Honestly, I am not totally sure why I bought this stove. It checked a few boxes in my collection; I don't have a Svea besides a 123, I don't have any Nickel-plated stoves, I don't have a fixed leg stove with a silent burner. It isn't my favourite style, but like any stove I spend some time with, I grew to appreciate it. I would quickly discover that this stove doesn't usually have a silent burner, and that someone had put a Radius burner on a Svea stove. Suddenly the boxes became unchecked. I still dont have a Svea, only part of one. It's still a nice nickel plated fount, and it's not like the burner was ever going to be shiny nickel so I guess that's still fine. And while I technically do have a silent burner on a fixed leg stove, it's a mismatched combination that I could have put together my self without buying a new stove. Oh well, it gets better. Based on the markings, particularly the MADE IN SWEDEN stamp on the bottom, I am assuming this is a newer model from the 60s or 70s. There are a few examples in the SRG with very similar markings, but none are exactly the same. This one reads "SVEA No 1", while others omit the "No" or have a star after the 1. I removed the pump and found the pump cup to be a bit dry and not sealing, but in otherwise good shape. Soaked it in oil for a day, reshaped it, and re-installed it. It sealed nicely, and as I pushed it into the tube, I eagerly awaited the hiss of the NRV opening, but was instead met with silence and increasing resistance as I pushed. Never encountered an NRV that was stuck shut before. I had sprayed it with some penetrant the previous day and it released with appropriate effort. I poked at the pip to check its hardness and was surprised when the tool dug right into it. The pip was cork! Unfortunately, it was now damaged cork. The safety and functional benefit of a fresh viton pip are important, but it makes me a bit sad when an old cork pip has to be replaced. It certainly makes me question the age of the stove more. When was cork last used in NRV manufacturing? Did someone replace the NRV with a far older one? The spirit cup seemed to be original Svea The burner, clearly not Anyone know which Radius stove this burner could be from? Fully assembled after a shine up And with the thin trivet included. It snaps on and remains fast. Primed with Methyl hydrate. Still on the hunt for denatured alcohol in Canada. I asked my local building centre to order some in from a fiberglass company in the city, they called me back with the bad news that they were all out and weren't getting any more in the foreseeable future. The flame was a bit uneven, but otherwise it burned well. The holes in the cap were thoroughly cleaned and rinsed, so I'm not sure why it looks this way. The flame was quite wide, and the vent screw allowed for pretty good control. Frankly, it was a joy to cook over. If I could leave all of my stoves out on the table, fueled and ready to go, I would probably pick this one to cook with more often than other stoves I profess to "like" more. Some stoves I seek out with great effort, some I acquire out of convenience and opportunity, and many stoves I pass by without much consideration. This one wasn't crazy cheap, but a comfortable price, made less comfortable with shipping from Sweden included. The boxes it checked were unfortunately mostly unchecked, but I hadn't considered the most important question when buying a stove "How is it to cook on?" When it comes to cooking on this Svea No 1, check. Anders
A nicely presented stove As for the cork seal in the check valve, I have also made them from cork (from good quality wine) in many of my stoves, cutting the cork into slices of the appropriate thickness and punching them out with a hole punch. Some cork seals can last for decades. This one, for example, did not need to be replaced.
Thanks @Ed Winskill @ArchMc @ROBBO55 @Knee Wow, that is kind of brilliant.Thanks for the tip. I may need to make some myself and put the old technology back into my Primus No 0
@GibsonsRavinePark2 Congratulations on your first Nickel plaited stove, and having of all a Svea the king of stoves. In my early days of collecting stoves,i came across a few plaited stoves at boot fares etc, that were sold in them days for little money, and because they were not plain Brass took no interest, which now a big regret.
