198X Olivetti Lettera 10 #0465127
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Javier Vazquez del Olmo (Javi)
Created: 10-22-2016 at 02:33AM
Last Edit: 10-22-2016 at 02:35AM
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Description:
I knew tis day was going to came, and it came.
The Olivetti Lettera 10 is a much hated typewriter. In fact, I hate it as well. In my opinion, it´s one of the worst typewriters ever, and much of the blame goes to that ribbon cartridge which has rendered many typewriters unusable. Maybe Olivetti tried to do something new or different, but the final result was bad. In fact, this one is not operative because it doesn´t have that damned cartridge.
In addition to the cartridge issues, the typewriter is definitely strange. It has a weird feel on it, and while the machinery itself is bad, it´s a little step ahead of other abominations. But it´s still hideous, never forget it. This machine suffers from a plastic overdose, and you get the feel of everything made out of plastic. Plastic body, plastic return lever, plastic keys, plastic typebars... Maybe not that one, but it sounds as if a plastic typebar hit a plastic platen when typing.
And why, why in the name of Chiron (for example, mythological figures empower every sentence) do I have one of these if I don´t like it? Or worse, why do I have two?! A 2€ price tag on them might have something to do with it, I guess.
Typeface Specimen:
Photos:
Hunter: Javier Vazquez del Olmo (Javi)
Javier Vazquez del Olmo's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 6476
The first typewriter I saw was my grandpa´s Olivetti Linea 98 at the office. It was just a curio for me. Then I was given a Nakajima, which I didn´t use and my grandfather took it from me because it was easier to handle than the bulky Linea 98. Now I own that typewriter, and I started a little collection in Valladolid, Spain. The Nakajima, which is "my" typewriter only returned home in 2017, almost 20 years later, when he wanted a better typewriter.
A collection that started small grew into something bigger, a nuisace for my family and a great source of satisfaction for me.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Olivetti Lettera 10 on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Olivetti Serial Number page and the Olivetti Lettera 10 By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
