Perhaps it isn't clear enough to some people that the Pentax K1000 has been the more or less "official" camera for photographic schools worldwide: in America and in Europe alike, here in Italy included. While Nikkormats were produced for roughly one decade, the K1000 was produced for two decades, and it was still available for one full decade after the demise of the Nikkormat system. Last units were still in the shrines by the end of the millennium.
Students could use almost whatever they want, but to those who began with no camera or with an inapproriate camera, the K1000 was suggested in almost all cases. Also in magazines it was almost inevitably described as the standard choice at schools. It was cheap, it was solid, it was durable, it was readily available anywhere, and it had nothing more and nothing less than what strictly necessary.
No nostalgia effect or bias recall here as I never owned the K1000 nor another Pentax system; I just perfectly remember that things were as such back then.
While I would also definitely put Nikkormats in a "most recommended ten" list, in my opinion such list is flawed if the K1000 isn't in there.
