197X Olivetti Linea 98 #1556888
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Javier Vazquez del Olmo (Javi)
Created: 06-06-2016 at 11:34AM
Last Edit: 06-06-2016 at 01:03PM
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Description:
Another Linea 98, to go side by side with the typewriter that started it all.
I got this one for free, rescued from a bank office under major revamping. In fact, this typewriter has been forgotten for many years, avidly catching dust until I asked if I could have it. They told me I could do whatever I wanted with it, because it was going to go to the junkyard. Of course, now it´s at home doing what it´s supposed to do: being a top-level typewriter.
The difference between this one and my grandfather´s is that the new one has a decimal tabulator. I bet 2 pesetas the guys at the office didn´t even fathom what those weird keys were for
I´ve cleaned and adjusted it a bit, and it could do with a new ribbon, but I´m trying to extend this one´s life as much as I can.
As for performance... what can I say. Maybe I´m a little bit biased towards the Linea 98, but after passing the one hundred mark of tested typewriters I still think this is the best workhorse. Accuracy, reliability and speed, it has it all. Maybe it doesn´t have the crisp touch of the Olympias, but I feel the Linea 98 just suits me. Its closest competitor is the almighty Olympia SG3.
Anyway, I´m eager to get one of the highly praised SG1´s and see if I have to reconsider my preference for the Olivetti Linea 98
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 Olivetti Linea 98 on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Olivetti Serial Number page and the Olivetti Linea 98 By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
