Oldest Model M In The World

User avatar
Killerbee

15 Jan 2020, 05:00

For a span of maybe a year in 2010 I owned the oldest model M in the world, its funny how it was only a 35.00 purchase back then. I looked at the pictures of HAL's board and I have it beat by 3 days his is from 13 of June and mines was from the 10th.

The pictures here are from the same geekhack post from 2010 but I am going to search as I know I have more.
9FB706C6-4D4F-4DA8-ACEC-CE4F472AFEA2.jpeg
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The one I own now is from November 1985 and is a 102 key terminal just like this one and its bolt modded.

andrewjoy

15 Jan 2020, 15:21

Thats an old M! I am keeping an eye out for my birthday M but its only about a year and a bit younger than that one.

User avatar
JP!

15 Jan 2020, 16:10

I found an older one a while back. See this thread here. I don't know who owns it and it sold for quite a tidy sum.

viewtopic.php?t=16967

Image

As far as the oldest Model M I'd imagine it being a tossup between #1 of this model, the Wheelwriter as introduced in 1984, extremely early Model M black badge industrial, or someone with one of those nifty Model M prototypes with hand melted rivets.
Last edited by JP! on 16 Jan 2020, 05:30, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Killerbee

16 Jan 2020, 03:37

I actually found here on Deskthority one from May of 1985 im trying to find the post it came from the lot of terminal model m's that was sold and in that lot was this lowly May 1985 terminal 102 model m

User avatar
kbdfr
The Tiproman

16 Jan 2020, 09:57

Killerbee wrote:
16 Jan 2020, 03:37
I actually found here on Deskthority one from May of 1985 im trying to find the post it came from the lot of terminal model m's that was sold and in that lot was this lowly May 1985 terminal 102 model m
I suspect what you mean is:
I actually found here on Deskthority one from May of 1985. I'm trying to find the post. It came from the lot of terminal model m's that was sold, and in that lot was this lowly May 1985 terminal 102 model m.
Spoiler:
Punctuation is like a turn signal.
You may not need it yourself, but it will help others.

User avatar
zrrion

16 Jan 2020, 18:32

What a useful and insightful continuation of the discussion :roll:

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kbdfr
The Tiproman

16 Jan 2020, 20:00

zrrion wrote:
16 Jan 2020, 18:32
What a useful and insightful continuation of the discussion :roll:
I had to read the post several times before I knew what it was about.
As a non-native English speaker, I found it irritating to have to disentangle things like "the post it came from".

But of course, adding your rant to mine helps the discussion even more :mrgreen:

User avatar
E TwentyNine

16 Jan 2020, 21:40

Killerbee wrote:
15 Jan 2020, 05:00
For a span of maybe a year in 2010 I owned the oldest model M in the world
You didn't. We've seen at least one example from 1984.

User avatar
depletedvespene

16 Jan 2020, 23:36

E TwentyNine wrote:
16 Jan 2020, 21:40
Killerbee wrote:
15 Jan 2020, 05:00
For a span of maybe a year in 2010 I owned the oldest model M in the world
You didn't. We've seen at least one example from 1984.
But was that an actual production-grade keyboard, or a prototype?

User avatar
joebeazelman

16 Jan 2020, 23:40

I have a 1987. Is that old?

User avatar
Weezer

16 Jan 2020, 23:45

joebeazelman wrote:
16 Jan 2020, 23:40
I have a 1987. Is that old?
33 years. So it's middle aged, not quite elderly.

User avatar
depletedvespene

16 Jan 2020, 23:45

joebeazelman wrote:
16 Jan 2020, 23:40
I have a 1987. Is that old?
Old, but not old-old. :mrgreen:


Silver square? Then don't worry, it's First Division. :mrgreen:

User avatar
joebeazelman

17 Jan 2020, 01:07

Oops. Turns out I don't have a 1987 one, but a 1986 one with the detachable cable.
IMG_5257.jpeg
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Turns out I have a two Lexmarks ones and a rare rubber dome one I found in the curbside garbage 20 years ago. I have a model F AT, but the date code is long gone. Now it's a blank sticker.

imdatperson

17 Jan 2020, 01:13

I just recently acquired a terminal Model M122 from Dec. of 1985, along with a silver badge M with lock lights from sometime in '86 :D

User avatar
E TwentyNine

17 Jan 2020, 13:48

depletedvespene wrote:
16 Jan 2020, 23:36
E TwentyNine wrote:
16 Jan 2020, 21:40
Killerbee wrote:
15 Jan 2020, 05:00
For a span of maybe a year in 2010 I owned the oldest model M in the world
You didn't. We've seen at least one example from 1984.
But was that an actual production-grade keyboard, or a prototype?
Mine's a prototype. But you wouldn't know it from the outside, looks same as production.

User avatar
XMIT
[ XMIT ]

17 Jan 2020, 15:30

I have a 1388032 Industrial M from 11DEC85. It's one of my best feeling Model M keyboards. I found it at the municipal recycler sitting on a pile several years ago. Best free keyboard ever!
DSC_2258.half.jpg
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It's a day older than @clickykeyboards's oldest 1388032:
https://clickykeyboards.com/product/198 ... 12-dec-85/

But, this page has a 1388032 from 18NOV85.
http://www.clickeykeyboards.com/model-m ... 01-1989-v/

User avatar
depletedvespene

17 Jan 2020, 15:45

Welp, my oldest M keyboards are all from 1986. My F122 is from 1985, though, so that softens the envy factor. :mrgreen:

(not that I wouldn't jump if a 13 November 1985 keyboard should show up!)

User avatar
XMIT
[ XMIT ]

17 Jan 2020, 19:58

I feel like I've seen Wheelwriter keyboards from 1984.

User avatar
SneakyRobb
THINK

18 Jan 2020, 01:00

I am beyond incompetent with Model M, so we have seen the oldest known to us ones.
What is the theoretical oldest model M possible? For both Model M, and hybrid/typewriter ones,

User avatar
Chyros

18 Jan 2020, 11:29

SneakyRobb wrote:
18 Jan 2020, 01:00
I am beyond incompetent with Model M, so we have seen the oldest known to us ones.
What is the theoretical oldest model M possible? For both Model M, and hybrid/typewriter ones,
The oldest Model M PART I've seen, which are from prototypes, are the controller boards; these are dated to very late '84. In the unlikely event they actually made the rest of the keyboard during that time as well, the oldest complete M should be from December '84. From what I have heard, prototypes didn't come with date labels, though.

Jacobalbertus1

23 Sep 2021, 04:34

depletedvespene wrote:
17 Jan 2020, 15:45
Welp, my oldest M keyboards are all from 1986. My F122 is from 1985, though, so that softens the envy factor. :mrgreen:

(not that I wouldn't jump if a 13 November 1985 keyboard should show up!)
FUNNY you say because I'm typing this on a black badge indy from nov 13 1985

User avatar
depletedvespene

23 Sep 2021, 05:05

Jacobalbertus1 wrote:
23 Sep 2021, 04:34
depletedvespene wrote:
17 Jan 2020, 15:45
Welp, my oldest M keyboards are all from 1986. My F122 is from 1985, though, so that softens the envy factor. :mrgreen:

(not that I wouldn't jump if a 13 November 1985 keyboard should show up!)
FUNNY you say because I'm typing this on a black badge indy from nov 13 1985
GIB

User avatar
TNT

23 Sep 2021, 10:46

I have a grandma and she is indeed pretty old, let me tell you

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Muirium
µ

23 Sep 2021, 12:07

TNT wrote:
23 Sep 2021, 10:46
I have a grandma and she is indeed pretty old, let me tell you
But is she the oldest? And what's her condition? Got a pic of her production sticker?

I had a couple who were produced before yours, but they're no longer in my possession…

User avatar
clickykeyboards

23 Sep 2021, 15:29

Some additional photos of another 1985 early model M keyboard

1985 IBM model M (1386303) Made by IBM 26 SEP 85, serial#22551
26-SEP-85-IBM-model-M.jpg
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26-SEP-85-IBM-model-M-1.jpg
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26-SEP-85-IBM-model-M-3.jpg
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26-SEP-85-IBM-model-M-5.jpeg
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26-SEP-85-IBM-model-M-6.jpg
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link to additional photo library
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?van ... 1285681203

User avatar
karlmartin95

23 Sep 2021, 17:38

My oldest Model M is a terminal one from 1987, it has the same metal plate like yours with that zinc process! It's beautiful, I have to restore it, but the new beamsprings acquisitions threw that restoration away :D

But as a collector, it's very cool to have an early Model M in the collection.
clickykeyboards wrote:
23 Sep 2021, 15:29
Some additional photos of another 1985 early model M keyboard

1985 IBM model M (1386303) Made by IBM 26 SEP 85, serial#22551

26-SEP-85-IBM-model-M.jpg

26-SEP-85-IBM-model-M-1.jpg

26-SEP-85-IBM-model-M-3.jpg

26-SEP-85-IBM-model-M-5.jpeg

26-SEP-85-IBM-model-M-6.jpg

link to additional photo library
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?van ... 1285681203

Congrats for yours!

User avatar
ddrfraser1

24 Sep 2021, 00:13

Another one for the 85 club 🥂🧐

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User avatar
Polecat

24 Sep 2021, 05:09

karlmartin95 wrote:
23 Sep 2021, 17:38
My oldest Model M is a terminal one from 1987, it has the same metal plate like yours with that zinc process!
Nitpick, but that's gold cad, not zinc! Sure is pretty though.

User avatar
Muirium
µ

24 Sep 2021, 10:06

Gold cad? (Searching for it is yielding gold prices in Canadian.) Is that cadmium? Isn’t that stuff toxic?

User avatar
Polecat

24 Sep 2021, 17:37

Muirium wrote:
24 Sep 2021, 10:06
Gold cad? (Searching for it is yielding gold prices in Canadian.) Is that cadmium? Isn’t that stuff toxic?
Yep, very bad stuff, mostly banned now. And on top of that, welding or heating cad plating can release arsenic, which was used as a catalyst in the plating process.

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