Faber-Castell 2/83N Novo-DuplexOctober 20, 2010The Faber-Castell 2/83N desktop rule (and its less common pocket-sized sibling, the 62/83N) is probably the most sought after slide rule, especially after Dr. Clifford Stoll’s Scientific American article, When Slide Rules Ruled, drew attention to this epitome of slide rule development.
Stoll writes, the 2/83N “is considered by some to be the finest and most beautiful slide rule ever made.”I purchased this 2/83N directly from Faber-Castell as new old-stock. In other words, it sat unopened on the manufacturer’s shelf since it was made, and has never seen the inside of an office or lab. I was the first to open it. Front right side of the Faber-Castell 2/83N slide rule.The Castell 2/83N is a full-sized duplex rule, having scales on both sides of the slide and stator. The front contains the typical A, B, C, D, and K scales, along with folded C and D scales (CF and DF), and inverse C, D, and CF scales (CI, DI, and CIF).
Also found on the front are the sine scales (S and ST), double tan scales (T1 and T2), and a Pythagorean scale (P, which gives the cosine of the angle on S). The C and CF scales are highlighted with Castell’s signature “mint” stripe, and the A and B scales are highlighted in pale blue. Back right side of the Faber-Castell 2/83N slide rule.The back of the rule contains four pairs of log-log scales (LL0 to LL3 and LL00 to LL03), C, CI, D, and L scales, and Castell’s unique W scales, which are like double-length C and D scales. They can be used to compute square roots, or for multiplication and division with the precision of a 20-inch rule.Like on most Castell rules, the scales are self-documenting, meaning that the scale name appears at the left end of the scale, and its mathematical formula is at the right end.The cursor has gauge marks for HP/kW conversion, area of a circle, and working with factors of 3.6 (e.g. Degrees to seconds conversion). SpecificationsMake and Model:Faber-Castell 2/83NManufactured:Germany, Approx.
1972-1975Overall Dimensions:38cm × 5.7cm × 0.6cm (15″ × 2.2″ × 0.25″)Scale Length:25cm (9.8″)Construction:All PlasticScales:T 1 T 2 K A DF CF B CIF CI C D DI S ST PLL 03 LL 02 LL 01 LL 00 W 2 W 2‘ CI L C W 1‘ W 1 D LL 0 LL 1 LL 2 LL 3Cursor:Plastic with Extra Hairlines: HP↔kW, Diam↔Area, and 3.6 x HairlinesDate Acquired:April 2008Being new, the plastic display/carrying case was also in mint condition, with a scratch-free clear plastic top and bottom, and shiny brass (?) hinge pins. Faber-Castell 2/83N slide rule, case, manual, and reference card.The instruction manual, in English, was in excellent condition, with just some yellowing of the paper with age (no musty smells).
Even the box it came in was in pretty good condition, with just a few worn corners and two bent tabs. Not bad for a 30-something year old product.Also included was a plastic reference card, about the same length and width as the slide rule. One side gives a detailed description of the SI system of measurements, and the other side describes the basics of set theory. I’m not sure why the latter would be useful to a slide rule user, since slide rules are used for arithmetic, not math.Related ArticlesIf you've found this article useful, you may also be interested in:. Fred FriedmanFebruary 04, 2011You have a beautiful collection. I also have a Faber-Castell Novo-Duplex 2/83N and love showing it off (using it) in front of all my younger associates, some that have never seen a slide rule in use.
My collection also includes a Pickett N902-T, but I don’t remember where I got it. I also have a Sama&Etani circular slide rule that I purchased when I was in junior high school (1966). Beside the usual scales it has a huge plastic slide-out insert with “hundreds” of conversion tables for various science topics.A reat website.thanks for sharing. Len KayApril 25, 2012Stefan first, wonderful website.
I stumbled here via a link to your Sanyo eneloop battery review, and have thoroughly enjoyed your slide rule and fountain pen pages (I own a Pickett, K&E, some Lamys, and a Pelican myself) Second, after reading this I decided I HAD to own a 2/83N!However, as of this writing (April 2012) the 2/83N is now out of stock on the F-C website (via your link above). I guess you created a run on the inventory! The GOOD news is, they are available pretty regularly on eBay. There’s a fellow in Germany who it appears has a stockpile of these (new old stock) and he’s selling them one at a time.
I’m awaiting delivery now. He also has 62/83Ns.As the above reader said, thanks for sharing this stuff. Science & engineering lost a lot when we lost the slide rule, because it makes you think about your problem first, for the decimal point.Regards, Len. Jeff BDecember 28, 2012Well, I tried the website above and had no problem ordering two of them. They are “Auf Lager” (in stock) according to the webpage and it never made mention as I ordered that they were unavailable, sold out, etc.I will probably get ones with German instructions as opposed to the English ones you got, Stefan, but that’s ok.
I’m fluent in German, but I can find English pdf’s on the web for it for my nephew.That said, someone not fluent in German might have a difficult time filling out the forms and following along with the ordering instructions. All prices are in Euros and were not converted to US$.
I expect I’ll see that when the Master Card bill comes next month.If interested, they were just under 75 Euros each, 8.40 Euros for shipping. I was warned on the invoice that because it was shipping to a non-EU land I might get stuck with additional (translated) “Tariffs, taxes and fees.”Still a great buy compared with what several sites are asking for NIB examples. Jeff BJanuary 01, 2013New year’s day update:Faber-Castell posted the transaction yesterday (31 Dec 2012) to my Master Card. It was “pending” for a couple days before that. Master Card charged me with a $2 transaction fee. (For the trouble of converting Euro’s to dollars and making an international transaction, I suppose.)Anyhow, the Euro was going for $1.32 so the whole charge for everything including the fee was $210, or $105 per slide rule.
They have my money, I’ll let you know if and when the 2/83N’s show up. Jeff BJanuary 16, 2013Final update: They arrived!The FedEx man arrived today (16 Jan 2013) a few minutes ago and dropped off the box. The outside of the box was torn, but everything inside is fine.Total time from ordering to delivery was 19 days.Frankly, they look like they were made yesterday — just absolutely perfect. Here’s what they sent:2 — 62/83N slide rules. Each came in a green box/carton with Faber-Castell gold-embossed on it. Besides the slide rule, there were German instructions (a bit yellowed with age and folded to fit inside) and a white plastic rule with conversions, etc.
On it.1 — set of photocopied English instructions.1 — complimentary Faber-Castell pen1 — invoice and sheet with return policy (in German)My total cost for one of these absolutely mint, untouched sliderules worked out to $105. Because of exchange rate fluctuations between the Euro and dollar, your mileage may vary.Lesson learned: Even if it says there are none left, keep coming back. They seem to be finding (possibly assembling from spare parts?) new ones.Good luck, and thank you, Stefan, for the tip and website!.
AntonJanuary 25, 2013Hi Jeff,Good to hear you received your 2/83N.I have both the 62/83N and 2/83N in pristine condition. Originally with German manuals, but I managed to get English one’s in excellent (near perfect) condition, for next to nothing.Keep an eye on ebay, as bad examples of the slide rules do come up with English manuals in v good condition.
You can pick them up for a few dollars (or pounds) as most collectors seem to overlook the worth of a manual on its own.There is some guy on ebay who sells ‘as new’ old stocks of various Faber Castell slide rules. He doesn’t mark up too much so is worth checking out if the site proves too much. Jeff BJanuary 31, 2013Hi, Anton!I actually got one of the 2/83N’s out and started using it. The other is stored away and I’m not touching it. I am VERY impressed with the quality of manufacturing.
The “German precision” one hears about truly shows up in this slide rule!I was issued a Deci-Lon back in the day and still have it and use it. I like the layout of the Deci-Lon in some ways better than the 2/83N, and the “bare-bones” number of scales for a high-end rule is something I actually like, too. But the incredible precision of manufacture and the accuracy resulting from that (stators and hairlines were perfectly aligned right out of the box)well, the 2/83N tops the Deci-Lon in that regard, hands down. And they’re really pretty on top of it all!Thanks, Anton, for the tip about English manuals. I have been keeping an eye out for one, although I have found a pdf. So far, no one I’ve found can beat the FC website price for their slide rules, though.I may go back to the FC website for more, when the finances straighten out a bit. I intend on giving one to my nephew, who works for IBM and has shown interest in slide rules.
So, I may have to get one more for a backup. Also, there are 20 other models on their site just waiting for me!
Jeff BMarch 01, 2013Hi, Sean!They have been out of the plastic cases (and English manuals) for some time. This is tail end stock.
I would note that I recently picked up a third one (to serve as a backup to the one I’ve been using after I give the other one to my nephew), as well as a couple of other models of slide rules.They must be getting close to the end of the last remaining stock. The two I got in January had manufacture dates of “175” stamped into the end of the slide. That would be “January 1975.” The one I got a couple of weeks ago in February, a month later, had “1075” (October 1975) stamped on it.Don’t let a cardboard box stop you. If you want a pristine copy of the “Holy Grail” of slide rules, this is the time and place to get one! There is a German reselling the exact same slide rules (cardboard box and all) on Ebay (buy it now) for $189.
You should be able to get it direct for $100-$110 depending on exchange rate, etc.Like I said before, if they went from Jan 1975 to Oct 1975 in one month, I just can’t imagine there are a whole lot of them left in stock. (I guess this proves they were still manufacturing them yet in late 1975!)Good luck!—Jeff. Jeff BMarch 03, 2013This is old stock that was stored and not sold until now. The engravers and other machines to make them are long gone.But I think I know what you mean. You’re right about FC taking an interest in selling off the old stock now and making some Euros. Cliff Stoll’s 2006 Scientific American article started a frenzy and I’m sure FC is cashing in. They’d better.
Their customer base is 50+ years old and not getting any younger, although I have a 23-year-old nephew who works for IBM who is taking an interest in them.I have no problem with the FC website and have even set up an account with them to speed up future orders. That said, if you’re not kind of fluent in German, you might have problems getting through it. I haven’t tried it, but maybe by using “Chrome” as your browser, there is, I’m told, a way to make it translate pages for you automatically. Worth a try.So, if you want an absolutely factory-fresh, untouched copy of one, get it now!
MarkMarch 07, 2013How fortunate am I to have found this article, and to have read the comments!I went on FC’s website and placed an order today for a 2/83N. I’ve been looking for one of these for a looooong time, but have hesitated buying on eBay and vintage scientific instrument dealers. Put off by the high price.But to have an opportunity to buy one from the manufacturer after all these years? And at a price lower than can be had at an auction? Couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Crossing my fingers it all goes well.FYI I used Chrome to translate the pages to English, and it worked pretty well. Also made use of Google Translate when I received confirmation emails.
Jeff BMarch 09, 2013Well, Mark, you may be getting one of the VERY LAST 2/83N’s from FC. I just looked at their website and the 2/83N is now (as of 2/8) “Nicht auf Lager,” which means “Out of Stock!” You may have beat losing out by a day!I’ve seen that before, though, and then it changes back to “Auf Lager” a day later. But they are SO close to the final manufacturing date that they can’t have too many left! My last two were stamped “1075” for October 1975. I’d be interested in what date stamp yours has/have.Congratulations, you are lucky!
I have been using one of my 2/83N’s a lot. A beautiful tool, really fun to work with.—Jeff. MarkMarch 11, 2013A GRAND TOTAL of 4 days after I placed the order on the FC website, my 2/83N arrives at my front door.
It looks fantastic, and apart from a few heart palpitations upon opening the green cardboard box and finding the cursor in two pieces, it’s in great shape. The cursor clicked together easily. Came with the reference card, original German instructions, yellowed, and a fresh copy of the English instructions.
With a nice pen.I’m having a hard time coming up with a date stamp for you Jeff. The edge of the slide has “57” stamped on it, followed by an unintelligible character (looks like a “+”), and there is a “PX” stamped on the edge of the stator.I’ll also note that the cursor assembly is the adjustable one, with four screws per face, which would seem to indicate manufacture after 1962 and prior to 1973 (according to the sliderulemuseum).The manual has a date code of 10574 (May 10, 1974?)Any insight would be helpful.
Jeff BMarch 14, 2013Hi, Mark—The date stamp is impressed (indented with no ink) into one end of the slide, Mark. Two out of three of mine are really easy to read. The third is not so easy to read, but I can make it out with some effort. I’m sure back in the day the machine stamped that into the end pretty quickly. Pretty easy for the machine to smear it or not completely stamp it, I guess.
Not a big deal back then, but kind of an annoyance nearly 40 years later when you’re curious.A cursor assembly from ’62-’73 on a 1975 (or so) slide rule indicates to me that they (FC) may have been assembling new ones from left over, or repair, parts they had on hand. That might be good — you (and I and others) would have a “factory original” variant of a well-known slide rule! For someone who collects variants, that might make it desirable.I guess the sliderulemuseum will have to update that section of FC sliderules now.
I would argue that, coming direct from FC, ours are as legit as ones sold 40 years ago!I’m sure your heart skipped a beat when you saw an apparently “broken” cursor!!! Glad you figured out what was happening. (I’m sure you oriented the cursor to the correct sides of the rule.) I frankly haven’t had the nerve to pop mine off yet. But then, I don’t need to, I guess.And the 2/83N is still “Nicht auf Lager.” You, sir, may have received one of the very last 2/83N’s FC ever sells. And those ARE good pens.—Jeff. MarkMarch 14, 2013Jeff, I would have to agree with you regarding the vintage of the cursor against the likely manufacture date of the rule itself.
Just one more thing that make ours, the wretched refuse of a bygone era, special!If you ever have to take off the cursor, it snaps apart very easily. I find that my rule collects dust like crazy. Very staticy. I get dust/lint under the cursor and it annoys me. My (aluminum) Pickett N4-ES, being a conductor, has no such static problems.Considering all the possible characters that could be printed on the slide, I would have to vote for the mystery character being a “4”. This would make the date code “574” May ’74. Which happens to match the date code on my manual.I’ll confess that when I placed the order for this rule, the main page (which lists their online catalog of rules) indicated that the 2/83N was “in stock”, but the 2/83N-specific page listed it as “out of stock”.
I took a chance and ordered it anyway. Glad I did!. Jeff BMarch 28, 2013Yup, Mark. Just checked the website as I’m thinking of getting other models, too, and it’s still not in stock. My bet is it will stay that way. The secret about these got out a few years ago and even at $100+, they weren’t going to last forever.
Still, they must have had quite a few around, or at least enough spare parts to make even more.I’m not a dealer, but I’m betting dealers snapped them up getting as many at a time as they could afford. On Ebay they are showing up with 80-90% markup. Pretty good profit!Congrats! I’m thinking you got one of the last ones, too!—Jeff.
Doug HMay 11, 2013Opps, I pressed submit by accident before finishing my comments above Anyway, I ordered four different models directly from Faber Castell. Considering most of the slide rule manufacturers are all but gone, I would have never expected to see any OEM company having kept their old remaining stock stored away, let alone offer them for purchase this late (2013)! The four I ordered were the 2/83N, 2/82N, 62/83N, and the 12/82.
I placed my order on May 3, and at that date, all of the various rules they had listed on their site were “In Stock”. My order arrived just 7 days later through Fedex on May 10 in excellent condition (I live in the Chicago area).
Like others have reported, I was also greeted with the detached cursor that apparently popped apart during transit on both the 2/82N and 2/83N. No concern though, as they securely snapped back together. I also wanted to mention the date codes on mine seeing that it’s been a few months since the last comment when there was concern that the last of the 2/83N’s were finally sold out and no longer available. My 2/83N is dated “1075” (October-’75), the 2/82N is dated “175” (January-’75), no date code on the 62/82, but the most surprising of the date codes was on the model 12/82, which was clearly stamped “1176” (November-’76). The slide rule museum stated that Faber Castell ceased production of slide rules in 1976, but I would have never expected to see production go quite this late, so this one must be the very last to be made considering the November production. My 12/82 does not have the green striping like that shown on the FC website, but rather a pink highlighting instead. Perhaps this was a very late production change?
I also wanted to comment on the cursor types as used on the 2/82N and 2/83N. Both of mine have the adjustable 4 screw cursor with the tan slider bars, which are the apparent “older” style as used on pre 1973 models. The rules are of outstanding quality, and very impressive.I am very pleased to have had the unique opportunity to purchase these, especially the “holy grail” 2/83N direct from the original company.
That makes owing these particular rules quite special as I can consider myself the original owner! That’s not something one can usually claim when buying slide rules today. Steve SmithingJuly 16, 2013I was reading the posts and followed the link to the Faber Castell online store. Initially I saw that the Faber Castell-Novo 2/83N slide rule was not available. I have limited German, so went to Chrome and it was a snap to use the website as Chrome did a good job of converting from German to English. Long story short I was able to order a Faber Castell as follows:1 piece 000052 Castell Novo Duplex 2/83N€ 74.79 0% € 74.79and the total price was: Total amount € 83.19I’m really looking forward to getting this slide rule.Steve.
Steve SmithingJuly 18, 2013Update – I received my Faber Castell-Novo Duplex 2/83N today, 2 days from the date I ordered the slide rule, extremely fast shipping. The package contained the Slide Rule, instructions in German and a photocopy of instructions in English and a Faber-Castell pen. The slide rule is a work of art. I can see that I will be busy for awhile with my new slide rule. I want to thank the person who found the URL link to the online store, it is a pleasure to do business with the Faber-Castell online store – they are fast and efficient.Steve. JordanApril 23, 2014Very impressive slide rule.
I grew with electronics calculators and computers (38 y.o) and I know that slide rules existed in the past and were used mainly as torture instrument to do math in the dark ages of first half of XX century. Now I own 4 of them, the last addition being this same 2/83N in mint (almost NOS) condition with box and papers, I obtained in a small German village flohmarkt few days ago.
The guy said “no one is using them today, i can not ask more than 5 eur”. I didn’t knew what I am buying before I get home and check in the web. The craftsmanship is really impressive. I still can’t get it, how they are producing plastic parts with such low tolerances. I find it also pity, that these tools dissapeared totally in just few years.
I assume that a slide rule should have much higher production costs than an electronic calculator (even powerful scientifical ones, like TI 30XS Pro) and it could be one of the reasons. Maybe one day they will make a come back (when it would be cool again to be smart, to talk instead of chat and to have real friends instead of FB ones). RolandMay 20, 2014Stefen, excellent web site, stumbled on it by accident. I’ve been looking on e-bay for the 2/83n. Just been to the German website and ordered one. I now live in China, so fingers crossed it makes it here.Keeping a dying art alive.
When I was in our London office I mentioned I was after a slide rule and all the old guys brought in their well used working slide rules. They remembered them fondly but it was a struggle getting anything of value out of them. Hope I can brush up on my very old rusty skills.Will let you know if it gets to China and may look at getting a few others before they are all sold out.Thanks again,Roland. DonkeyriderFebruary 14, 2015I can see why technical folks would like the high-end FC slide rules, but many folks don’t realize that even the simple pocket slide rules were useful.
I still use a Dietzgen 125 mm slide rule like the one I had in college in the 1960’s — and I use it even though its cursor is broken like the one I had when I was a student. My personal choice for a slide rule is the Hemmi 135, a small thing that does arithmetic, squares/square roots, and trig, the things I do the most with a slide rule.
Unless I’m doing something scientific, I don’t need the log-log scales.In the 1980’s at work, I used the little Sama and Etani slide rules even though I had calculators and computers at my desk. They were convenient when you were away from your desk. Hermilio MaiaFebruary 16, 2016I own two Faber-Castell:A Faber-Castell 62/82 (pocket size) with a green leather cover. This was used from 1965 to 1971, until a got an HP-35 calculator (paid $350 through a university program!)It is in very good condition, except the C scale (center scale) is very loose, after 5 years of heavy use in engineering school and then in professional life. I don’t have the manual for it.A Faber-Castell 2/83, plastic case with clear top, bought in 1970, and exceptional shape. I have the original manual (Portuguese).
I didn’t use these slide rules after 1971, when the HP-35 arrived.I want to sell both, and will not list on Ebay. If interested email me with an offer.
April 10, 2016Hi Stefan, Thanks for a great trip down memory lane for me. I have been collecting slide rules and calculators since my uni days. In 1975 I purchased my first HP calculator (HP55) for $350 and in the same year bought two brand new 2/83N faber castell slides for for $5 each as the uni bookshop wanted to get rid of them – The slide rules I still have but I sold the HP55 (;-( to buy a HP34c 😉 (which still works).
My first slide rule, which I used at high school in 1970 was my dads old 1950’s faber castell but it had lost its cursor so I made one from a piece of cellophane and a hair from my head. A new Hemmi was purchased soon after as I kept getting inaccurate results. I have enjoyed reading your HP35s programs and will be typing them in for a try out soon.
Of course my HP prime already does the matrix functions but I am impressed with the way your code in the HP35s does all the indirect addressing. I have retired now from a career as an electronics engineer and then a technical college teacher in electronics and telecommunications. More time now to play with my toys! Regards Barry. David RowellJune 12, 2016I ordered and received, two days later, a 2/83N just a couple of weeks ago off the FC site.
Can’t make out the date on the slide.Sadly, no free pen, and tragically, one of the ugly cardboard boxes rather than the plastic cases of yore. Photocopied English instructions and original in German. And a German plastic strip of equations and set theory.Was stunned to get it so quickly.
Based on what I’ve paid to ship things internationally (and the huge box it arrived in) I suspect most of the cost of the rule went in freight. But not complaining!. Roland, DKApril 11, 2017Received my 2/83N Novo Duplex today! 🙂 I’m very impressed with its size, build quality and the beauty of it!The ruler came in a green Faber-Castell cardboard box with an original “Rechenstab-Anleitung”, a laminated (or plastic) equations chart and, printed on A4 paper, the English Instructions.I haven’t been able to find a date code on the ruler. Is it supposed to have one, and if yes, can anybody tell me where the code may be hiding?On the back of the small German instructions booklet it says:1073. printed in Germany 1/783 N dAll in all, very impressed and for sure worth every cent!.
Lucas SoldanoJune 16, 2017You are welcome, Roland. If you are really serious about unleashing the full power of your 2/83N, it will take you much less than a winter to realise that you need something more than its user manual booklet. As far as my knowledge goes, the most authoritative instruction book written for the 2/83N is “Stabrechnen mit Novo-Duplex 2/83N und Duplex 2/82N” by Siegfried Petry. I owe a Spanish translation, so I would assume it has been translated into English as well. John AJuly 06, 2017I came across your website a while back and was thrilled to find a link to a manufacturer that sells NOS (new old stock) slide rules; particularly the Faber Castell line of slide rules. I just received 3 slide rules that I ordered last week and find them to be amazing.
Like you, I picked up the 2/83N and the 62/83N models. I also picked up a 111/54A Darmstadt slide rule which has what Faber Castell calls an “Addiator”. The Addiator is a mechanical device on the back of the rule which acts like a 6-digit adding machine. It comes with a stylus that allows you to move slides back and forth as you add and subtract numbers. It works surprisingly well.
Chris WardJuly 20, 2017Having recently regained my interest in slide rules, the ingenuity of their layouts and the precision engineering that goes into their production, this article and discussion thread was a large influence in causing me to purchase a new Faber-Castell 2/83N. I bought it from the F-C online German shop last Thursday afternoon, received an e-mail to say it had been dispatched the following morning and it arrived early on Monday morning (I live in the UK). Like Roland’s purchase it arrived in a green cardboard box with the original instruction booklet in German but with a photocopy of the English instructions. It’s beautiful and I’m delighted with it. The date stamp on the end is 2-75.Reverting to Teresa’s question I was given a Faber Castell 2/83 slide rule for my birthday in 1962 and I still have it. It was a constant companion through my university course in electrical engineering and then at work until about 1977.
It has the date ‘?’-61 stamped into the end of the slide and the ‘?’ looks very much like a ‘2’ but that’s not certain. It has 6 fewer scales then the 2/83N. The ‘missing’ scales are: Front body, A, D1; slide B.
Reverse body, -LL00 and LL00; slide C1. My 2/83 (showing obvious signs of its considerable use) is 48mm wide whilst the 2/83N is 57mm wide. My new 2/83N is not likely to see much use. It’s a pristine work of art, but I don’t think I’ll hang it on the wall either.
Roland, DKAugust 25, 2017Hello Lucas;thank you for the information 😉I did a search for the most authoritative instruction book written for the 2/83N is “Stabrechnen mit Novo-Duplex 2/83N und Duplex 2/82N” by Siegfried Petry.To my surprise I found a webpage from Prof.Siegfreid Petry himself ! I wrote to him to see whether he knew where to get a copy. Within a few hours I had a reply from Prof.Siegfried. He was surprised and delighted to hear/see that there was still – renewed – interest in his booklet. He told me that he moved houses a few times and lost his originals, otherwise he would have send me one as a gift! Also the ever printed English versions of his booklet were meant for South Africa, so I could try my luck there or else in the Deutschen Nationalbibliothek for perhaps a digitized copy.
Faber Castell 2 82 Manual Transmission Reviews
He reads English, and replies in German because, as he wrote, that his English wasn’t so good anymore, him being well in his nineties!Fantastic Prof. Siegfried and many thanks!!Anybody aware of the whereabouts of a German / English copy of his booklet?. Maurice vGSeptember 09, 2017Received my 2/83N this week, ordered from FC website!It’s in perfect condition, being NOS, packed in the green carton box with original German manual, copy of the English manual and a plastic rule with additional info. Date stamp is 9 75.Impressive big rule, very good overall quality.In my humble collection of around 30 slide rules I also have a NOS Castell 12/82, which I think I would prefer as a daily tool if electronic calculators did not exist. It’s a bit smaller and less overwhelming than the 2/83N, and the cursor runs smoother and has a easier readable display.Talking about cursors, are you familiar with the 1960 version of the Aristo Studio 0968?
Absolutely my favorite, the all metal cursor is so incredibly smooth running. Although the 2/83N is a fabulous slide rule, the mechanical construction, layout of the scales (although less) and the packaging of the Aristo is at least at the same level, maybe a little higher. And it’s little brother/sister, the Studio 868, is sooo quite and well built.Anyway, this is about the 2/83N. My collection would not be complete without it.
It’s my most complex slide rule, a must have! Now it’s time to start reading the manual and get familiar with the ‘w’ scales!. Lucas SoldanoOctober 05, 2017To Maurice vG, I perfectly understand you. As for a daily tool, as you call it, I would recommend a 2/83 (without the N); cheaper, handier and easier than the 2/83N but still providing good training on all the main features of the 2/83N. The high-precision W1/W2 scales appearing in these two models are unique and -to my knowledge- not present on any other model or maker.
I also own a number of Aristo rules, among which a 0968 with a rare aspheric lensed cursor, and a 971 with an all-metal cursor, and I confirm they are superb as for mechanics and smoothness, probably better than the Faber-Castell’s. Stefan VorkoetterFebruary 01, 2018If the folded invoice indeed caused the problem (probably in combination with exposure to heat some time during shipping), then it might be reversible. I would prop up the ends of the rule, convex side up, in a warm place, and put some weights on the centre (distributed at bit, not all concentrated at one spot) until the rule bends equally far in the other direction. Then just leave it for a while, removing the weights and checking every day if it is changing. Jean-CharlesFebruary 05, 2018I ordered a new FC 2/83N in December, and I received it a few days later for Christmas. It is marked 175.I must to confess that I am a bit disappointed by the product.– there was a lot of dust on the cursor, including on the inner faces.– there was some small packs of dirt on the tongue. Very strange for a “new” unit.– there are small dents on one edge of a metal brace.– some red marking lack contrast.
Examined with a magnifier, the problem is perfectly described in this document:Not so good manufacturing technique– the upper and lower part of the frame were off by about 0.1 mm. It’s not huge, but perfectly visible to the eye. It’s not what I name a precision instrument– the slide rule was noticeably bent.
I supposed it was due to long term storage. The cursor runs smoothly however.– the worst problem, by far: the slide was extremely sticky, so sticky that the slide rule was almost unusable!I cleaned carefully the tongues and the grooves, but with no success.I tried to increase the space between the frame and the slide, as described here:(This page is in Spanish, but automatic translation does a decent job.) I also adjusted perfectly the two parts of the frame.
Unfortunately, the slide remained sticky.As advised in the manual, I put some vaseline (petroleum jelly) to improve movements. At beginning it was excellent, but in fact it’s not a good solution. Because the inner faces of the cursor touch the faces of the slide rule, it becomes dirty very quickly. Furthermore, this solution didn’t last a long time, and the slide became sticky again very quickly.Finally, I cleaned again the slide rule, and increased the space, inserting three pieces of paper instead of one. Now, the slide is very loose, and can be moved with no effort, but if the frame is inclined it falls out easily. I’m not totally satisfied with this behavior, but at least the slide rule is usable.For the curvature, I just stored the slide rule with the convex face upwards, with the cursor pushed at one end.
No additional force was added. After a few weeks, the curvature has noticeably decreased. I also reversed the slide for storage (putting the W2′ scale below the DF scale). This way, the curvatures of the slide and the frame are opposite, and counteract each other.Now, the curvature is almost entirely gone.About the cursor, there is no risk at all to taking it apart. Look at the pictures in the link above. I’ve done it countless times to clean the cursor, and it is still perfectly aligned.All in all, I can’t say it’s a bad product, but I’m not impressed by its quality.
I also acquired a French Graphoplex 690a, which is superior to the FC in many ways: more rigid plastic, finer and more contrasting marking, smoother movements of the slide, easy to lubricate if needed, and overall better finish. Only the cursor of the FC is smoother. Steve ChristensenMarch 08, 2018I’d been thinking of ordering a couple of these NOS slide rules ever since I first found this page.
I was going to order both a 2/83N and a 62/83N, but the disappointing results from the earlier poster put me off on the 2/83N, especially since they don’t seem to have any of the protective plastic cases anymore. But I did order a 62/83N just to add to the collection, especially since I’ve never seen one. Ordered in Monday, received it Thursday! And I’m happy to say that both the rule and the box are in perfect condition.
Came with the original German instructions, and a photocopy of the the English version.As for the 62/83N, it is certainly a work of art. No date stamp that I can see. But I have to say those scales are a bit harder to read than I remember from back in college! Thanks again for the tip on being able to order these.
Maurice vGMarch 26, 2018I couldn’t resist; I also purchased an 62/83N from the Faber-Castell website. It really is a “baby 2/83N”; unbelievable the amount of scales they managed to put on such a small slide rule.But ehhh what is it about the materials that Faber-Castell used for their slide rules? I own a dozen or so of these slide rules, and all of them are kind of sticky if you try to slide.
Vaseline helps but makes the slide operation heavier.The Aristo slide rules, although also fully made out of plastic, don’t have this issue. They operate very smooth.I have the best experience with Sun Hemmi slide rules; both the fully plastic ones as the old fashioned bamboo are a joy to use.
Not sticky, not too smooth. Just perfect.I wonder what your (people on this website) experience is with the Faber-Castell slide rules. Elgin LawlerJuly 03, 2018I received a similar message to the one Mr. Christensen detailed above.
I had attempted to order a 62/83N on April 3, 2018, only a few days after they had stopped selling them. I asked if I could be notified if and when Faber-Castell decided to sell them again, and customer service told me that notification was not an option. What I suspect has happened is that Faber-Castell has realized that people have been buying NOS from them and then reselling them on eBay for twice their sale price (and occasionally even more).
Sadly, I have serious doubts that they will be available again directly. I’ll add that my 2/83N which I purchased in December of 2017 has a stamp ending in 76, so I’m pretty sure they were running through the last of their remaining stock at that time. Young may well have purchased the last one available for sale directly from the manufacturer.
A heartfelt thank you to you, Mr. Vorkoetter, for sharing your link to buy them with all of us. I had known Faber-Castell was still selling them, but I could not locate them on their website until I came here. Robin HowardAugust 02, 2018When I started to read your description of the Faber Castell 2/83 I realized that I purchased one when I was in my last year of high school – 1966. I have retrieved it from storage and I am happy to see that it is still in perfect condition with its original case and instruction manual in English. The data stamp is a little difficult to read but I believe it is 5 65. It differs from the picture you have posted in that the slide does not have a series of fine parallel lines on each end and the words “Castell Novo Duplex” are not printed on the lower left-hand corner of the stator.
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Faber Slide Rules Tina's Faber-Castell Slide RulesWhere Dietzgen model numbers have been included in brackets, this information was obtained from Peter Holland's book 'Rechenschieber, Slide Rules, A.W.Faber'A.W.Faber-Castell TR3 Combined Slide Rule and Calculator. The calculator uses 4, 1.5V button cells, type Duracell PX825 with a diameter of 23.2mm and a height of 6.1mm. PX825s are no longer manufactured and are difficult to obtain. I currently use 4, Duracell LR44s with a diameter of 11.6mm and a height of 5.4mm. These are smaller and a little ingenuity is required to make sure that they are centred and make contact.A.W.Faber 339A.W.Faber-Castell 342, Columbus, System Rohrberg, D.R.P. (Deutsches Reichespatent) No.206428, D.R.G.M. (Deutsvhes Reich Geschmacksmuster) 836352 and D.R.G.M.985223.A.W.Faber-Castell 360 (Dietzgen 1780)A.W.Faber-Castell 361A.W.Faber-Castell 363, D.R.Patent No.206428.A.W.Faber-Castell 367 with Decimal Indicator (Dietzgen 1783)A.W.Faber 369 (Dietzgen 1779), Made for Lawrence and Mayo, a London based producer of Scientific Instruments a descendant of which is still in business in India.
The rule has a plane wooden back with 369 and Made in Bavaria stamped into the wood. The Cursor has Lawrence & Mayo London stamped into the lower edge of its frame. Scales 5in//AB,CD 15cm S,L,T 15 - 30cm scale in Well.