Fisher Wood Stove

Fisher wood stoves are quite the collector’s find today since they are no longer manufactured and, therefore, not sold in stores currently. With that description, you’d think there were priceless antiques. It’s a surprise to learn they were manufactured in the 1970s until the mid-1980s, initially by an Oregon gentleman named Bob Fisher.

While building a cabin in the mountains of Oregon, Fisher decided the using wood for heat was not efficient so he came up with an idea to improve the wood burning process. Sealing up his old fireplace except for a flue opening in the chimney, he installed the first Fisher wood stove. It was the main heat source for his A-frame home and he had developed a method of controlling the flame so it could be turned up or down at will. Cooking was done on top of the stove.

As people in the area saw and heard of this new type of wood stove, Fisher began to receive demands for his new invention. Fisher created the first stoves, using his welding skills but eventually had to subcontract, eventually contacting with 25 subcontractors, to meet market demands and eventually the demand became so great that he sold franchise rights. In total, over 500,000 of the stoves were manufactured.

There were four Fisher stove models: Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Grandpa Bear and Baby Bear. Each was crafted from sturdy steel plate ranging from ¼ inch to 5/16 inch in thickness. The name ‘Fisher’ was embossed on the front along with Oregon several fir trees making a quite attractive display.

As Fisher’s business grew, he established and enforced safety regulations which had not been included in the earlier stoves. The older models produced so much pollution they would probably not be legal to operate today with the strict Environmental Protection Agency standards for air cleanliness.

The factor which gave Fisher wood stoves the edge was the six-inch opening for the chimney and flue. This small opening made the stove able to heat a small house and provided fire control. The draft control in these models was so good that they could actually be used for cooling!

When petroleum prices were spiking in the early 1980s, Fisher’s products hit their peak in popularity. By the mid-80s, cleaner burning wood stoves were fast making the Fisher products obsolete so he went back to his drafting board and redesigned his stove into more efficient, cleaner burning designs. Previous models had emitted more than 75 grams of smoke and particulate matter for every kilogram of wood burned, the newer models, referred to as EPA stoves, emitted only about six grams of smoke and particulate matter per kilogram of wood. These new designs were a huge hit.

Over time, wood stoves became less popular as central heating and cheaper fuel prices changed the way homes were heated and cooking was accomplished. A few franchisees hung on for a while but there was never a Fisher wood stove which could meet today’s EPA standards. The only way to find these popular stoves today is by searching on auction websites, at collectibles shops and second-hand stores.

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