1939 Omega Simplex #0284802
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Jonas Lauritsen (legofanatikeren)
Created: 08-02-2024 at 11:28PM
Last Edit: 08-02-2024 at 11:36PM
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Description:
This machine was picked up in a bundle of 3 machines in a yardsale for about $35.
Part of the intrigue of this particular machine is the model name. This appears to be a rebrand of the Olympia Simplex, and is simply titled "OMEGA". There's a logo on the right side of the front cover, but it's too faded to make out. In any case, it's not the classic "Simplex S", but some other symbol that aims for the same aesthetic.
One of the first things I noticed on this, was the left side spool which was rusted loose - the top flange had given up life and was just lying loosely on top, so that had to be changed. Besides, a few of the keycaps had some interesting modifications applied, the extent of which I wasn't aware of at the time, but it looked like makeshift repairs to me.
It came with original case, no key, and the lock wasn't functional, so the case wasn't capable of actually carrying the machine around. All 8 feet are original, though battered (like the handle), and as mentioned, original DIN 2103 metal spools and ribbon was included.
Got it cleaned out of dust as best I could, removed the case bottom and front cover to better access the internals. I noticed the spool designs were subtly different on the left and right side, and I concluded that one of them was a replacement spool sourced at some point in it's 80+ year life.
The model itself is a rebranded Olympia Simplex as mentioned, Danish keyboard, no 1, but it does have the ! as well. Being a Simplex, it has no colour change mechanism, but everything on the machine itself was working just fine. Auto-reversing, keys, levers, margins, etc. all worked as intended. One thing I noticed was the lack of a paper guide-slide on the left side of the platen. Not sure if it's simply not included in this model or it it has gone missing. I'm leaning towards the former.
The serial number is stamped - interestingly - both on the right side of the carriage as well as under the meachine at the back panel. I dated this machine off the Olympia Simplex serial numbers, figuring that it was part of this series despite the different name, so in this one respect, I'll treat the machine as an Olympia.
On this particular machine, there's decals at the front of the keyboard, detailing the Danish retailer. Although it's very faint, it says:
ALFRED FISCHER & CO's EFTF.
JERNBANEGADE 6 KØBENHAVN V.
TELE C. 7319 7320 7337 7273
One interesting thing that caught my eye when I purchased it was the keycaps. there was a felt pad on the J, and a little piece of tape with some correcting symbols on another. At the time I wrote it off as defects, thinking they were making up for broken or unreadable caps, but I've since discovered otherwise. The felt pad was simply stuck on top of the J, probably to aid in touch typing, or maybe even for a blind typist. I'll probably never know. The correcting key had a written +- but underneath, the original keycap says £$. Seeing as the actual typeslug prints +- I can only guess why the machine was sporting a keycap with the wrong text. Maybe it was a matter of cost, having to make one less keycap for a non-American/British market (which was probably the majority of the market) and cheaper to correct it with a sticker? I'm not sure. The tape certainly didn't seem THAT old...
The last thing I did was make a new flange for the left side spool. It worked out reasonably well, and this way I still retain part of the original metal spool.
All in all a very battered case, hiding a fine, capable and fully functional machine (probably) from pre-WW2.
Typeface Specimen:
Photos:
Hunter: Jonas Lauritsen (legofanatikeren)
Jonas Lauritsen's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 643
Casual collector of replica flintlock pistols, and in that same vein, picked up a couple of typewriters through the years - as a mechanical engineer, I could not resist.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Omega Simplex on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Omega Serial Number page and the Omega Simplex By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
