My friend in Denmark sent me this Facit No. 1, complete and in the original box, with instructions and even the original sales receipt from February 1917. It cost 17DKK! Nice, eh?
Hi Reed, I just can't figure how you could afford this. A real bargain! The early Pyro stoves was of a totally other design, as seen in other posts. This must have been the first of their ordinary "Primus" standard stoves. A scanned copy of the instruction sheet would be very appreciated. Bo
Hi Bo I have no idea what my friend paid, but I suspect it was a bit more than the original 17 kronor! Thank you Troels! What's your assessment of the current value? Here's the operating instructions. Good thing you can read Swedish.
Hi @Reed.S. We do not give valuations of stoves in the Stove Reference Gallery. However you can ask the question again in the 'Valuations' section, here. *By the way, your unlit old stove with its box and original documentation is fantastic.
I'm betting that this was made by Optimus: the front stamp, octagonal lettering and trivet all scream Optimus. Not to mention the box/image design, which looks very much like this one from Optimus: https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/optimus-no-1-1920.35935/#post-369799
Thanks. My box has removable top with nothing on it. Here's the back end of the box and a better look at the top of the unit. There are no identifying marks on the trivet - only the design.
On the trivet: the sloping pot supports were an Optimus feature as well as the general casting design. The features of the tank (stamps, shape, legs) and the stamps are also very similar to Optimus around this time. You will notice that the picture on the box depicts a separate spirit cup, but your stove has the earlier fixed spirit cup design. It's hard to say with certainty, but the more of these other-branded stoves that were made in Stockholm come to light, the more information we have to piece together the overall story of what must have been a huge and vibrant industry, with many competing manufacturers operating within a small zone. The Primus factory was on the island of Lilla Essingen, as was the Lux factory (Optimus took over stove production in 1914, while Lux focused on vacuum cleaners and other household items under the name Electrolux). We are currently trying to unravel the Lux/Optimus story and this stove seems to be related to it. It's a great find, especially with all the documentation. It may also be that it was never fired, as the stoves were usually tested in the factory, then send out with the same burner, but an unused flame ring, or burner cap (hence the burners appear to have been "used". Peter
Fascinating that there seems to have been a lot of "cross-breeding" between manufacturers. Now note the underlined declaration regarding trade mark on the back of the box. You may be right that it may be unused, other than factory testing. The string holding the ring, which looks unused, may be original.
That's an advertisement for an "economical" gas fitting on the back of the receipt from the store in Odense, Denmark, where it was first sold. Wiggo Astrup, seller of kitchenware, glassware, porcelain, lamps, stoves and gas apparatus.
One more cool tidbit came to light. The receipt indicates that the person who bought the stove was the treasurer and "foreman" of the rowing club (roklubben)! Yet it went unused.
PS: It is really fantastic to see an object from WW1 still unused and in its box - rather like discovering a miniature titanic! Congratulations on this important find, Peter
Thanks, Peter. My friend acquired it in Odense, where it was purchased more than a century ago, so it didn't travel far. Stockholm to Odense (1916/7), then to Chicago (2017)! He won't tell me how much he paid, but he said it was a steal. Message: there are still finds out there to be had.
@Reed.S. I tried to buy this stove, but the seller decided later on that he wanted a sale-on-collection-only.... Oh well.... Enjoy! PS! Yes, it was a steal!
Sorry.... Keep hunting and better luck next time. According to Google, 17 DKr in 1917 is equivalent to 613 DKr today, or about $100US.
