1046 Brands 3093 Models 20131 Galleries 12411 Typefaces 6273 Patents
Home » Olivetti » Linea 198 » 199x #943817
199x Olivetti Linea 198 Serial # 943817 199x Olivetti Linea 198 typewriter, Serial # 943817 Brad Sarno's 199x Olivetti Linea 198 typewriter. 2014-04-01 From the Virtual Typewriter Collection of Brad Sarno: 199x Olivetti Linea 198 Serial # 943817 I just got this beast from my sister. Apparently, they wanted to get the kids a manual typewriter to see what that was all about. Not knowing anything, they got on eBay and just found one and ordered it. This Linea is actually interesting in addition to being terrible. It was made in India and likely sometime in the '90s. Olivetti must have needed to put their name on a manual typewriter and I guess at the time there weren't many options to pick from. This thing is very cheaply made. Sloppy tolerances, cheap metal, plastic everywhere, kind of loud, not a very comfortable typing feel, friction in places where there shouldn't be, tabulator is sketchy, left carriage release button is missing. But it works, it types. It's no fun and it's ugly and it's pretty junky all around. I guess it's interesting because it's such a late model manual typewriter made at a time when there really weren't many being made anymore. I got it for free and I'll likely give it away as well.

199x Olivetti Linea 198 #943817

Status: My Collection
Hunter: Brad Sarno (bradsarno)
Created: 04-01-2014 at 10:10AM
Last Edit: 04-01-2014 at 10:12AM

Description Hunter 10 Photos 2 Likes  Find on Ebay #AD  Find on Etsy #AD

Description:

I just got this beast from my sister. Apparently, they wanted to get the kids a manual typewriter to see what that was all about. Not knowing anything, they got on eBay and just found one and ordered it. This Linea is actually interesting in addition to being terrible. It was made in India and likely sometime in the '90s. Olivetti must have needed to put their name on a manual typewriter and I guess at the time there weren't many options to pick from. This thing is very cheaply made. Sloppy tolerances, cheap metal, plastic everywhere, kind of loud, not a very comfortable typing feel, friction in places where there shouldn't be, tabulator is sketchy, left carriage release button is missing. But it works, it types. It's no fun and it's ugly and it's pretty junky all around. I guess it's interesting because it's such a late model manual typewriter made at a time when there really weren't many being made anymore. I got it for free and I'll likely give it away as well.

Typeface Specimen:

Photos:











Hunter: Brad Sarno (bradsarno)

Brad Sarno's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]

Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 2728

I've spent my life as a mechanical and electronics tinkerer, bikes, cars, lawnmowers, appliances, cameras, audio gear, guitars, amplifiers, and pedal steel guitars. I was trained as a typist for 2 years back in the late 70's on IBM Selectric II's. At home I recall my mother having an Olympia SM3. More recently we got our daughter a typewriter for Christmas, and that somehow sparked my own personal interest in these fine and interesting machines. Now it's a habit that just won't quit. Daily searches on Craigslist, frequent trips to antique stores & malls, garage sales, etc. It's a fun and healthy addiction.


RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Olivetti Linea 198 on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Olivetti Serial Number page and the Olivetti Linea 198 By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.

Typewriter Hunter Merch!