Fisher Wood Stoves

 

Fisher Wood Stove Specifications & History 

Let me preface this page by stating that I have compiled the information below to provide basic history and specs. of Fisher Wood Stoves. This information comes from various resources such as online references, newspaper articles, vintage manuals, and sales literature that I have acquired over the years and is intended to make all of this info available in one place. I will continue to update as I encounter more information. 

Fisher Wood Stove Model Specifications

Baby Bear: 
245 lbs. Single door - 8x9” opening w/ single air intake , takes 18" log Heats up to 1250 sf.
Mama Bear: 
410 lbs. Single door – 10x11” opening w/ two air intakes, takes 24" log Heats up to 1750 sf.
Papa Bear: 
486 lbs. Single door, two air intakes, takes 30" log Heats up to 2250 sf.
Grandma Bear: 
406 lbs. Double doors – 17x10” w/ two air intakes, takes 20" log Heats up to 1750 sf.
Grandpa Bear: 
456 lbs. Double doors 22x11” opening w/ two air intakes, takes 24" log Heats up to 2250 sf.
Fireplace Series: 
486 lbs. Double doors – 17x10” opening w/ two air intakes, takes 20" log Heats up to 2000 sf.
Goldilocks: 
410 lbs. Double doors 17x10” opening w/ two air intakes, takes 16" log Heats up to 1750 sf.
Honey Bear: 
245 lbs. Double doors 17x10” opening w/ two air intakes, takes 17" log Heats up to 1750 sf.
Teddy Bear: 
245 lbs. Double doors 17x10” opening w/ two air intakes, takes 17" log Heats up to 1750 sf.

You can see more about our process on our ABOUT US page.

History Of Fisher Wood Stoves

Bob Fisher was 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 realized 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 controllable with vents
  • It had to be able to hold a fire overnight
  • 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


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 neighbors 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 doctor's 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 on-wards, emitted very little smoke (around 6g of particulates per kg of wood burned) and met EPA requirements for clean burning.

    What Owners Are Saying

    I cannot count the number of folks that have told me a story about the Fisher stove they remember as a child and the memories they cherish surrounding these remarkable stoves. They are unique and once you have had one you never forget it.

    David Murray's Fisher Baby Bear Review 
    David Murray's Fisher Papa Bear Restoration & Review

    Our Mission


    Fisher wood stoves are no longer manufactured and therefore are getting harder to find as modern heating methods have replaced wood-burning appliances in many regions through the years.

    We pay homage to the Father of modern-day airtight wood stoves Bob Fisher by locating and restoring these beautiful stoves so they can continue to bring warm memories to families for years to come.