An unfired Svea No.5* from the mid-1930s. There are 3 examples to compare with (here, here and here), although non of these are labelled as such, as well as a couple of Svea No.1* too. The key 'giveaway' features of these '*' models are the combined filler/pressure release cap and the Bakelite pump rod ends. Regarding dating all known are earlier than the introduction of Svea's new 'King of Stoves' branding c.1937, but only marginally earlier, as the tank does feature the then new 'beefed-up' riser base. There has been speculation that these 'star' models may have been budget models, but the fact that known examples came with cast, not pressed, trivets and benefitted from then new tank improvements raises questions about that assumption. Unfortunately, however, definitive catalogue and advertising data is currently lacking.
@igh371 Hi Ian, that cast iron trivet is shockingly beautiful! It’s in super conditions! That and the complete burner are worth the purchase! Nicola
Actually it's all been boxed up for years, I only just discovered I'd never got round to photographing the stove or doing a gallery post
Anyway, for me, the star represents the fact that the pump NRV is now installed inside the pump tube… not lighter brass or economy construction. Models 15 and 16 with external NRV were still available for different years probably to make the passage to internal NRV smoother for some users that were used to that NRV type. Mine is clearly a speculation as well. Nicola
We still miss catalogs of late 1920s-early 1930s that showcase the models 25/26 for example, models clearly with external NRV. When 25/26 moved to internal NRV they were just renamed 35/36. I understand that, for commercial reasons, abandoning the numbers 1 and 5 was not possible, so they added the Star… Nicola
And sorry for another message, but things come to mind while writing. Surely, when new Svea 1 and 5 with internal NRV were released, many old stock 1 and 5 with external NRV were still available in many shops and stores around Europe. So, having at the same time 1 & 5 with different features could have created some marketing problems, so adding a star to identify the new models 1 & 5 could make sense. Nicola
