My papa bear

[Timasani]

Fisher papa...I believe

• Timasani
• Jan 18, 2016

Hey guys this is a fisher stove in like brand new condition I bought it off a millionaire In...

 

[Timasani]

Wecome to the forum;

The D number is the patent number, and it's the 2,409 th stove made at Factoryville, PA.
(the only other thing that tells me is I'd really like to have it)

4 trees is the norm for a flat top door. View attachment 73302
Mama and Papa use the same door.

I'll dig out the prints and get a picture of the brick layout page.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/papa-bear-firebricks.89792/

I have that same one

 

[Timasani]

Since the Everything Fisher thread has so much hard to find information, I'll start a thread with detailed info on each model as I put it together.

Anyone needing information on their Papa, Mama or Baby Bear single door stove is likely to find it here. Please ask if you don't find what you need !

Papa Bear UL Unlisted pre 1980 with 1 door, and two air intakes.

Width ; 20" across top plate.
Depth ; 40" overall with ash fender (shelf)
Approx. weight 486 pounds
Logs to 30"
Heats approx. 2000 s.f. (some ads list heating area up to 2250 s.f.)
(recommended area 1750 – 2250 s.f.)

Flue size 6 inch top, rear or side
Door opening ; 10" wide X 11" high
Price 12/13/74 $325

Mama Bear UL Unlisted pre 1980 used same door as Papa Bear;

Width ; 17 1/2" across top plate.
Depth ; 35" overall with ash fender (shelf)
Approx. weight 410 pounds
Logs to 24"
Heats approx. 1500 s.f. (some ads list heating area up to 1750 s.f.)
(recommended area 1250 – 1750 s.f.)
Flue size 6 inch top, rear or side
Door opening ; 10" wide X 11" high
Price 12/13/74 $300

Baby Bear UL Unlisted pre 1980 with 1 door, and one air intake.

Width ; 15 1/2" across top plate.
Depth ; 29" overall with ash fender (shelf)
Approx. weight 245 pounds
Logs to 18"
Heats approx. 1000 s.f. (some ads list heating area up to 1250 s.f.)
(recommended area 900 – 1250 s.f.)
Flue size 6 inch rear
Door opening ; 8" wide X 9" high
Price 12/13/74 $225

Measurements from original 1977 prints, weights from ad; Dec. 6 1979

The first airtight steel plate stove was welded together October 1973, and simply called “The Fisher Stove”. It was the Papa Bear size. Built with a steel plate door and side vented flue to sit across a blocked off fireplace, it was invented to heat Bob and Carol Fisher’s home. Family and neighbors who saw it soon wanted one.
One of the first stoves made was for Carol’s cousin Ed who rented her old home next door. Helping Bob carry the stove into the house, red in the face and puffing, Ed said “Man, really a bear, ain’t it”? Bob said “yeah, a Papa”, and the name stuck; The Papa Bear was born.
Shortly after going into production, the need for a smaller stove was realized and the Mama Bear was designed 5 inches shorter, 2 inches narrower than the Papa Bear using the same door. Later, Baby Bear with a single air intake was made for heating smaller areas.
These were the only three models available up until 1976 with the addition of the double door Fireplace Series.

The first cast iron doors were “flat top” with FISHER – STOVE across the top, and “Springfield Oregon Pat. Pendg” under the name. They used a chrome ball for the handle and a 2 inch iron pipe cap for the air intake adjustment. A few doors cracked between the air intake holes, so the doors were made thicker with Fir trees across the front for added strength. (Fir being the most common fuel in Oregon)View attachment 66887 View attachment 66889
The next improvements were spring handles and Bob’s father Baxter’s air intake knob invention, patented as an “air damper” now known as the aluminum finned “draft cap”.

Safety testing was done by different agencies across the US, and during the late 70’s Fisher pioneered testing that became standardized by Underwriter Laboratory.
The redesigned stoves of 1980 - 1988 featured the new arched style door top called “Cathedral Style”, with an angled Fisher logo. Stove corners were no longer welded with angle iron corners becoming the legs. A one piece box was bent on the corners to make a seamless box.View attachment 66888 View attachment 66890

As the stove market became saturated with many copycat stove makers, brass and nickel plated doors along with the coveted “Bear Feet” became available to dress up an otherwise black box. (Casted with white metal or "Pot Metal" they were available in Nickel or Black oxide finish for $3.00 each !) Glass doors and screens were only available for the Fireplace Series to view the fire and had a good share of the market even though the efficiency of the Bear Series could not be beat.

The Bear Series models were the most efficient due to a large stove with small 6 inch outlet. As EPA smoke regulations became stricter, Fisher refused to enlarge the outlet or make other changes that would decrease the efficiency. Along with many other stove manufacturers, they were forced to stop production in 1988.

 

[Timasani]