1 of 1- JeffMo74
- Platen Punisher
Offline - Registered: 29-12-2017
- Posts: 78
"Vintage ribbon"- would you use it or keep it?
So I picked up a Royal Junior today at the flea market and convinced the guy to throw in a ribbon he had. It's in its original box and still in its plastic wrapping. The spool it's on doesn't go to this machine and it's bent. The box is pretty banged up...long story short (too late) would you open the ribbon and use it or keep the package as is?
Jeff
- UnderwoodStd
- Novice Typer
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- Registered: 14-4-2018
- Posts: 38
Re: "Vintage ribbon"- would you use it or keep it?
I'd use it. The hard choice is whether to use one of those sealed tins with the key - I have several but have not opened one yet. I've grown less fond of vintage ribbons because the newly manufactured ones on universal spools fit a lot of typewriters and are of uniform quality, where as old stock ribbons are hit or miss and if you have a variety of them you have to rummage through them to find the right one. The older ones seem to have a higher hit rate, I believe it's the ink formulation.
- thetypewriterman
- Key Master
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- From: Leiston, England
- Registered: 29-5-2013
- Posts: 920
Re: "Vintage ribbon"- would you use it or keep it?
Myself, I would open it and try the ribbon. If it is dried out - so be it. If the metal spool is OK, it might be just what you or someone else needs to make a typewriter that is missing a spool work again.
- JeffMo74
- Platen Punisher
Offline
- Registered: 29-12-2017
- Posts: 78
Re: "Vintage ribbon"- would you use it or keep it?
[img]
[/img]Would you keep the box or just toss it?
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Thread Starter- thetypewriterman
- Key Master
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- From: Leiston, England
- Registered: 29-5-2013
- Posts: 920
Re: "Vintage ribbon"- would you use it or keep it?
Difficult to see the spool properly because of the reflection from the camera flash, but going from the size and what it says on the box it is probably for a Royal Standard (i.e. office typewriter) If you like the box, why not keep it ? It probably dates from the 1940's or 1950's. I'm sure that one of our American members can confirm or deny that. Ribbon tins are certainly collectible, not too sure about boxes ! I would expect the ribbon fabric to have dried out by now, especially if the cellophane has split. The spool, once the ribbon has been taken off, could easily be bent back into shape using a pair of flat-jawed pliers.
