1 of 1- TypewriterGuy
- Typewriter Talk Vet
Offline 
- From: United States
- Registered: 24-4-2015
- Posts: 1,250
What was this SP2 used for? Im stumped..... Really...
Its not often I come across a typewriter that I am stumped on.
I got this wonderful SP2 the other day, and to my surprise, it had 3 accent keys. The photos on eBay were blurry, so I had no idea. In addition to that, it had 2 brackets instead of parenthesis and the keys were black, not white. It also had the original mounting! brass bolts securing it to the base, and the case, AND the rare brush crank! ANNDDD, the platen is not blue or black (And NOT discolored!) its brown, and feels like rubber. Was it a special one? I think I read somewhere that its rubber made with a special process for cards or something, but Im not sure. Or stencil.
Anyways,
The accent keys are the raised double dot things (See below) and the- never mind, just look at the photos!
My question is, does anyone know what language this is for, or what it was used for?
Back from a long break.
Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
- KatLondon
- Key Master
Offline
- From: London
- Registered: 11-10-2014
- Posts: 995
Re: What was this SP2 used for? Im stumped..... Really...
Nice! You've got a find there. The accents can be used for a variety of languages - the two dots are called an umlaut, pronounced in the German way so that 'au' = 'ow'. Danish uses them too, but if it were a Danish keyboard it would have capital vowels with an umlaut over them. It looks like a generically useful keyboard for typing in some of the most common European languages.
I know that I'd much rather have a universal European keyboard than all those fractions that I never want to use! I guess in the past people found them useful... I remember being interested in them as a kid, but I also don't remember ever wanting to use them. Accents, on the other hand - fun!
- TypewriterGuy
- Typewriter Talk Vet
Offline
- From: United States
- Registered: 24-4-2015
- Posts: 1,250
Re: What was this SP2 used for? Im stumped..... Really...
Thanks Kat, that was around what I was thinking, and that would explain the US keyboard too (QWERTY).
Theres one thing left remaining. Why brackets? And the cork/brown platen? (its not to you, but everyone.)
Back from a long break.
Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
- •
Thread Starter- colrehogan
- Key Master
Offline
- From: Granite City, IL
- Registered: 05-2-2015
- Posts: 612
Re: What was this SP2 used for? Im stumped..... Really...
I use them (fractions) for describing a film format that I use. 6½ x 8 ½. 
Smith Premier typewriters are cool!
- beak
- Key Master
Offline
- From: Qld Australia
- Registered: 24-3-2013
- Posts: 912
Re: What was this SP2 used for? Im stumped..... Really...
Assuming it has ordinary round brackets as well, the square brackets are often used to 'take you out of' the typed text. For instance, you can make a note to yourself, or to your editor, by putting it in square brackets - it is clearly then not part of the main text. I think if one of my best machines had sq brkts, I ditch several others of mine - so useful.
As K reports, the other symbols are for French and German (with other applications) and are often required for common French phrases and for Names.
A useful keyboard you have there!
Sincerely,
beak.
- TypewriterGuy
- Typewriter Talk Vet
Offline
- From: United States
- Registered: 24-4-2015
- Posts: 1,250
Re: What was this SP2 used for? Im stumped..... Really...
No, it does not have rounded brackets, just those square ones.
Back from a long break.
Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
- •
Thread Starter- beak
- Key Master
Offline
- From: Qld Australia
- Registered: 24-3-2013
- Posts: 912
Re: What was this SP2 used for? Im stumped..... Really...
That has to be unusual.
Sincerely,
beak.
