Formed in 1977 in Idaho by Calvin Cotton and Lonnie Preslar, Timberline Wood Stoves Inc. Was a response to a developing wood stove market in the 1970's spurred by the energy insecurity of the time. No doubt they had seen the developing success of the Fisher wood stove and wanted a piece of those sales. The Huntsman wood stove is an older pre-EPA wood stove produced with the popular 'step style' design used by other stove manufactures during that timeframe. Trademarked by the Atlanta Stove Company in 1978 as a wood burning heater, the Huntsman closely resembled the Fisher wood stove which was another popular stove during the late 1970's. View and Download Fisher Baby Bear VI owner's manual online. Assembly/installation/operation maintenance procedures. Baby Bear VI wood stove pdf manual download. Also for: Papa bear vi.
The story of Fisher Wood Stoves is that of a small scale inventor whose ideas grew beyond his control. In 1973 Bob Fisher was working as a metal fabricator - business was slow and he was struggling to support his wife and children, while finishing building his own pole frame home.
He realised that the open stone fireplace he had painstakingly built was inadequate for heating the building and fuel prices for their oil boiler were increasing. He got the idea in his head to build an efficient stove to keep his family warm and spent months sketching, plotting and planning his first Fisher Wood Stove.
Bob Fisher had some basic criteria that he wanted from his stove, and his wife supplied some of her own:
- It had to be an airtight wood stove
- Ventilation needed to be restricted and controlable with vents
- It had to be able to keep a fire in over night
- Carol wanted to be able to cook on the top of the stove
- The stove couldn't smoke when the door was opened
- The Fisher Stove had to last - this called for heavy duty steel and firebrick
Modern stoves now are substantially more efficient than Fisher's models, but very few are designed to be able to keep a fire in overnight.
With these ideas in mind Bob Fisher designed what became the very first 'Papa Bear' Fisher Stove. Getting this far wasn't easy, Bob had to trade in his truck and borrow funds from his mother but once everything came together he assembled the stove, over a day or two
The Papa Bear was an instant success and soon Bob had neighbours coming to look and ask if Bob could make one for them too. With the help of another loan Bob bought materials to make ten more and built a small business making and selling stoves himself. Small businesses seldom have a smooth ride however, and Bob had trouble recruiting reliable staff and marketing these early stoves.
Eventually Bob stumbled on other people who were interested in making and selling his stoves under license. Bob sold them rights to market stoves in a territory and they paid a royalty on each stove they sold of around 6%. At this point the business started expanding rapidly, beyond the scope of individuals to manage. There were problems with people making copy-cat stoves, licensees falling behind on their royalties and issues with gaining safety accreditation from building standards boards across the USA.
The final straw came in 1976, during negotiations for a large manufacturing contract, when Bob himself had a stroke - he had burned himself out trying to do too much and take responsibility for too many problems. Under doctors orders he distanced himself from the business and spent time recovering.
Without him the business expanded and developed into a sophisticated modern business with wood stove development, marketing, sales and manufacturing arms. They expanded the original, very simple, 'Papa Bear' stoves into a larger range of wood burning stoves and fireplace inserts. The newer stoves, from the 1980s onwards, emitted very little smoke (around 6g of particulates per kg of wood burned) and met EPA requirements for clean burning, earlier models did not.
Identifying Your Fisher Wood Stoves
These days Fisher Wood Stoves no longer manufacture stoves, although many of the old stove are still around and working well. They can sometimes be found in house clearances or rusting in old sheds. Being built with robust steel and cast iron doors there should be little wrong with any stove you find and, with some tlc and a repaint you could probably get one running again fairly easily. Be aware however that these old stoves do not necessarily meet modern building code or clean air regulations.
The easiest way to tell what model of Fisher Stove you have is by the door design - while stove bodies were manufactured by licencees Bob had the cast iron doors manufactured and shipped. This helped keep track of royalties owed and kept casting costs down.
The 'Bear' Range
- The Papa Bear Fisher Stove : single cast iron door, two air inlets, takes logs up to 30 inches
- The Mama Bear Fisher Stove : single cast iron door, two air inlets, takes logs up to 24 inches
Fisher Wood Stove Installation Instructions
- The Baby Bear Fisher Stove : single cast iron door, single air intake, takes logs up to 18 inches
The 'Fireplace' Series
These were double door stoves designed after Bob Fisher stepped down from the company. The wider configuration had the benefits of the original fisher wood stoves but could be run with the door open to view the fire, albeit with a fire screen in place
- Grandma Bear : two doors, takes 20 inch logs, 5 firebricks wide
- Grandpa Bear : two doors, takes 24 inch logs, 6 firebricks wide
If you want to find out more about Fisher Stoves you could try this thread on the hearth.com forums
There is also a pdf copy of the history of the Fisher Stove Company here.
This post may contain affiliate links so I earn a commission.
The Huntsman wood stove is an older pre-EPA wood stove produced with the popular 'step style' design used by other stove manufactures during that timeframe.
Trademarked by the Atlanta Stove Company in 1978 as a wood burning heater, the Huntsman closely resembled the Fisher wood stove which was another popular stove during the late 1970's.
Constructed from welded plate steel and a cast iron door without any glass, the Huntsman stove was available in a couple different models which included both single and double door stoves.
The stoves have a baffle system inside the firebox that redirects the fumes into the upper fire box where they then travel through a pipe called a 'flue tube' that keeps the heat and gasses inside the stove longer, reducing the amount of heat loss up the chimney.
It was actually pretty advanced for the time period, however compared to todays modern wood burning stoves and regulations, it's not nearly as efficient.
To learn more, let's take a closer look at the various stove models and some of the advantages and disadvantages of owning a Huntsman stove.
Huntsman Wood Stove Identification
The Huntsman model 241 was one of the companies most popular wood stoves.
Similar to the Fisher Mama Bear, the 241 can handle logs up to 24 inches in length and heat roughly about 1500-1700 square feet, depending on how air tight the home is.
Designed with superior materials and craftsmanship, the stove is constructed of tight welded .250' plate steel on the sides with .297' plate steel on the top of the stove.
To adjust the air flow, there are 3 manually controlled knobs called draft regulators on the front of the door.
By opening and closing the 3 knobs, you can effectively control how much air is drawn into the firebox, controlling the temperature of the fire.
The two draft regulators on the bottom are used for a fast startup and the upper air regulator is used to supply secondary air to the firebox creating a more complete burn.
If you're looking for an overnight burn, fill the firebox with quality hardwood and close the bottom two draft regulators.
Next, open the top regulator about 1/8' by turning the knob about 1.25 turns.
This will typically give you an overnight burn with enough coals to relight the fire in the morning.
Adjusting the air into the stove takes trial and error.
Depending on your home, quality of firewood and comfort level, over time you'll be able to figure out a good system that works best for you.
Although the model 241 has been around for over 30 years, there are still many of the stoves being used today.
It's a great stove and you can typically find a used one for sale online for about $100-$300 depending on the model and condition.
All Huntsman stoves function with the same basic design principles and the main difference would be the size.
The stoves are very recognizable by the Huntsman name on the front of the stove doors along with an image of a deer jumping over a log.
Huntsman Wood Stove - Overall
Overall a Huntsman wood stove is a great stove.
Capable of heating most mid sized homes, its quality construction and track record of happy customers makes this older stove something to consider.
Fisher Wood Stove Manual
Since it's not an EPA certified stove, you'll burn more wood when compared to a modern EPA certified stove and if you're considering installing one in your home, you should check with your insurance company before hand to make sure the stove won't cause any complications with your policy.
Also, since the stoves feature a solid cast iron door, you won't have an open view of the fire like you would with the modern day stoves that feature a glass door with a large viewing area.
Whether you've purchased a home that already has a Huntsman wood stove installed or you're looking for a good, inexpensive stove to reduce your heating costs, these are great stoves and there's a reason why these 30 year old wood stoves are still being used today.