1984 Facit 1740 #448800870
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Kewin Sanfridsson (JoxSoup)
Created: 08-02-2024 at 01:31PM
Last Edit: 08-02-2024 at 04:20PM
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Description:
Here we got a behemoth of a typewriter, the Facit 1740 or should I rather say 1740/3511 as the serial number plate states. It's made in Brazil which feels so odd as I'm used to Facit machines being mostly from Sweden and later Japan. Though that's not bad by any means. It's as sturdy as a Facit T1/T2 in construction or in other words a tank! (And almost as big as one as well xD.) I would say quality wise it is what you expect from a Facit in it's prime age. All metal construction except for the carriage side panels. The resonance from the case makes it so I keep finding myself drumming/tapping my fingers on the side of it while thinking what to write next on it. (So if you find yourself in need of a metal drum of some sort the 1740 can double as percussion instrument as well. xD) Oh and don't get me started on the finish I love the feel of the texture paint Facit choose to have on this typewriter! It's also quite scratch resistant in my experience. The colour combination is not my first pick but it fits the style of the typewriter.
Construction -
As I mentioned above the 1740 is pretty much completely made out of metal. Except for keys, levers, carriage side panels etc. It's not as heavy as one would believe it to be even though it is cumbersome, I recommend not to moving it around more than necessary. Though there are to indentations on the bottom for your hands to grab hold of when moving it. The side panels reminds me kind of Facit's 1840 side panels actually.
Features -
My favorite subject to talk about when it comes to this machine.
- 4 position lever touch control instead of 5 as per usual.
- Ribbon colour lever (Black, Red and Stencil mode).
- Half-Step backspace as long as lever is depressed. A very unusual feature on a manual typewriter to my knowledge. I can think of a few occasions when this can come in handy though.
Examples of how you can use this feature:
Æ/æ (a mostly northern European letter nowadays, also translate to the Ä here in Sweden).
∞ (the symbol for infinity)
II, III, IIII etc. (writing Roman numerals in a neater way as they come closer to one another).
Another TWDB user, mentioned in their Facit 1740 gallery you can also write a "long-dash". I recommend you head on over and take a look at that gallery as well! https://typewriterdatabase.com/1984-facit-1740.2636.typewriter
- Backspace, margin release, the typical tabulator "- TAB +" layout Facit implemented on their desktop typewriter back on the T2.
- My new absolutely favorite feature on a typewriter thus far I think, I have not used it yet though but I still love the idea of it. The "Tabulator Ruler Setter" as I like to call it... because I don't know the name of it yet! A ruler of sorts that you can remove from the left side of the carriage by twisting a lever/knob counterclockwise/up and carefully pull out and then you have 8 tabs you can change to your liking. Then to engage it you just carefully insert the "ruler" back but make sure to fits onto the spring loaded rod inside. Push it in as far as it goes and then twist the lever/knob clockwise/down until you can feel the tabs setting. Then twist it counterclockwise again until it's in the same position as before you took it out.
I think that was all features that's of interest.
Typing experience -
First thing I paid attention to was how heavy yet how smooth the shift lever felt. Also the shift-lock feels very satisfying to engage. Otherwise it is quite a smooth typewriter to write on. A bit of different feel from other Facit manual machines as the keycaps are different to for example a T1/T2 or Privat a.k.a. 1620.
Conclusion -
I recommend the Facit 1740/3511 if you can manage to get hold of one. I would say it's rather rare here in Sweden at least. This is actually the first one I've gotten hold of or even seen for that matter within Sweden since I started this hobby back in dec 2021. I'm actually trying to gather as much information as possible of Facit typewriters and trying to find out about this machines sibling machine 1742 is not as easy as it seemed. Cheers!
Typeface Specimen:
Photos:
Hunter: Kewin Sanfridsson (JoxSoup)
Kewin Sanfridsson's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 1305
Hi my name is Kewin and I'm a 24 years old from Sweden. I have a few hobbies like drawing and playing guitar but I do also like myself some project here and there which is where my interest in typewriters fits in. I have always collected things through my life but I did not expect typewriters to be my next big passion in collecting. I started collecting typewriters in the beginning of 2022 and so far I have 80* of them (3 of which is currently disassembled) . I find it really enjoyable to pickup a typewriter at a thrift store/second hand and starting to clean it up and get it to a working condition to the best of my ability and knowledge. (Excuse all the dog hairs in my pictures, I do actually try to remove the hair before taking the pictures. xD) Cheers!
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Facit 1740 on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Facit Serial Number page and the Facit 1740 By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
