Curta mechanical calculator

[master777999]

Wow!!!! Such an amazing device! And such a modern design for it's time!

[lumsdot]

to get 6x6 you added 6+6+6+6+6+6

[cronusozzy]

Cool! I never Knew this kind of mechanical machine can do Simple math problems haha Cool! the one who invented this is really a genius

[nunogirao]

I believe you must be left handed, because you're using it the wrong way. Use your left hand to support and operate the carriage ring, and use your right hand to do all the rest.

[BlackFrop]

is this what people used before computers? :O

[MahavishnuChris]

An amazing feat of engineering. Thanks for showing it.

[hlblade57]

thats cool

[lordauron]

They are like 900 to 1600 bucks on eBay. I would love to have one, but I could never afford to buy one through such channels.

[jonnydark]

@lordauron I wonder if there is a black market for mechanical calculators..?

[srikanthsiva]

i just got mine on ebay.

[Jesusisyhwh]

LUCKY! I would love to have one of these, but they are too expensive!

[heyimhobo]

for how much?

[billy01386]

Thanks for posting this, We have refound one in garage and had no idea how to use it.  Ours was found in a draw by my father in law whilst my husband was doing engineering at university so it was given to him to play with, I think it was assumed it was an interesting toy. Its got a four digit serial number so presumably quite early. Its lovely that we now know how to use it, thanks

[coin4charon]

they're selling for over $1000 on eBay if you don't want to keep it.

[vvillem9]

so, if i want to count 900 times 900 i have to turn it 900 times around

[Fransamsterdam]

Not at all. Two turns. 1 x + 1000 and 1 x - 100.

[JamHandyOrganization]

No.

[gfixler]

No, 2 spins. It has a 'powers of 10' ring under the top grip ring. If you look at the arrow that points up on the side, it's pointing to a 1. Each spin counts for 1. If you set it to 2, each turn is 10, on 3, each turn is 100, etc. For 900 * 900, you'd set 900 on the side, set the ring to 4, for 1000, spin once, then set the ring to 3, for 100, pull up the handle for subtract mode, and spin it once more to remove 100. You'd have 900 in the counter section, and your 900 * 900 answer on the top.

[desiredusername]

So to multiply M by N I have to rotate the handle min(M,N) times? Man, what a hassle!

[ClassicGarth]

What a beautiful device. Thanks for sharing.

[ducttaperulestheworl]

i don't understand how to use this machine but it is so cool

[luiseduardo586]

cool, I´d like to find one of these in a flea market..

[chris746568462]

wow this is brilliant i have never seen something like this before. How much is it and where can you but it!

[gyroscopes]

They stop making them decades ago. However they do appear on ebay. They are normally hundreds of pounds.

[chris746568462]

Yeah i have looked on ebay but they are quite expensive. Thanks for showing this one, it is VERY well made.