Seeking Underwood Typewriters

[lordofthestrings]

Hello to all-

I was looking for straight razors last time (still am), but now thought I'd see if anyone had any old Underwood typewriters out they'd consider parting with. Condition is not a big deal to me; I'm trying to get some for a communications class at my old high school (and another for myself as well!) and I enjoy doing restore work on old mechanical stuff. Particularly, I'm looking for Underwood No. 3's or No. 5's, but will consider any model. Please let me know if you have anything!

Thanks!

[Cork]

Nice machines, but you may have some difficulty in finding black/red, or even plain black, ribbons, these days.

And, does anybody remember carbon paper?

[lordofthestrings]

Funny you should mention ribbons, actually. I was at an estate sale a few weeks ago, and bought a shoe box full of old (many unused) typewriter ribbons. I've tried most in my machine (a No. 5), and there's about 6 that work really well. Thats actually what made me remember our com. classes, and got the wheels in my head going.

Carbon paper... sure I remember. They found hundreds of uses for it in my grade school art class, if I remember correctly. We were, naturally, amazed by it.

[Cork]

If you have a supply of ribbons, be sure to hang onto the ribbon spools, even after the ribbon is worn out. They could come in handy, some day.

[Congratulations]

If you have a supply of ribbons, be sure to hang onto the ribbon spools, even after the ribbon is worn out. They could come in handy, some day.

Really?

[Cork]

Well, I don't think I've seen a new typewriter for sale within the past twenty years or more, so the supply of spare parts likely is limited, even the spools.

[Congratulations]

Oh, when you said they could "come in handy," I thought you meant they might be useful.

(Thank you for explaining.)

[Lambchop]

They ARE useful. You can wind ribbon on them. You could keep your string collection on them, too. Or your rubberbands. You could even re-ink the ribbon if you haven't made a hole in it--you have to watch out for that, you know.

As for getting new ones, try HERE.

E-Bay has a load of Underwood stuff. Might be some ribbons there. Lots of key caps, etc.

[Cork]

Given the size, the weight, and the difficulties of packaging a typewriter, could the shipping costs total more than the value of the typewriter?

I have no idea just what a typewriter could be worth, but I remember them as being big, heavy, and having numerous, possibly fragile components.

[cowtime]

A portable model should ship ok. After all, it would have the nice case to hold it snug and safe.

[Charlene]

Nice machines, but you may have some difficulty in finding black/red, or even plain black, ribbons, these days.

And, does anybody remember carbon paper?

I'm sure I still have almost a full box of carbon paper around the house someplace.

[Cork]

...I'm sure I still have almost a full box of carbon paper around the house someplace.

Carbon lasts about forever, and apparently there could be some call for such a thing, as above. ;-)

[mutepointe]

When one of my co-workers retired about 10 years ago, she had carbon paper in her desk, I asked if I could have it. I haven't used it yet but when someone says they need some, I am ready. One of my other retired co-workers had pre-stamped nickel postcards in her desk. I have 33 cent stamps that I have to keep buying smaller denomination stamps to continue to use. Lots of times, I just use two of the stamps and save the bother.

[Tyler]

Nice machines, but you may have some difficulty in finding black/red, or even plain black, ribbons, these days.

And, does anybody remember carbon paper?

Our Office Max sells old-style black and black/red ribbons. They're about three buck a pop IIRC.

I used to have several old typewriters.
I started a small collection when I was living in Vancouver (for those who know the geography, I was living above the dominoes pizza on joyce st. and kingsway, just south of the 7-11 on the corner). There was this old typewriter shop in the section of stores below the apartments I was living in.
When I moved into these apartments there was this old typewriter with a Canadian French keyboard that the previous owner had let sit out on the balcony. I took it apon myself to restore the thing, as I thought it would prove useful, and utilized the typewriter store below as a source for parts and advice. I've got photographs of this typewriter somewhere, but I've not got a scanner to scan them in with. I'll f*rt around on google and see if I can't come up with one like it.
I loved that machine...even after I bought my computer, I still wrote letters on that typewriter. It was, unfortunately, too large/heavy to take back to the states with me so I gave it to some missionaries that lived across the hall from where I was living when I moved back.
Now I've got an IBM selectric that I cleaned up, and another manual typewriter, one of those Smith-Corona "portable" models...

/*edit to add::*/


I think I've found it; i think it was an old 50s model Hermes Ambassador.


Mine was identical to the second example, with the extra row of "function" keys at the top of the keyboard.
One quirky bit, at least as far as my limited knowlege of typewriters goes, is that, though this one was layed out with French language markings, it had a QWERTY key layout instead of the AZERTY layout that I understand is common on French typewriters.
From the research I've been doing over the past half hour, it doesn't look like Hermes was very succesful, but the model I had was rock-solid and, once I tool it apart and gave it a complete cleaning and lube, it worked like a gem. I'd love to have another like it.

http://www.geocities.com/wbd641/EuropeHermes.html

[springrobin]

I would think manual typewriters could still have applications in developing countries where electricity is unreliable at best. Don't some groups collect treadle sewing machines for this reason?