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Home » Wanderer » Klein-Continental » 1935 #R082359
1935 Wanderer Klein-Continental Serial # R082359 1935 Wanderer Klein-Continental typewriter, Serial # R082359 Wayne Bouchard's 1935 Wanderer Klein-Continental typewriter. 2025-08-21 From the Virtual Typewriter Collection of Wayne Bouchard: 1935 Wanderer Klein-Continental Serial # R082359 The Wanderer Werke company started making typewriters back in about 1905 under the brand name "Continental". The first typewriters were all desktop units. This typewriter presented here is their first attempt at a portable unit. Since it was the only one at the time, it didn't bear a special label, but has been called the "Klein Continental", "Klein" being the German word for "small". Hence, the small Continental typewriter. Production carried on for quite a few years with most units being sold in Germany, France, or related countries and are thus found with QWERTZ and AZERTY keyboards. The unit I have here is unique in that it was made for export and features a Spanish keyboard. Additionally, it is equipped with Italic type in the Pica size. This is the first such typewriter I have in my collection. An interesting feature of this typewriter is that, for the tilde and trema characters, it has one dead key but features a separate key for the upper and lower case n-ya. This dead key is not of the typical variety that is intended to be struck first followed by the desired character, but is a reach-back or retro-grade key that prints in the column to the left of the type guide and, therefore, is to be struck after typing the letter, not before. To do this, it required a wider than normal type slug which, to obtain the desired alignment, required carving into the slug next to it, the semi-colon and colon. While there is plenty of room for this, it isn't exactly the easiest thing to do. After making a few minor variants on this particular design, Wanderer decided to abandon typewriter production and focus on my important things, like WWII. The company itself still exists today.

1935 Wanderer Klein-Continental #R082359

Status: My Collection
Hunter: Wayne Bouchard (azweb100)
Created: 08-21-2025 at 05:23AM
Last Edit: 08-21-2025 at 05:35AM

Description Hunter 25 Photos 1 Like  Find on Ebay #AD  Find on Etsy #AD

Description:

The Wanderer Werke company started making typewriters back in about 1905 under the brand name "Continental". The first typewriters were all desktop units. This typewriter presented here is their first attempt at a portable unit. Since it was the only one at the time, it didn't bear a special label, but has been called the "Klein Continental", "Klein" being the German word for "small". Hence, the small Continental typewriter. Production carried on for quite a few years with most units being sold in Germany, France, or related countries and are thus found with QWERTZ and AZERTY keyboards. The unit I have here is unique in that it was made for export and features a Spanish keyboard. Additionally, it is equipped with Italic type in the Pica size. This is the first such typewriter I have in my collection. An interesting feature of this typewriter is that, for the tilde and trema characters, it has one dead key but features a separate key for the upper and lower case n-ya. This dead key is not of the typical variety that is intended to be struck first followed by the desired character, but is a reach-back or retro-grade key that prints in the column to the left of the type guide and, therefore, is to be struck after typing the letter, not before. To do this, it required a wider than normal type slug which, to obtain the desired alignment, required carving into the slug next to it, the semi-colon and colon. While there is plenty of room for this, it isn't exactly the easiest thing to do. After making a few minor variants on this particular design, Wanderer decided to abandon typewriter production and focus on my important things, like WWII. The company itself still exists today.

Typeface Specimen:

Photos:













Pica Italics 64 (10 pitch, 6 LPI)
Pica Italics 64 (10 pitch, 6 LPI)

Note the wide type slug on the end and the carved out one next to it to allow foe the reach-back dead key.
Note the wide type slug on the end and the carved out one next to it to allow foe the reach-back dead key.

Serial R082359. This is printed twice on the typewriter. This one is found in the center of the back and visible by removing the back cover place.
Serial R082359. This is printed twice on the typewriter. This one is found in the center of the back and visible by removing the back cover place.

This is the externally visible serial number and can be found on the back left of the unit, visible near the bell.
This is the externally visible serial number and can be found on the back left of the unit, visible near the bell.

Note that the bell here is directly attached to the margin. Note also that because of the way this margin system works, the margins are backwards to what you would expect. So this, the right-hand margin, is found on the left side of the machine.
Note that the bell here is directly attached to the margin. Note also that because of the way this margin system works, the margins are backwards to what you would expect. So this, the right-hand margin, is found on the left side of the machine.

Line space selecting lever. It offers 1, 1.5, and 2 line spacing.
Line space selecting lever. It offers 1, 1.5, and 2 line spacing.

Just visible on the left of this photo is the bi-chrome and stencil setting, Rather difficult to reach, but that keeps you from hitting it accidentally.
Just visible on the left of this photo is the bi-chrome and stencil setting, Rather difficult to reach, but that keeps you from hitting it accidentally.

Original Continental spools!
Original Continental spools!



The decal on the front has sufered, but you can just make out "Wanderer-Werke Schunau Chemnitz"
The decal on the front has sufered, but you can just make out "Wanderer-Werke Schunau Chemnitz"



Hunter: Wayne Bouchard (azweb100)

Wayne Bouchard's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]

Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 1717

Collector of several things, including typewriters, slide rules, and mechanical calculators.
Started collecting typewriters in 2023 with a Royal HHE like the one I did my first book report on when I was in school and using my dad's old typewriter.


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