Machine Details
Brother
No. 3800 Correct-O-Riter
c1984 (Japan)
M33288230
Deaccessioned
Elite, 11cpi
Carriage
QWERTY
Portable
Manual Electric
17.5 × 25.4 × 5.9"
≈20 lbs.
Yes
Machine Description
20 lbs. Heavy but still portable.
Typing on it is a notable experience: the THUNKING of the carriage as its weight it lifted & dropped by the powered shift key. You feel the entire machine rattle and shake with every use of a capital letter or character. That’s noticeably contrasted by the lightning-fast, trigger-like response of the individual letter keys. With a machine like this, it makes sense why typewriters were compared to machine guns.
Fixing the Shift Key Not Working Correctly
As originally noted in this Reddit post, sometimes the Brother Correct-o-Riters will have an issue where the shift key doesn’t fully engage & lift the carriage accurately.
Adjusting the shift stop screws or replacing the pads resolves the issue and allows the shift key to work appropriately once again.
Since I didn’t have replacement caps or pads for those screws, I set a bit of padded foam tape where the shift stop screw hits the plate. Adding that bit of padding resolves the issue for me (and reduces the metal-on-metal striking that would occur if I only adjusted the screw height).
Image 1: Photo of shift stop screw (missing pad/cap on end of screw)
Image 2: Photo of location of one of the two shift stop screws (there is one on each side of the typewriter carriage):
Image 3: Photo of foam tape replacement padding that worked for me
Hope this helps others experiencing a similar issue.
Serial Number Location:
On the back of the machine, on a metal label. Serial Number Location Image
Features
- Special Characters ½¼ Repeat spacer
- Tabulator
- Ribbon Selector Bichrome + Stencil
- Variable Line Spacing
- Margin Release
- Touch Selector
- Paper Support
Condition Report
Really clean aside from bits of corrective tape that have flaked into the machine over the years.
Heavy but solid
Good overall condition; light bits of flaked corrective tape
Pretty solid.
Sharp & accurate.
Good
'X' key sometimes doesn't trigger
Good
Good, light 'ding' sound
Good condition
Added foam pads to lift the carriage for proper operation.
Case Condition Notes
An integrated shell style of case. In very good condition. Power cable stores within an integrated compartment in the lid.
Provenance
Found at a Mar Vista estate/yard sale in non-working condition. The family reminisced about hearing the sounds of the machine reverberating through the house as their father typed in his office.
2025 – Current/Last Known Owner: ____
2023 – 2025: Hanttula Typeworks Collection
Pre-2023: Owner unknown.
Deaccessioning Notes
Acquired by ____ at a White Elephant gift exchange (Van Nuys, CA). This machine was the most sought-after gift in the exchange, followed only by a vintage collection of a similar-era California Raisins mug & Pee-Wee's Playhouse sticker set.
Type Specimen
