Typewriter models•Model guide
The Erika 4
The German folding portable of the 1920s. It closes into its case and stores like a book.
A pioneer of the portable
The Erika was born in 1910 in Dresden, at Seidel & Naumann. It was made for decades, in several million examples, and became one of the most widespread portables in Europe.
The Erika 4 is the folding version: after use you fold it down to fit into its case. Our example was made in Germany in 1923; it is sold in its original brown cloth-covered wooden case.
What it feels like to type on
The strike is light and supple, with a compact keyboard and a curved body picked out with chrome touches. It is gentler than an office machine, and you can feel that the mechanism is built without play.
Its format makes it a travelling writing machine before its time: it weighs just under five kilos with its case and stores anywhere.
Which Erika 4 to choose?
These machines are nearly a hundred years old: original condition varies a lot from one example to another. We choose machines whose black finish is sound, and we describe the condition precisely on every listing, with photos.
The keyboard is the second criterion. It is mechanical and can’t be changed: we state AZERTY, QWERTY or QWERTZ in the title of every machine.
What we check at the workshop
- Body dismantled and the segment fully cleaned, where the typebars bind.
- Axles degreased and relubricated, strike and line spacing adjusted.
- Carriage check: travel, return, end-of-line ratchet.
- Condition of the rubber platen, often hardened with age.
- New ribbon fitted, then a full page typed, letter by letter.
The right ribbon
Every machine leaves with a new ribbon fitted. The day it needs changing, we sell the ribbons that suit this model: not all spools fit.
The questions we get about the Erika 4
How much does a restored Erika 4 cost?
The price depends on the condition, the finish and whether the original case is included, never on the quality of the overhaul: they all go through the same workshop. The machines available right now, with their exact price, are just below.
Does the Erika 4 come in AZERTY?
Yes, we offer them in AZERTY. The layout is mechanical, engraved in the typebars: it can’t be changed afterwards. The keyboard is stated in the title of every machine and on its listing.
Is it ready to type on delivery?
Yes. Every Erika 4 is taken apart, its segment cleaned typebar by typebar, its axles degreased and relubricated, its strike and line spacing adjusted. A new ribbon is fitted, then we type a whole page before dispatch. It arrives ready to write, with nothing to buy.
Which ribbon for a Erika 4?
The ribbon is the only consumable. Not all spools fit: every machine leaves with a new ribbon fitted, and its listing gives the right reference for replacing it.
Our Erika 4 typewriters available now
1 exemplaire actuellement restauré et prêt à écrire. Chacun est une pièce unique.
