1 - mobile1
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What is the best manual typewriter?
What is the best manual (not electric) typewriter made in the last fifty years?
- Uwe
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Re: What is the best manual typewriter?
I assume that you're after the best standard typewriter since you asked the question in this sub-forum?
Based on my limited experience I would have to say, hands down, that the Olympia SG1 was it, but then I realized you limited the choice to the past fifty years. WHY? Limiting the choice to machines that were made after 1966 eliminate almost all of the best examples of the standard manual typewriter.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- mobile1
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Re: What is the best manual typewriter?
Going back more than fifty years what are the best typewriters?
I am going to buy one for my son who is a Journalist.
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Thread Starter- treefaller
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Re: What is the best manual typewriter?
Can't go wrong with a 1940's - 50's Royal KMM or KMG. And not very expensive either.
Bangin' around, this dirty old town, typin' for nickels and dimes...
- mobile1
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Re: What is the best manual typewriter?
How about a Hermes 3000?
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Thread Starter- TypewriterKing
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- From: DeepInTheHeartO', Texas
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Re: What is the best manual typewriter?
Hermes 3000 was a portable typewriter. If you really want a very good typewriter, try a 1952-1956 Royal HH upright. These are strong machines that will outlive your grandchildren and still type good letters afterward. Also, the Underwood 150 fropm 1953 to about 1957 are among Underwood's best machines. And Underwood has long been known to make top quality typewriters. But that's just the ones I like, and the ones I've seen the most. And that's another thing--the ones I have seen the most, around here in Waco, Texas at least, are the ones I can get parts for the easiest, and that is a good thing, as well as knowing that these particular typewriters I've mentioned, being there are so many, that they've lasted the best. The rarest ones, at least around here, didn't make it as well.
Underwood--Speeds the World's Bidness
- Uwe
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Re: What is the best manual typewriter?
mobile1 wrote:
Going back more than fifty years what are the best typewriters? I am going to buy one for my son who is a Journalist.
Pound for pound, when considering performance and features, an Olympia SG1 is the choice. I own all of the typewriters that have been mentioned so far in this thread, I'm also a journalist, and there's always a SG1 sitting on my desk. At the moment I'm 160,000+ words into a first draft of a novel with one machine and it hasn't yet skipped a beat.
Of course all of this becomes a moot point if there aren't any available in your area; there certainly isn't an option to pop into a local typewriter store that has every typewriter model ever made. One thing is certain: I definitely wouldn't buy a standard typewriter online. Typewriters are precision instruments and often don't survive the rigors of shipping when they aren't correctly prepared for such a trip.
A more realistic approach to buying your son a typewriter would be to first check which models are actually available in your area. It would make more sense to get advice from us based on the models you can actually buy rather than determine which would be the best, and then wait years for the right one to turn up. Mentioning where you live can be of help too; someone here might live close enough to you to advise on what you can expect to find within a reasonable driving distance.
If you do happen to live in an area where SG1 models do turn up, I'd suggest opting for one with a narrow carriage - your son won't need a wide carriage model for writing - and if possible, try to get one that still has its paper rest. You might want to read through this thread that is dedicated to the machine for a little more information.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- Repartee
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Re: What is the best manual typewriter?
I definitely wouldn't buy a standard typewriter online. Typewriters are precision instruments and often don't survive the rigors of shipping when they aren't correctly prepared for such a trip.
There is certainly a risk but it might be an acceptable risk. I've had four SG-1's sent to me (I mentioned this earlier in the year and I still have not ordered five though temptation has been there). Two arrived in the condition shipped while the other two were not properly packed and had the body around the space bar pushed in. One was worse than the other but both are working fine today, and considering that I received significant discounts for the damage I am happy with all four transactions.
Of course if you want to buy just one as a gift for somebody maybe a 50% chance that you will have to repair it or have somebody else repair it, and it might never be the same machine cosmetically, might be too great.
"Damn the torpedoes! Four bells, Captain Drayton".
- beak
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Re: What is the best manual typewriter?
Although the Royal HH is a well made machine, it lacks many features that a pro typist might expect to see. What it does, it does well, but it doesn't do enough, IMO.
You will find many pros who use nothing but an Olympia SM, and don't bother with a big office 'standard' machine at all. Many choose an SM3 or better still an SM4, or the wonderful SM9. Whatever you decide, don't buy without checking out the Olympia SM9, is my advice.
Sincerely,
beak.
- beak
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Re: What is the best manual typewriter?
PS
Uwe is right about the SG1 too; nobody ever regretted getting one of these - assuming (as with anything) that it's in full working condition.
Sincerely,
beak.
