ODOMA Typewriter - Rare "Fraktur Typeface

The Historical Heritage of the Odoma & Fraktur Typography

Manufactured in Germany during the interwar period of the 1920s and 1930s by Odoma-Werk, the Odoma is widely recognized among typewriter historians as one of the most elusive German portable machines ever built. Produced in limited quantities compared to industrial giants of the era, it was engineered with a compact steel chassis, open-segment construction, and an ultra-responsive, fluid key action.

This specific museum-grade example bears Serial Number 2675, placing it among the earliest and most documented production runs from the Dresden workshop.

What elevates Serial No. 2675 into legendary status is its factory-fitted Fraktur (Gothic) typeface. Fraktur is a historic calligraphic script defined by its sharp angles, broken lines, and dramatic manuscript flourishes. Engineering a Fraktur typewriter required extraordinary precision from master die-cutters to ensure that intricate Gothic letterforms struck clean, crisp impressions onto paper without smudging.

Additionally, this unit is supplied with its rarely survived original wooden base and locking wooden lid cover, complete with its original working key—an exceptionally rare inclusion for a century-old German portable.

Because official German typographic standards moved away from Fraktur script in 1941 in favor of standard Latin typefaces, factory-built Fraktur typewriters were produced in extremely small numbers. An authentic Odoma with intact, perfectly aligned Fraktur type slugs, serial number provenance, and its complete original wooden casing represents an extraordinary convergence of interwar West European engineering and historic typographic artistry.

Workshop Restoration & Technical Service Notes

At our workshop, every historic machine undergoes meticulous, uncompromising preservation. To bring this century-old classic back to peak mechanical performance, this Odoma was partially dismantled:

• Complete Segment & Mechanism Flush: All typebars and their linking bars, and segment components were individually removed, chemically flushed, and cleared of decades of hardened oil and debris to ensure smooth, fluid key action.

• Platen Condition & Custom Replacement Option: The machine retains its original vintage platen roller. While functional, but not perfect as a good as a new rubber later, we are happy to fit a brand-new, freshly vulcanized rubber platen for the new owner upon request after placing the order. Custom platen restoration costs an additional $200 and requires 3 to 4 weeks, as the roller must be specially processed by our specialist supplier due to the machine's complex vintage design.

Proprietary Dual-Box International Shipping Protocol

To ensure this museum-grade artifact arrives in flawless condition anywhere in the world, it will be shipped using a specialized two-box transit method:

• Box 1: Safely houses the typewriter itself, mechanically locked down and insulated.

• Box 2: Contains the original wooden base, locking lid cover, and key.

• Heavy-Duty Double-Walled Protection: Both shipments are double-boxed using our custom, extra-heavy-duty, double-walled boxes constructed from thick, hard-layered corrugated board.