All-Nighter Giant Moe Stove

[mac8429]

I have just purchased what I believe to be an All Nighter Giant Moe Stove. It is approx. 31" wide x 22" deep; has a glass door with a cradle of some sort attached to the inside of the door. I assume this is protect the glass from rolling logs. I can't find any labeling on the stove, except at the base of inside of the door: It says "All Nighter Stove Works Glastonbury, Ct. My parents have had a Mid Moe for years, but I can't find much info on this particular stove. The Mid Moe has a hinged plate at the top edge of the stove opening, but mine doesn't. I know the guy at All Nighter was an ex-Fisher dealer. I would have thought that they would have stamped a model number somewhere. Can anybody shed some light on this stove? Maybe the years it was produced?

Thanks so much for the info on this forum

 

[begreen]

Sounds like a Big Moe with glass. Is it like this stove?

(broken link removed)

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/File:allnighterocrbigmoe.pdf/

 

[mac8429]

No - that's not it. It is either a Jumbo Moe or a Giant Moe. It has one large door with glass; will take a 24" log, and is wider than deep. It has an 8" flue outlet. Can't find any info on these two models other than one ad that say's they are "coming soon". I love the Fisher stoves, but like the fact that this has a glass door and the blower tubes through the firebox. By the way, the blower tube inlet is in the rear underneath the flue outlet, not on the side. Will post some additional photos. It look like this:

 

[begreen]

Thanks for the picture. I haven't see that one. Maybe Craig has?

 

[missing link]

Nice Stove, I think there is a member of this site who's dad was affiliated with this stove company or was the stove co founder
ML

 

[mac8429]

Mostly looking for stories about the company. If someone worked there or knows something, I sure would appreciate

 

[missing link]

www.kountrylife.com/cgi-bin/topic.cgi?bd=forum&th=19332
here is a link with stories and info about the All Nighter Co.
I hope giving this link is OK with the Mods
ML

 

[begreen]

No problem here. The Moe, the merrier.

 

[lukem]

No - that's not it. It is either a Jumbo Moe or a Giant Moe. It has one large door with glass; will take a 24" log, and is wider than deep. It has an 8" flue outlet. Can't find any info on these two models other than one ad that say's they are "coming soon". I love the Fisher stoves, but like the fact that this has a glass door and the blower tubes through the firebox. By the way, the blower tube inlet is in the rear underneath the flue outlet, not on the side. Will post some additional photos. It look like this:

My dad has this stove installed in his living room. It's older than me, so I'm guessing it about 35 years old. I'll be up there on Thursday and will see if it has any markings or a plate. He still has the blower that he never uses (isn't even hooked up to the stove)...I'll get a pic of it too.

 

[mac8429]

Great I'm looking for a blower, so if he wants to part with it, please let me know. I'd be interested.

 

[lukem]

Great I'm looking for a blower, so if he wants to part with it, please let me know. I'd be interested.

Just realized you are from Indiana...what part?

 

[mac8429]

Southeastern - around Perfect North Ski Slopes (Lawrenceburg).

 

[webbie]

Not sure of the name, but it likely would have been a model they introduced right at the end....of their reign. It was only then that the sideways stoves (orientation) and larger glass doors became popular. I'd have to date it as being 1980-81, whereas the first All-nighters were probably 1976 or so.

 

[mac8429]

Thanks for the input. Just curious why there is so little info on these stoves.......

 

[webbie]

Here is some of the court case where Fisher took them to court for copying - it looks like Fisher lost it.....
http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/626/193/158088/

"While we sympathize with plaintiff's disappointment at losing sales to an imitator, this is a fact of business life"

 

[mac8429]

Seems like there is some animosity against the stoves based on Bob Fisher's design. I have read the book on him; very interesting. He seemed like a hard worker with a great design. I just like the additon of the glass door and the blower pipes added by All Nighter (Moranthe). Can't figure why Fisher wasn't interested in these; maybe he felt they were novelties to wood heat; but it is nice to view the fire that's heating your space.

 

[webbie]

The market grew so fast - faster than Fisher could expand...and you read in the book that he was not really wired for big business anyway!

So hundreds of manufacturers came into play in the 1975 to 1980 time frame, many of them similar to Fisher. All Nighter had some big advantages - one is being located right in the center of perhaps the best wood burning market in the US. That allowed them to go to market instantly.....another was the name. Great marketing. Customers convinced themselves that the reason it was called All Nighter was because it officially was the stove that burned all night (while others...maybe...did not).

Did you see their ad?

 

[webbie]

Thanks for the input. Just curious why there is so little info on these stoves.......

1980 was a LONG time ago. They came and went pretty quick in the scheme of things. It's amazing, when you think of it, that they are still known at all.....

 

[mac8429]

Saw the ad - what I'm really looking for is the publication "The Woodburner" ; a newspaper of sorts that they came out with regarding their stoves and wood heat. It's mentioned in several ads; one in 'Home Digest' that I have and one multiple times in Popular Mechanics. Anyone have one or a pdf file that would be wonderful; I've been scouring the web looking for one. I realize several of Fisher's dealers built their own similar stoves; Timberline, Hutch, etc. Kind of interesting to the all these variations on Bob's original air-tight stove. I hope Coaly will weigh in on this - he sure has some fascinating posts on Fisher!!

 

[lukem]

Not sure of the name, but it likely would have been a model they introduced right at the end....of their reign. It was only then that the sideways stoves (orientation) and larger glass doors became popular. I'd have to date it as being 1980-81, whereas the first All-nighters were probably 1976 or so.

I think you are dead on. I was born in 1981 and my dad bought his stove in 79 or 80....

 

[webbie]

The court case confirms the start date!
"In February, 1977, Morande formed defendant corporation, which began production and sale of four models of woodburning stoves in a number of respects remarkably similar to plaintiff's'"

Ah, such is life.....

As to that publication, I seem to remember it was newsprint. There are probably some existing somewhere....but that could be a toughie! I'm going to dig though the files someday soon in a BIG OLD dealers shop in CT.......if I come across one I will grab and scan it.

 

[coaly]

I hope Coaly will weigh in on this - he sure has some fascinating posts on Fisher!!

Oh boy, took me a while to respond to this one.

I'll start with James A. Sr. (d. 1999) and Olive (d. 1998) Morande. They had a son in 1942,
James Arther Jr. who bought the Fisher license in May of '76. He was the owner of the Olde Towne and Country Store in East Hartford, Connecticut. (his dad worked with him there too) He was also the cause of the costliest lawsuit of Fisher Inc. when he started making his own stove models. I just spoke to someone who knows more than one old employee that was involved with the truckload of stoves that was supposed to be scrapped when Bob found out what they were making. Seems he hired a bunch of druggies putting their paychecks up their nose! (the other reason it was called "all nighter" allegedly.....) and didn't mind stealing the stoves from their boss to later sell themselves. Later, he moved to Saco Maine with second wife Donna. He now resides in Naples Florida at 69 and is the owner of Morande Enterprises. A car rental and Daewoo radio installation business. (so you can actually call him and ask any questions about his copy of the Fisher Stove!) Seems his business like All Nighter went south;
Bankrupcy 2005; (broken link removed to http://pacer.flmb.uscourts.gov/pdf-new/38918890.pdf)
Of course being no stranger to the Courts, he appealed it; http://dockets.justia.com/docket/florida/flmdce/2:2005cv00486/174620/
And finally;
IRS vs. Morande Ent. 2007; http://dockets.justia.com/docket/florida/flmdce/2:2007cv00498/203735/
(broken link removed)
James Jr. also had two sons, Peter and James A. III. Both died, James A. III unexpectedly in 2009;
(broken link removed)

Now in 1943, James and Olive also had Robert. I'm not sure of his involvement in the stove business, but he also worked at his brother's store;

James A. Morande Sr. of Glastonbury died Sunday at the Glastonbury Health Care Center. He was 79.
He was born in Somerville, Mass., and had lived in Glastonbury for the past 41 years. He worked for Stop & Shop for many years as a store manager, then many years for the Buckley & Camp Market in Glastonbury, and for the Towne & Country Store in East Hartford with his sons. For the past 15 years, he worked for his sons at Morande Ford in Berlin and Morande Lincoln Mercury in Manchester.
This brother is the owner of Morande Ford, Morande Accura, Morande Lincoln Mercury, and a truck rental business, doing well in Berlin CT.

 

[mac8429]

Thanks for the info Coaly. Always interesting to hear your take on things.

 

[coaly]

It's not my take on things, (speculation) that's why I post links to back up the facts.
It's strange when you do a search on Morande Ford, you get company websites, Morande.com, and other big car dealerships in CT owned by Robert. But try to figure out if the brother that owned the stove business (James mentioned in Fisher vs All Nighter) is still in the auto business in Florida. Your search doesn't give you any dealership website, nothing. Only businesses at 8300 Radio Road including Morande Mazda & Suzuki with phone number and fax only. Maybe it was there at one time and is gone? Perhaps the restructuring through bankruptcy court didn't work out, and it's all gone? He is only listed as Rent-a-Car and Deawoo dealer. This is one of the stove business owners I've hit a dead end on.
Here's how I research each person who bought a license to build Fisher Stoves to find out what happened to them, and the business they went into after stoves. First you have to find them;
This old stove business owner has LOTS of old addresses in Florida, was listed in Saco Maine, and the original in Glastonbury CT. So I know it's the right guy. (born Sept. 42, and placed in these towns in son's obit);
http://www.zabasearch.com/query1_za...ANDE&state=FL&name_style=1&refid=emailresults

By clicking on "confirm current phone and address" it uses Intelius website and gives relatives and old addresses confirming it's him. #3 shown below lists wife and son with 3 addresses placing him in Naples FL currently, listing Saco ME and Conn. as first address as confirmed in his son's obituary.

http://www.intelius.com/results.php...name&qc=GLASTONBURY&qf=James&qn=Morande&qs=CT

 

[coaly]

Seems like there is some animosity against the stoves based on Bob Fisher's design. I have read the book on him; very interesting. He seemed like a hard worker with a great design. I just like the additon of the glass door and the blower pipes added by All Nighter (Moranthe). Can't figure why Fisher wasn't interested in these; maybe he felt they were novelties to wood heat; but it is nice to view the fire that's heating your space.

Animosity is right ! Put into perspective, James bought a license to make a stove, was sent prints for the various models, and signed a contract to buy doors for them and pay royalty for each stove sold. A few of these licensees decided to have their own doors cast, and sell their own next to the Fisher line. So they made a few improvements, and tried to make them look different to get away with it. They lost their license, and ended up on their own. Fisher's theory was simplicity. Keeping the parts to a minimum to wear out or fail, and simple to build. Fisher started with the largest single door first, and found the need for smaller stoves, so made the other models. Then they found the market wanted to view the fire, so designed the double doors. Later with glass, (Insert,Honey Bear Insert, GM and GP stoves in two door designs) but always leaned towards a solid thick cast iron door to radiate heat. When James decided to make his own, he used the same depth (log length) intake configuration (single on the smallest, dual on the larger through the door, the same way)

Here's All Nighter pics to show the size of the models corresponding to the Fisher brand. Same door seal, hinge, brick configuration, just a notch cut in the step, and tubes added with his own door. Bob was right by keeping it simple. The tubes rotted out and you find them welded and patched like this;