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Home » Zenit » Portable » 1958 #00241
1958 Zenit Portable Serial # 00241 1958 Zenit Portable typewriter, Serial # 00241 Sergei Viktorovich's 1958 Zenit Portable typewriter. 2021-03-20 From the Virtual Typewriter Collection of Sergei Viktorovich: 1958 Zenit Portable Serial # 00241 Zenit (Zenith/Зенит) - Soviet typewriter, which presumably produced at the Novosibirsk Bullet Plant. It is the "collective" copy of the 53-57 Royal Quiet de Luxe. Thus, the rear side of the body and the "Speed Selector" knob on the left side are taken from the wound version of the model, and the front part of the body and the keyboard - from late. Unfortunately, I can't compare Zenit with the original Royal, but judging by the many photos on the Internet, there are no meaningful differences between these two typewriters. Functionally I can note an absence of line finder scale and button on the left shaft knob.

All known Zenit was painted terrible wrinkle paint and have the galalith tombstone keys. Unfortunately, the keys are not preserved in it's entirety at any of known typewriter.

My Zenit looked no better than the other - peeling paint, covered with some strange "mold", shrunken and cracked keys, "gray" shaft.
BUT! Inside the machine it was in perfect condition, absolutely clean, lubricated and don't require in any interventions.
Among the defects was a broken paper release lever and broken leash of carriage return lever. Chrome parts are perfectly clean, no rust at all.
The wooden case is in perfect condition too.

Overall typewriter is very pleasant, easy and clear in operation.

Now the machine repainted in blue ice. There is an active process of searching the appropriate beige keys to replace the original or for making sample for printing keys on 3D printer.

1958 Zenit Portable #00241

Status: My Collection
Hunter: Sergei Viktorovich (Sergei110)
Created: 10-16-2016 at 04:09PM
Last Edit: 03-20-2021 at 07:12AM


Description:

Zenit (Zenith/Зенит) - Soviet typewriter, which presumably produced at the Novosibirsk Bullet Plant. It is the "collective" copy of the 53-57 Royal Quiet de Luxe. Thus, the rear side of the body and the "Speed Selector" knob on the left side are taken from the wound version of the model, and the front part of the body and the keyboard - from late. Unfortunately, I can't compare Zenit with the original Royal, but judging by the many photos on the Internet, there are no meaningful differences between these two typewriters. Functionally I can note an absence of line finder scale and button on the left shaft knob.

All known Zenit was painted terrible wrinkle paint and have the galalith tombstone keys. Unfortunately, the keys are not preserved in it's entirety at any of known typewriter.

My Zenit looked no better than the other - peeling paint, covered with some strange "mold", shrunken and cracked keys, "gray" shaft.
BUT! Inside the machine it was in perfect condition, absolutely clean, lubricated and don't require in any interventions.
Among the defects was a broken paper release lever and broken leash of carriage return lever. Chrome parts are perfectly clean, no rust at all.
The wooden case is in perfect condition too.

Overall typewriter is very pleasant, easy and clear in operation.

Now the machine repainted in blue ice. There is an active process of searching the appropriate beige keys to replace the original or for making sample for printing keys on 3D printer.

Typeface Specimen:

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Hunter: Sergei Viktorovich (Sergei110)

Sergei Viktorovich's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]

Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 9384

Hi everyone!
I'm Sergei, I was made in Russia)
A psychologist, a collector of all sorts of vintage junk, typewriters, alarm clocks, and so on.
I love typewriters, and typewriters love me))
I wouldn't call myself a HUNTER - I just love typewriters, use them and collect some of them.



RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Zenit Portable on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Zenit Serial Number page and the Zenit Portable By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.