Honestly, I really like my Hermes 2000. I like the action better than my 3000 - when the 2000 works. If I could just figure out the problem with the leftmost keys double-advancing, the 2000 would be one of my most used typeweriters.

Sorry for the delay. I'm one of those $20s

Baco Ribbons had been my go-to supplier for ribbons, especially bulk reels and odd sizes. Alas, Charlene has passed and it looks like the business is no more. 

Does anyone know of a supplier of silk 1/2" bichrome in the bulk reels, preferably in the US?

Thanks!

Thanks, Tom! I had thought the M2.5 would work, but screwing it in a few mm, it binds up. The screw from the other margin stop is almost exactly the same diameter, but a slightly coarser thread - which fits the description in the charts of a 7BA screw. 

Well, that saves me trying to go to some more hardware stores because nobody here in the US will stock that. Guess it's time to make another sweep of my workspace with a magnet. Wish me luck!

For my part, I've not been on the forum as much because work and other commitments have had me completely swamped, and I've not purchased a new typewriter in over a year.

That said, I have been making very, very slow progress through my backlog of cleaning/restoration. I've a 1958 Imperial Good Companion 5 on the workbench which gets some attention in little 15-30 minute spurts. Just got it almost entirely back together. Unfortunately lost one of the little screws that holds the left margin stop together so I need to find a replacement (looks like it's M2.5, but I need to find a really short one or cut another down). 

Have done a few other experiments - like taking out the bichrome selector stop in my Artistic Script Torpedo 18b to see if it would do bichrome anyway (yes, with quality ribbon and good alignment), or testing out fountain-pen papers like Tomoe River and Yamamoto papers (TR is pretty decent) - but haven't had time to write anything up.