1050 Brands 3173 Models 21441 Galleries 13407 Typefaces 6273 Patents
Home » Continental » Standard » 1923 #231240
1923 Continental Standard Serial # 231240 1923 Continental Standard typewriter, Serial # 231240 Vlastimil Novak's 1923 Continental Standard typewriter. 2023-06-08 From the Virtual Typewriter Collection of Vlastimil Novak: 1923 Continental Standard Serial # 231240 This is the Continental from 1923. It has quite a romantic history. From 1925 to 1970/1980 it was at the principal's office in Zahrádky elementary school near Česká Lípa. Just think about all the generations of students and school paperwork. It is obvious, that the machine is really worn out, but it is in good shape and still capable to write like almost new. The only missing part was the tabulator lever. I took it from Schrottík... Otherwise, the whole writer is in original condition, only cleaned, polished and oiled. Everything is working perfectly and I am more and more convinced, that Continentals are one of the best typewriters from the pre-WW2 era.
Inspiration in the Underwood is obvious, but the fundamental design of Underwood is much older and to be compared, taking a Continental apart is much easier than doing that with an Underwood. I like Underwoods, they are nice and iconic, but I don't have that "precise and insanely into quality" feeling with them. One example for all - the whole carriage is on bearings (the German ones) so its motion is smooth and fast. Otherwise, the Continental is quite a noisy machine (I have in my possession 8 standard Continentals from 1908 to somewhere around 1940 and none of them is really a quiet writer), but typing is precise and fast.
Just for info, small levers on the left side of the machine - the one at the back is for writing stencils, the second one is a child lock. A child lock! A very useful thing not only against children. I have a feeling that every human being has some basic instinct to write something stupid when they are near an unguarded typewriter. Writing without paper is a sin! The big one. It is like writing in stone... Some stupid messages are engraved into platens. Every typewriter needs a child lock or a bear trap.

1923 Continental Standard #231240

Status: My Collection
Hunter: Vlastimil Novak (Schrei112)
Created: 08-12-2016 at 10:24AM
Last Edit: 06-08-2023 at 02:03PM

Description Hunter 52 Photos 10 Likes  Find on Ebay #AD  Find on Etsy #AD

Description:

This is the Continental from 1923. It has quite a romantic history. From 1925 to 1970/1980 it was at the principal's office in Zahrádky elementary school near Česká Lípa. Just think about all the generations of students and school paperwork. It is obvious, that the machine is really worn out, but it is in good shape and still capable to write like almost new. The only missing part was the tabulator lever. I took it from Schrottík... Otherwise, the whole writer is in original condition, only cleaned, polished and oiled. Everything is working perfectly and I am more and more convinced, that Continentals are one of the best typewriters from the pre-WW2 era.
Inspiration in the Underwood is obvious, but the fundamental design of Underwood is much older and to be compared, taking a Continental apart is much easier than doing that with an Underwood. I like Underwoods, they are nice and iconic, but I don't have that "precise and insanely into quality" feeling with them. One example for all - the whole carriage is on bearings (the German ones) so its motion is smooth and fast. Otherwise, the Continental is quite a noisy machine (I have in my possession 8 standard Continentals from 1908 to somewhere around 1940 and none of them is really a quiet writer), but typing is precise and fast.
Just for info, small levers on the left side of the machine - the one at the back is for writing stencils, the second one is a child lock. A child lock! A very useful thing not only against children. I have a feeling that every human being has some basic instinct to write something stupid when they are near an unguarded typewriter. Writing without paper is a sin! The big one. It is like writing in stone... Some stupid messages are engraved into platens. Every typewriter needs a child lock or a bear trap.

Typeface Specimen:

Photos:





















































Hunter: Vlastimil Novak (Schrei112)

Vlastimil Novak's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]

Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 1749

If you want something, contact me: Vlastimilnovak12@gmail.com

I am a passionate amateur mechanic from the Czech Republic, and I have always mesmerized by the complexity of typewriters since my childhood. The first one (Zeta 1501) was just a toy to me in the beginning, but by every year I got older I got also better at understanding how it is working and how to disassemble it and assemble it again. The second one was Ideal DZ33 which started my love for antique machines with all the chrome and glass keys.
My machines range from mint ones through a majority of well-used machines to piles of rust that I have repaired to be typewriters again which is a lot of fun for me.
I am quite obsessed with the beauty and technical genius of standard Continentals. I love how they were producing one model of a typewriter from 1904 to the '50s with constant changes in design and my goal is to collect every decal and every major variation of them.


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

Typewriter Hunter Merch!