- ztyper
- Key Master
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- From: Somewhere in New Jersey
- Registered: 01-10-2014
- Posts: 773
Re: Recent Acquisitions Thread
My winter drought is finally over! Just got this early 1957 Optima Elite 3 in the mail today, and two days in advance too! 
The color is actually grey and not the tan it kinda appears to be. And the keys are a very nice chocolate brown. I've only had this for not very long, and I can already feel the similarities between it and the Olympia SM-4. Figured the SM-4 would be a better counterpart because it also has the keyboard tab sets. We'll see how the two compare when East Germany meets West.
A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
- BangoDeschain
- Novice Typer
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- From: Iowa
- Registered: 08-12-2015
- Posts: 35
Re: Recent Acquisitions Thread
Whew, I hope typing with it feels as chocolaty as those keys look!
- M. Höhne
- Key Master
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- From: Maine
- Registered: 14-3-2013
- Posts: 627
Re: Recent Acquisitions Thread
ztyper wrote:
.... snip .... The color is actually grey and not the tan it kinda appears to be. And the keys are a very nice chocolate brown..... snip ....
ztyper, I'm going to suggest that the White balance on your camera is not set to "Incandescent" and so it is not compensating for the yellowish light that is illuminating the typewriter, thus giving an overly tan color.
- ztyper
- Key Master
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- From: Somewhere in New Jersey
- Registered: 01-10-2014
- Posts: 773
Re: Recent Acquisitions Thread
It's my low-grade phone camera, so it's going to be a bit... terrible. I'll look into it though.
And as for the typing feel, it does actually feel kind of nice even though I've barely touched it. I can tell it's going to be a surprise pleasure.
A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
- M. Höhne
- Key Master
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- From: Maine
- Registered: 14-3-2013
- Posts: 627
Re: Recent Acquisitions Thread
....The color is actually grey and not the tan it kinda appears to be. And the keys are a very nice chocolate brown.....
ztyper, I'm going to suggest that the White balance on your camera is not set to "Incandescent" and so it is not compensating for the yellowish light that is illuminating the typewriter, thus giving an overly tan color.
...It's my low-grade phone camera, so it's going to be a bit... terrible. I'll look into it though.
Meanwhile, an easy fix is to take your pics by daylight, perhaps by a window if it's too cold to go outside.
Last edited by Uwe (11-3-2016 14:31:42)
- KatLondon
- Key Master
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- From: London
- Registered: 11-10-2014
- Posts: 995
Re: Recent Acquisitions Thread
Okay this is a trial using the URL from a private tumblr site I have. Anyway I have got this amazing Blue Bird! In MINT condition. It's just PHENOMENAL. I make it 1960, pica, and it's as if the keys have wings. Funny because I never thought I fancied one of these till it was right in front of me, and I tried it, and heard myself saying, 'I do'...
- KatLondon
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- From: London
- Registered: 11-10-2014
- Posts: 995
Re: Recent Acquisitions Thread
Here she is again, slightly out of focus this time (to spare you the dazzlement from her beauty): 
- Uwe
- Moderator
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- From: Toronto, Canada
- Registered: 12-3-2013
- Posts: 4,408
Re: Recent Acquisitions Thread
It certainly is in nice condition, far better at least than my rusted and tired model (I'm actually rather fond of it because its performance has not suffered along with its appearance). I'm sure you already know that your Blue Bird is a Torpedo 18b that rebadged for the British market; however, I'm curious about the typeface it's equipped with as a lot of these were fitted with that rather nice Imperial type.
I should warn you about using Tumblr links. I've used them often for adding photos here and have found that they are somewhat unreliable. A photo that works today might show as a broken link in two months time. I haven't been able to figure out why, but I have often had to repair links to my Tumblr photos, which are predominantly located in the Gallery threads.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- •
Thread Starter- Spazmelda
- Key Master
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- From: Ohio
- Registered: 25-2-2015
- Posts: 830
Re: Recent Acquisitions Thread
Lovely Torpedo Kat!
I'm still looking for a replacement typebar for mine. So sad. It had been mended at one point, but the mend came loose and the m went flying. I've had someone weld it together, but it was a difficult repair as the break is right at the bottom of the slug. The m is all wonky now. One day hopefully I'll come across a junker. But if anyone runs across a cheap beat up Torpedo 18 I'd love to know about it!
- KatLondon
- Key Master
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- From: London
- Registered: 11-10-2014
- Posts: 995
Re: Recent Acquisitions Thread
Uwe yes, I do know - it adds to it for me, that they came up with a new name so UTTERLY unthreatening that it's actually comical. It must have been a fun meeting.
And no, the type is just normal! A nice straightforward fairly sober pica. Less conspicuously friendly than, say, my QDL or Silent-Super, & less downright pretty than the Gromas... it's just good type you can look through like a clean window.
Most of tbe 18b's I've found online have damage to the chrome - that seems to be the u usual thing with this one. There's not a mark on it anywhere. Touch wood...
