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| 1962 Soemtron KsT 631011 |
hd video—best viewed full screen
Sent from my new Soemtron KsT
Soemtron was later incorporated into Robotron, but managed to survive for a while as a company in the 1990s after the fall of the DDR. Below is another Soemtron typewriter, a massive desktop model that is about as brutalist as you can get. But notice, the same color scheme (well, imagine it's cleaned up) as my Soemtron KsT! It is believed that this was the only color scheme used on Soemtron typewriters.
Fascinating! That is an attractive machine. Love the video too - Good addition to the review. I really love that logo as well, and agree that it's likely meant to evoke a calculator. Superb design. (:
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, it was the logo that convinced me I had to get this; it took enough effort just to pay for it, so if the logo had been really ugly, I probably would have passed. XD
DeleteThere is no end to the compliments I can pay to the design...
Congratulations on the acquisition of this lovely machine. Finds like this don't just happen by accident. In a larger sense I can see your collection growing into one of worldwide importance. I see that happening through your persistent determination to refine your collection backed up by your sense of function and style, together with your interest and knowledge of the sequence of typewriter generations, plus your basic interest in languages. Plus it is clear you just totally love the darn things! I look forward to visiting your museum exhibit someday.
ReplyDeleteWell, it actually was a find by accident, but the opportunity to accidentally discover it was created by a careful study of ebay listings for another purpose. I guess you're right, in a way, then.
DeleteYou know, it was only a few months ago that I was adamant that I wasn't a collector, merely a user who happened to be obsessed with trying new typewriters. I think since I've now found an aspect of typewriter history that fascinates me, it really is bringing out the collector in me…
Yeah... I can't resist a beautiful typewriter, especially if it's uncommon and high quality. :D I just get this urge to preserve it.
I try my best through my blog, and the typewriter database, to showcase them.
I've been looking forward to this machine since you mentioned it in an email. As you probably remember, I have an oddly stupid love for the Rhienmetall machines, as I honestly feel they type the best under my fingers.
ReplyDeleteGreat vid. Did I inspire you with the stop-motion after I posted mine up on Facebook?
I can't help but bestow lashings of praise on this typewriter, it calls out to be adored. I think it shares with the Erika as being a typewriter that you can't necessarily just dive right into using immediately, it takes a little time to get your hands and mind right, but then you really see how wonderful typing with it is. In a way, that makes a typewriter more satisfying to use. With a Smith-Corona, your first sentence is how the entire experience is going to be, and there's no developing a bond. Just an idea, I'll have to think more on that...
DeleteBack around Christmas I made a video of using a toy printing press where I sped up the speed of application of ink to the roller, but your recent cleaning video did remind me that I should film the taking apart, rather than just take successive photos (which I actually had done first already).
Those die castings under the skin are impressive - I suppose this construction is what makes it feel so solid. There's a lot to like about this machine. I'm intrigued by the 1 in the triangle on the back.
ReplyDeleteAfter a bit of translating and searching, I've figured out exactly what that symbol (and others I've seen like it) are. They're basically saying the typewriter passed quality control. Below are links to a German wiki article and 5 different examples that I've gathered from typewriters.
Deletehttp://xoverit.tumblr.com/post/93397625166/gutezeichen
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gütezeichen_(DDR)
Quality control isn't quite the best way to say it, more like a stamp of approval on the design and the manufacturing process in general, not on the specific typewriter.
DeleteI'm surprised this didn't earn a Q or S rating! It seems to me like it's an outstanding product, rather than merely above average.
Very, very nice. And it looks brand new! Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's in fantastic condition! I had so much else to say that I didn't even mention that fact in the typecast, as the photos would show how immaculate it is.
DeleteHi, Thanks for the link back to the History of Soemtron.
ReplyDeleteOn the subject of the "quality" mark.
A while back I made a trip with a colleague out to Sömmerda to visit the Historisch-technisches Museum to talk about the Soemtron electronic calculators. Sorry, we were not concerned with typewriters, but if anyone gets out there, do visit, the museum covers much more than just calculators, it has many, many typewriters, miscellaneous machines, artifacts and other items from the Sömmerda factories, Nikolaus von Dreyuse and his needle guns. The museum is based in the original house of Nikolaus von Dreyuse.
That mark as described to us by a group of retired engineers from Büromaschinenwerk Sömmerda was a Quality mark and it had a range from 1-3, indeed within my Soemtron collection here there are pcb’s, machines and some components marked with the upward facing triangle containing 1, 2 and 3. 1 is the best, 2 not so good and 3 worst ?. You can see the build quality difference between the same bit of kit marked 1 and another marked 3. They did not use the downward facing 2 to our knowledge.