Why do they call the old stoves smoke dragons

I heat with a 30+ year old VC resolute acclaim. I hear older stoves called smoke dragons and understand what is ment by the term. But I never have smoke pouring out of the chimney. Took this pic this morning. Stove is cruising at 400-450 St. On 2 year seasoned mulberry and oak. Is it more the person running the stoves fault then the stove that got them the nickname?

 

Honestly its probably the operators fault more than anything...burning wood that is not truly dry, then running the stove to cold to boot...most any stove will burn clean if you give it dry wood and let 'er rip.
I'm a little confused by your pic...is that thermometer on brick?

 

It's on the top of the stove.

 

The top of your stove has brick right over it?

 

Its always been this way.

 

Only about 2" of the back of the stove are under the edge of the brick.

 

Ah ha! Its the ole angle of camera/vantage point trick! Makes sense now...

 

and sometimes what people thing is smoke is actually moisture - When I left this morning there was white clouds around flue stack ( -10 deg F)- but the stove was running at 600 deg and all 4 after tubes were firing with just an glow from the wood stack below.