Well, I've found a new item to lust after - the Curta Calculator. These amazing, mechanical items were envisioned by a prisoner of a Nazi concentration camp and then brought to life after he was released.
What is it? A mechanical, hand-cranked calculator that is very compact and quite a piece of wizardry inside - and was covered by around 16 distinct patents.
How complicated? See the dissassembly of one into it's 605 parts. Mind you, the Curta is about 2.5" in diameter and only 4" tall.
They were made from the 1940s through the 1970s and are really a high quality item....apparently the designer kept extremely high manufacturing standards. I believe they contain no? plastic and all non-ferrous parts.
Accordingly, they fetch quite a pretty penny these days - I've seen prices ranging from $500 to over a $1000. I'll be keeping my eyes open for a seller that will unknowingly give me a deal of the century....
The operating manual and a Flash Curta simulator along with another Curta simulator.
Let me know if you come across one or have ever used one....
Hey Jonny,
If I remember correctly, these were discussed/featured in the last William Gibson novel, Pattern Recognition. They were used to bribe a collector of Curta Calculators into doing some information retrieval for the heroine.
Posted by: David Maddock on June 6, 2004 10:21 AMHello,
I have a Curta Type II S/N 532499 with metal case and "Your Curta Calculator" instruction sheet available for sale. Unit is in excellent condition with nothing cracked or broken.
Thank you.
Mike Kelso
142 North Rush Street --- Suite 4
Prescott, AZ 86301 USA