently found, and indeed, I learned exactly what I wanted to know. But, whilst reading this post, a bit of sadness crept up on me, and as I have several times since his passing, I once again missed having Bryan here amongst us!!! What a lovely and true Gentleman he was, and what a wonderful, informative, and helpful legacy he left us all through his many research posts here at CCS!! May God Bless you, Bryan, and please know that you are missed, and loved by so many of us here at CCS!!! Rest in peace, and thank you, with all my heart, for your sharing and giving and generous nature! I am honored to call you my friend, even if we never met in person. You are truly missed. Respectfully, Mark
