Optima Elite 2 sans paper rest

Skip to: New Posts  Last Post
Posted by Ixzed23
09-5-2023 21:39:48
#1

I found an Optima Elite locally in Ottawa, Ontario, with serial number 42221. It has a label on the back that refers to a business address in Augsberg, Germany, and was brought to Canada by its first owners. QWERTZ keyboard layout, natürlich.

It is a little bit different than the ones I have seen on photos, as it does not have a paper rest.  It's not missing a paper rest, there is no provision for holes in the carriage cover for the "M" shaped wire rest usually seen on machines with a serial number close in sequence.

It also does not have a carriage lock, but has otherwise all of the same keys and functions as an Elite 2 and the same storage case.

Does anyone else have or seen a similar machine? Thanks!

Daniel

 
Posted by Uwe
10-5-2023 12:09:56
#2

Is there a hole in the middle of the backside of the paper table ("paper guide plate")?


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
 
Posted by Ixzed23
10-5-2023 13:27:47
#3

Uwe wrote:

Is there a hole in the middle of the backside of the paper table ("paper guide plate")?

No, there isn't a hole.

Photos here: https://typewriterdatabase.com/see.20383.typewriter

 
Posted by Uwe
11-5-2023 17:11:39
#4

I have a pair of Elite 2s, one earlier than yours (1953 #27576) with the wire paper rest, and one later (1955 #74612) without a paper rest, but it does have a square cut-out in the middle of the paper table that looks like it would accept something like a paper rest (I really should have spent some time and looked into this feature). 

All of my Elite 3s have the traditional swing-out bar paper rest. The Plana has a fixed wire rest. And the Humbers something similar to the 3s. 

I checked my notes for Optima and found a model that I had dubbed the Elite 2.5. That model is like yours in that it didn't have a paper rest of any kind. Based on the paper rest feature alone, it would appear that Optima changed the Elite 2 at least three times during its production history.


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
 
Posted by Ixzed23
11-5-2023 18:44:54
#5

Thanks Uwe.

I read elsewhere, but cannot find it now, that the middle hole you refer to in the later model is for a detachable paper rest.

I found one photo that shows the said paper rest attached to the case base here: https://typewriterdatabase.com/1954-optima-elite-2.20285.typewriter

 
Posted by Uwe
12-5-2023 10:32:52
#6

Well, that's one mystery solved. What a terrible system, and it does explain why I've never come across an Elite 2 with a paper rest so far. I don't recall having noticed the clip that holds the rest in the travel case, but I will certainly look for it now. 


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


 
Main page
Login
Desktop format