1944 Urania 8 #303042
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Javier Vazquez del Olmo (Javi)
Created: 11-10-2015 at 11:32AM
Last Edit: 11-10-2015 at 11:36AM
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Description:
There are several things about this typewriter that absolutely blow my mind.
First, it´s the typewriter itself. Amazing quality combined with an imposing design. This evil monster looks at you as you type, and it´s not very friendly. Regarding the typing capabilities, it´s incredibly stable and precise, combined with an exceptionally sensitive touch. I mean, compared to other contemporary typewriters you can better manage the pressure you do against the keys because it responds to basically everything. It´s not like other typewriters which need a determinate amount of force to ger clear typing, this one is noticeably better.
The second thing that makes it quite special is the dating. If the serial numbers are correct and I´ve done things right this should be a 1944 typewriter from Dresden. A WWII item, and somehow it fits. I can´t see such a typewriter produced at any other time. Just compare it to similar typewriters from earlier times...
And the third thing are the repairs (surgery) it has undergone. I got it at a ludicrously low price because the carriage was jammed and the previous owner didn´t know why. I decided I was going to have it repaired whatever it might take, and here it is. Looks like it had been dropped, and the carriage rails were broken. But my friend (the former assembly chief at the Hispano olivetti plant in Barcelona) and his colleague (another master of the trade) made new rails! Out of nothing! And they made a new "clutch", the thing that overrides the line spacing mechanism and lets you roll the platen freely. Yeah, they made a new one too. And now I´m going to get new glass side panels. This masterpiece deserves a little care.
Besides, it´s the first big Urania at the Database! I hope it´s not the last!
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 Urania 8 on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Urania Serial Number page and the Urania 8 By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
