You Can Finally Get a Curta Mechanical Calculator at a Reasonable Price

For those of us with a fascination with intricate mechanisms, nothing beats a Curta mechanical calculator. Those designs created by Curt Herzstark in the 1930s might just be the pinnacle of purely mechanical complexity — an art that took a nosedive as the world entered the digital age. But genuine Curta calculators are now pricey antiques, which is why you might be interested in this 3:1 scale replica from craftlab.

If you aren’t familiar, Curta was a line of hand-cranked mechanical calculators. They could perform basic arithmetic using only a series of external selectors and internal mechanisms. Anyone who appreciates mechanical engineering will, inevitably, be a fan of these. Of course, they became obsolete when digital calculators came along. But many of us still want one.

Because a real Curta calculator will set you back several hundred dollars at minimum, this replica is a great alternative. It has mostly 3D-printed parts, but still looks great. And it is an accurate replicate based on authentic technical drawings.

The big difference is that this replica is three times the size of the original. That was likely a choice made by craftlab to make 3D-printed parts suitable, but it isn’t a bad thing. By enlarging everything, craftlab has made it easier to understand what all of those mechanisms are doing.

If you want one of these replicas, craftlab is selling them on Tindie for $40 plus shipping. I think that’s a bargain, considering the 400-part assembly alone must take craftlab hours to complete.