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Standard Typewriters » '51 Hermes Ambassador » 03-7-2023 07:19:47

p12palof
Replies: 16

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Pete E. wrote:

Found this really good article about the 50% electric Ambassador with lots of neat info. and photos : 

https://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-tale-of-two-ambassadors-amazing.html

Thanks for the article, very interesting.  About the typewriter with double-width carriage, it seem beatifull for me, and in pristine condition. The original wooden box is a very  nice extra. I learned typing in a Olivetti Linea 98 with double width carriage, and always preserve the inclination for this extra-wide monsters.

Standard Typewriters » '51 Hermes Ambassador » 02-7-2023 09:56:05

p12palof
Replies: 16

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Pete E. wrote:

Forgive my ignorance...

Does the electrical on your machine only provide a power-return of the carriage ?  I notice your carriage also has a manual CR lever.  Was this design to give the typewriter user a chance of 2 ways to return the carriage at the end of a typed line >

Are the key-tops and type/slug levers not "driven" by an electrically driven power roller ?  Are they all just "manual" in their mechanics ?
.
 

Hi Pete, yes the user can return the carriage with the two systems. If you remove the electrical system, the typewriter work as 100% mechanical. I upload a video of the first typing test after cleaning and servicing. Excuse the image vibration, the phone was in the same table than the typewriter...



 

Standard Typewriters » '51 Hermes Ambassador » 29-6-2023 07:50:40

p12palof
Replies: 16

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In Spain I only remember a transformer from 220v to 110v for a very old fridge at my grandparents' house when I was a child (I'm 39 years old). We haven´t legislation for 110V in power tools, but I´ll consider to buy one to test the electric carriage return. This Hermes was originally selled in Italy, the "qzerty" keyboard layout is an unequivocal clue. I don´t know if in Italy, in the decade of 50's they had 110volts.

And talking about standard typewriter prices, I got this Ambassador for 50 euros, and a few months ago a Olympia SG1 from Germany for 20 + 20 (shipping cost) euros 

Standard Typewriters » '51 Hermes Ambassador » 28-6-2023 08:59:31

p12palof
Replies: 16

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Thanks for your comments!! First of all, keep in mind that spanish is my first language and I´ll try to write technical english to the best of my ability. I hope don´t make big mistakes 

thetypewriterman wrote:

Congratulations on your purchase.  All the internet attention seems to be on the Hermes 3000 and Baby/Rocket.  The Ambassador is under-rated and consequently cheap.  It will only be a matter of time before people realise just how good the Ambassador is.  Probably the best office manual typewriter ever made (the Olympia SG1 comes a very close second).




Comparing the two typewriters, I believe the Ambassador inspired the Olympia designers in a few features in the SG1, like the paper injector. There is a paralelism between them in some aspects. The Ambassador design comes from 1948 while SG1 is from 1953.
It has interesting features like a easy way to dismantle the platen with two handles, and all the carriage system, only with two bolts














I´m not a typewriter expert, but in terms of high end features, the Ambassador is the most overengineered typewriter

Standard Typewriters » '51 Hermes Ambassador » 26-6-2023 11:39:54

p12palof
Replies: 16

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Hello friends!! I recently searched for feedback on Hermes Media 3. I was curious about the Hermes typing experience, and didn't want to spend a lot of money on an overpriced Hermes 3000...
In another site I read that the machine with the typical Hermes typing experience in terms of softness was the Ambassador. In a classified ads spanish site, I found a '51 Hermes Ambassador typewriter for less price than a Hermes Media 3. It has the characteristic industrial 50's aesthetics. His presence is awesome, overeenginered, with carriage electrical return, papel injector, scissor paper guide and a lot of small details and functions.... In terms of typing experience it lives up to its fame, very soft and precise. I need to spend more time and get familiar with its touch, in order to elaborate a better feedback.... To be continued
















Portable Typewriters » 1970 Hermes Media 3 » 02-6-2023 23:57:14

p12palof
Replies: 8

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Thanks for the info!!, I hope can test it next week and take a decision. In case I buy it, I'll post the pics and review.

Portable Typewriters » 1970 Hermes Media 3 » 01-6-2023 03:29:41

p12palof
Replies: 8

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First of all, excuse me for reviving a old post, but I have a question. Uwe, you are a very experienced typist, how can you describe the typing action in the Hermes in comparison to other good machines like Olympias? Crisper, softer,...? I´m planing to collect a relatively cheap 1967 Hermes Media 3, but it's far from my home, and I want to get a better idea of what I'll find. Last week I saw and touched a 1966 Hermes 3000, but unfortunatly it´s plenty of rust, dirt, several hits, brittle platen... in these conditions it´s impossible to judge any typewriter.

Standard Typewriters » '57 Olympia SG1 from Germany » 21-5-2023 09:11:04

p12palof
Replies: 11

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Thanks Pete, yesterday I noticed that some key caps had a little "free play" and some doesn´t. I wrongly believed that the "bad" keys were some with free play, caused by the use and worn... Thanks to this forum,  I am learning a lot of this typewritter model. I´ll try to clean the underneath side of key tops, the next day.

Standard Typewriters » '57 Olympia SG1 from Germany » 20-5-2023 12:29:45

p12palof
Replies: 11

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Thanks for the help and pictures. Apparently the typewriter was very clean, but this morning I disassembled the carriage, the external fairings, ... and carefully cleaned the segment and the linkage parts with the mixture of alcohol + oil. I also removed the rust present on many screws. Once the work is finished and the typewriter is assembled, after a few minutes of typing, I feel that we are recovering the full potential of this 66 years old machine.
Now I can affirm that the typing action of Olympia is better than Olivetti's Linea 98. Yesterday I still had my doubts, I hope that nobody kills me .More precision, less effort and more uniform resistance force between the central and external keys group. For example between the "a" key and "f" or "g" key. This is perhaps the only minor complaint that I have with the big Olivetti in comparison with the German machine. 

Standard Typewriters » '57 Olympia SG1 from Germany » 19-5-2023 02:08:36

p12palof
Replies: 11

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robmck wrote:

Congratulations on your find!
...I was surprised to find how much the touch on my SG-1 improved by giving the segment and linkage pivots a really, thorough cleaning, and tuning up the trip points...

Excuse me robmck, I´m spanish and I´m not very acquainted in the english technical vocabulary about typewriters. By "segment and linkage pivots" I understand all the parts and mechanism between keys and type bars, am I correct? And I have no idea about the meaning of the sentence: "tuning up the trip points". Can you take me a picture of this work? Thanks for the tips.

Pete E. wrote:

If your platen rubber is very hard...you might try some backing sheet with your typing paper.

If you are in the USA, look for this Avery product...softer laminating plastic sheet.  I use it as  backing paper for all my machines that have hard rubber.  No punching holes in the paper, after that.

You might also adjust your "touch adjuster" so it does not have the type-slugs hit the platen so hard (if you haven't tried that, already).

Thanks for the precise analysis of the problem, Pete. I'm not a top end typewritter user and I had 0 idea about the synthoms of a age hardened platen rubber... Yesterday I tried put the touch adjuster in the 8th level and the problem persisted.... I will try the plastic sheet. Thank you very much!!

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