![]() No need for a gut rehab, nor spending more than you need to. That’s a big reason why the Olympia SM9 sits at numero uno. ![]() Any off-the-shelf used one will probably be in fine shape. If you’re looking for a reliable typewriter, I suspect a Studio 45 won’t let you down. The Studio 45 is the perfect blank canvas. While you can get the Studio 45 in blue, perhaps its boxier lines don’t inspire the same poster art advertisements. And the Lettera 32 lever is small, easy to miss and the carriage is feather light that it feels like it might fly off the rails if you’re too frisky.Īs for design, I love the cool blue and curves of the Studio 44 and the Lettera 32. The Studio 44’s carriage always felt heavy, like you needed that giant paddle of a return lever to get it moving. And once you catch it, the carriage is super smooth with just the right amount of weight and resistance. It’s long, big and juts at the perfect angle for an easy catch. Again, Olivetti got it right with the Studio 45. If the keys and bell are the notes of the page, the carriage return lever marks a repose in the composition. The saddle top keys of the Studio 45 perfectly matches the curvature of the finger. The Studio 44 is cuppy, while the Lettera 32 tops are flat. Whoever thought cupped tops were the right shape? Saddles, amigo, are the only way to ride. The key tops on the Studio 45 are shaped like saddles, perfect for your digits to ride on. The Studio 45 hits the sweet spot between these two stalwarts. There wasn’t much to improve, right? Boy, was I wrong. I must admit my curiosity for other Olivettis waned after putting the Studio 44 and the Lettera 32 in the Top Ten pantheon. While the Studio 44 is a portable, if you’ve ever tried to tote one, they’re a lug. There’s never a more demanding customer than an over-worked, under-paid secretary whose typing actually earns a living. And they succeeded! But don’t be fooled, the big office standards, as I’ve noted in another post, are no slugs. Olivetti even marketed the Studio 44 as a mix between the ease of a portable with the solid feel of an office standard. Some prefer a beefier machine and for them the Lettera can feel flimsy. The Studio 44 is no slip off your desk Slim Jim. Which is OK, since it feels sturdy and reliable. My chief complaint with the 44 is that it doesn’t have the lightness of a Lettera. There’s a good reason the Studio 45’s predecessor, the 44 is near the top, only to be topped by the Lettera 32. Sure, they’re nice to look at, but does it work every day, every letter, every page? With Olivetti, the answer is YES. But a great design only works if the typewriter is up to snuff. When I sit at an Olivetti, I feel like I’m tapping into a rich tradition of Italian artisans, where form is as important as function. That’s where it all begins, one letter at a time, making words, painting a picture, telling a story. Even the aptly named Lettera series is a playful take on a familiar word. No wonder Olivetti used the word “studio,” as if a writer’s studio was contained in the shell of a typewriter. Not only were they art, but writing on them was like art creating art. Their ads evoked a sense you were buying a work of art. When I first started using Olivetti typewriters, I was drawn to their design.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |