Svea were one of several Swedish companies producing stoves back in the early days. Like the others their initial products were aimed at the domestic market, pre electricity … blow torches were in great demand for tradesmen of the era. The 1950’s saw a huge boom in outdoor activities and Svea, along with their rivals, Primus and Optimus saw huge potential in camping and backpacking stoves. Dozens of stoves appeared in the outdoor market place ( many which you can find elsewhere in the collection) though the Svea 123 became one of the most popular after it hit the market in 1955. Rather confusingly, the Svea 123 was designed to run on white fuel, which is a cleaner version of petrol, less likely to clog up the jet. Naptha is another name for white fuel and Coleman fuel is the same. None of this fuel was widely available in the UK back in the good old days so the Brits tried ordinary petrol with varying success and much ‘clogging’. Hand held prickers and the self pricking 123R, which appeared later, helped, and wider availability of white fuel ensured the continued success of the Svea 123 into the 21st century.