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10-4-2021 19:07:03  #1


Facit Model P....???

Probably someone's idea of a bit of fun/joke...but a Facit P is reported on the TWDB with lots of photos.

https://typewriterdatabase.com/1959-facit-p.15435.typewriter

It's color and serial number make it a Halda P machine late in its production run...either 1958 or maybe 1959.

Obviously lost its Halda badge at some point and a Facit badge put in its place.

I was curious to see where the "new" Facit badge may have come from.  Initially looking at other Facit models...but no luck.

Then I think I found the Facit badge on the vintage Facit calculating machines.  Below is a photo of such.  It is even in the dark green color as is the badge on the so-called "Facit P" typewriter.  The Facit badges on typewriters are usually very dark grey or black in color.
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11-4-2021 18:18:08  #2


Re: Facit Model P....???

Halda Fickursfabrik, which was founded in 1887, originally produced watches. Not long after the company reinvented itself into a typewriter manufacturer. The first Halda typewriter was a developmental prototype built in 1896, but it wasn't until 1914 that the first production model reached the market. Halda only produced standard typewriters at the time.

The company's first portable wasn't introduced until 1947, nine years after it had merged with Facit AB, a company that manufactured mechanical calculators along with other office products. Facit-branded calculators predate the company's relationship with Halda, and were continued to be produced after the merger.

Of the two companies, Facit had the greater, more established international presence. It would make perfect sense that for certain markets the Facit badge would appear on the earlier portables that you identify as being a Halda machine. In the end it was only the Facit badging was that was used anyway after it took over the manufacture of typewriters.   
 


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
 

13-4-2021 09:19:04  #3


Re: Facit Model P....???

Hi Uwe,

Thanks for your thoughts and info.

I do think if Facit was issuing the Model P, more would be in circulation...possibly.

I have reservations on this "Facit P" example that it was done at the factory.  I just cannot see the Sweds issuing it with a "Facit" badge that is just a bit too large and that does not sit, securely, into the recessed area punched out for the size of the typical Halda badge. 

Factory would take the time to make a Facit badge to fit properly.  Just my opinion though.
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13-4-2021 11:22:22  #4


Re: Facit Model P....???

Pete, my reply was solely based on your comments and I hadn't looked at the photos of that specific machine. I have since used your link and taken a look, and I still don't see anything that odd – other than the weird placement of the typewriter in snow.

Based on the typewriter’s serial number (P138287), it’s a 1938 model. Facit started producing portables in the Halda factory in 1957, and it seems highly probable to me that this is an example of a transition machine that was built to use up leftover Halda stock. 

The snow-obsessed owner of this specific portable erroneously stated that the serial number on his machine is “beyond the range” of Halda (and Facit) numbers. He also incorrectly stated Facit took over in 1959. The serial numbers for the Halda portable continued well past the number on his machine: up to P120767 = 1957; up to P140863 = 1958; and up to P141251 = 1959.

Based on those numbers we’re talking about a few thousand of these apparent transition machines, which isn’t a lot of typewriters compared to the number of regular production examples that were produced. 
I have no idea where these transition models were sold, but this can be an important factor influencing how many examples of a specific typewriter you see represented in the Database.

As for the Facit badge, it may not fit in the existing ribbon cover recess, but then again why produce a special badge just for a small quantity of leftover typewriters? From the photos it appears the Facit badge that was used looks good on the typewriter, and if you didn’t know that it was covering a recessed part of the ribbon cover, you would probably accept it as being an OEM part (which essentially it is).


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
 

22-6-2021 14:37:33  #5


Re: Facit Model P....???

If anyone is interesting in acquiring this "Facit P" machine...current owner has put it up for sale in the Facebook Group "Antique Typerwriter Classifieds".  Asking price is $ 300 out of PA State here in the USA.

At least it is not sitting in the snow for the round of sales photos...

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