19XX Olivetti Eton #0790235

Status: My Collection
Hunter: Jonas Lauritsen (legofanatikeren)
Created: 05-31-2024 at 01:52PM
Last Edit: 06-22-2024 at 10:25PM

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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. As you can see, I ended up writing a tiny novel here, just to cover my adventure...

It's a rebrand of the Olivetti DORA, and the time it took me to establish the many, many, rebranded versions of this model took me, no joke, two days, of scrolling through the 3100+ typewriter brands registered on this database, to see if there was some obscure rebrands out there that matched mine. And lo and behold - there was (more on that in a minute)!
But no existing registrations for the ETON specifically.
So for now, I'm registering this as an Olivetti Eton, and I'll let the curator(s) figure out how this'll fit in with the other off-shots. Sorry, not sorry :)

A bit about the machine itself, before I dive into the rabbit hole that is the model:

It was made in Spain, and it's a rare green paint job, which a Google Lens search reveals is the actual, original colour, since I've seen exactly ONE other machine (not a lot of green machines sold, apparently?).
It's a Danish keyboard, with no 1 or ! which is fitting considering it's an ultraportable, and had to make some sacrifices. Among which also appears to be the paper support arm. Like the Dora, the return lever is foldable, the extension itself being a plastic molded piece. Everything about this machine is compact, and it shows both in size and weight.

Functionally, this is an almost perfect specimen. There was nothing bent or broken on the typewriter itself, but there was 1 thing missing. The spools. The previous owner (presumably) was missing the original Olivetti metal spools, and instead decided to fit a pair of DIN 32755 plastic spools onto it. Now, they don't fit with the spool retention nuts that are supposed to hold it all in place, so the solution appears to have been drilling a bigger hole in the center of the spools...
Needles to say, I decided to remove them and rewind the ribbon onto a pair of 3D printed spools made to mimic the original design. This worked out very well.

Also, the original case which was included, also made in Spain, has suffered some unravelling at the backend where the fabric/vinyl hinges back. Still holds strong though, and you can carry the typewriter just fine. All original feet are intact. It also came with a tiny manual of sorts to walk you through the bare basics.

Now, for the actual branding and model identification. Right off the bat, my S/N (found on the right side, at an angle under the carriage) doesn't match anything I've found on this site, but that could be less than definitive, given how many off-shots this has, I might have missed an entry somewhere...
I went through the typewriter brands registered here, as well as a few online searches to turn up as many variations and off-shots of this typewriter as I could.
Below are some of the alias' I found, and some I suspect are almost-identical-but-actually-not. This list is purely for research purposes and may be wrong or incomplete.

Olivetti Lettera 31 (Another name for the Dora -- or is it the opposite?)
olivetti Dora (the actual base model if I'm not mistaken, with a bunch of rebrands worldwide)
ETON (naturally this belongs on this list, I've even seen 2 others for sale online since)
Underwood 315 (rebrand)
Montgomery Ward Escort 33 (rebrand)
Olivetti Underwood 310 (pretty sure this is a rebrand too, or at least very closely related)
Olivetti Index (this is the closest thing I've found to my ETON branded one. It s PRACTICALLY the same in every regard - seen two online for sale)
Montgomery ward escort 44 (also a rebrand of the DORA?!)
Mercedes Super T (rebrand as well, seen one for sale)
Montomery Ward Escort 77 (pretty close to being the same model again again... But not quite?)
Neckermann BRILLANT Special T (DEFINITELY a rebrand. The manual is a dead give-away among other things)
JUPITER (A typewriter 100% identical to the IDEX or ETON, but rebranded again again)
Underwood 314 (no idea on this one. I gave up at this point)

If anyone wants to come along and muddle the waters further, feel free to drop something in the comments :)

Typeface Specimen:

Photos:

inside the case.

the machine as I got it. with the drilled out spools in place.

The serial number, found on the right side under the carriage, at an angle. It's pretty hard to get a good picture of due to the obstructions.

close up of the makeshift spool before I changed it out.

my newly designed replacement spools that actually fit the rentention nuts

new 3D printed spools in place

the rebrand name.

Top sticker is either the Danish retailer, or the company that owned/used this particular machine back in the day.

the foldable return lever

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.