198X Olivetti LETTERA 10 #XXXX

Status: My Collection
Hunter: fausto tomesani (Oldtypewritersandcalculators)
Created: 06-03-2025 at 02:12PM
Last Edit: 06-08-2025 at 05:10AM

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Description:

Olivetti Lettera 10: a typewriter from 1980s with not so many admirers.
This one is a Olivetti Lettera 10, from the 1980s.
It’s a portable typewriter, with its briefcase integrated in the typewriter.
It has very basic functions, with margins, margin bypass, interline, a blocking mechanism for transportation.
There isn’t the tabulator.
It's a typewriter that isn't very well-loved by the typist.
It also had very small success in the market.
I think that there are many reasons for this.
First of all, mechanically is very light.
This is good for transportation, but not for the use.
The feeling when you use it, is that it’s a toy typewriter.
It also sounds like plastic on plastic.
The touch on the keyboard is unconfortable.
The plastic body doesn't give the impression of robustness.
Also Wikipedia don’t like this typewriter, because the page dedicated to this typewriter is full of errors.
It talks about a bicolor ribbon, a color selector, ribbon reels, a system of ribbon reversal and a tabulator, but none of these exist in this typewriter.
Another issue I think was the ribbon.
This typewriter needs a cartridge specific for it, that can be used also on the Olivetti Lettera 12 and the Lettera 52.
In theory it was a good idea to have a cartridge, because there were many colors available, red, blue, black and green.
It’s also easier to change.
But it’s also difficult to find, now as then.
The ribbon is also very short, only 2 mt, so it gets exhausted soon and it had to be replaced frequently.
If you have to write something in red you have to change all the cartridge, and then you have to put back again the black one.
So it wasn’t very handy.
The Lettera 10 was also in this catalogue of 1986 with the range of Underwood products.
It wasn’t uncommon because at those times Underwood was a consociated of Olivetti and the Underwood resellers always sold also Olivetti typewriters.
Of course, it was also in the range of the Olivetti portable typewriters for many years.
The price list for the Olivetti Lettera 10 was 214000 Italian Lira, around 600 Dollars or Euro of 2025.
It’s a lot, but it’s 30% less of the other basic portable typewriter of that period, the Olivetti Lettera 32.
Yes, if you use this typewriter, it’s not very pleasant to type on.
But I think it’s a interesting piece to have in a collection.
It has a particular design, and a unique ribbon system.
The design of this typewriter was curated by Mario Bellini, who had already designed other successful Olivetti typewriters.
Olivetti, with Mario Bellini, tried to do something different.
Without success in this case.
They tried the “Think different” of the Apple, 20 years before.
Could be you don’t like it, but it’s in exposition at the Museum of Modern Art of New York.
It is certainly more beautiful as a collector's item or as a piece of furniture, than it is efficient as a typewriter, and I like it for this, since I’m a collector.
But I understand that a typewriter is intended to be used, and for Olivetti has been a big mistake, since they have to produce typewriters and not antiques.
But sometimes there is something that it’s not perfect, also for the better companies.

Typeface Specimen:

Photos:

Hunter: fausto tomesani (Oldtypewritersandcalculators)

fausto tomesani's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]

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I inherited a collection of around 400 old typewriters and calculators from my father, who collected them for 50 years.
I also have a YouTube channel featuring these typewriters.
The pictures are made by my wife who is a photographer. Her name is Milena.
This gallery is managed by her,
So if you like the pictures don't thank me but her.