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13-1-2021 05:49:21  #41


Re: What's your favorite Typewriter to type on?

I have been repairing typewriters professionally for 45 years now.  The reason that I continued whilst almost everyone else gave up is that I genuinely like typewriters - it is a vocation for me, not just a means of earning a living.  The point of all this is that I get to try out and enjoy thousands of customers' typewriters without having to store them afterwards.  The best of all worlds !

 

14-1-2021 03:42:38  #42


Re: What's your favorite Typewriter to type on?

thetypewriterman wrote:

I have been repairing typewriters professionally for 45 years now.  The reason that I continued whilst almost everyone else gave up is that I genuinely like typewriters - it is a vocation for me, not just a means of earning a living.  The point of all this is that I get to try out and enjoy thousands of customers' typewriters without having to store them afterwards.  The best of all worlds !

I tip my cap to you. Rare is the person who truly enjoys their job. That's awesome.

 

14-1-2021 05:11:30  #43


Re: What's your favorite Typewriter to type on?

If you hate your job, you are wasting approximately one-third of your life (one third sleeping, one third travelling to and from work, eating etc, one-third working)  If you enjoy your work, it doesn't seem like work at all (other than the occasional badly-worn machine that you spend hours and hours on and would like to throw at the wall ) and the time goes more quickly !

 

14-1-2021 05:32:53  #44


Re: What's your favorite Typewriter to type on?

thetypewriterman wrote:

The point of all this is that I get to try out and enjoy thousands of customers' typewriters without having to store them afterwards.

Out of those thousands, which machine(s) could be your favorite(s)?
 

 

15-1-2021 04:08:53  #45


Re: What's your favorite Typewriter to type on?

I have a number of favourites - for different reasons.  Possibly my favourite portable is a 1960's Olympia SF DeLuxe which belonged to my mother.  She bought it second hand when I was about nine.  It was the first typewriter that I ever saw close up and got to use.  I still have it and use it now and again for invoicing.  It has only ever been serviced or repaired by me.  Maybe my favourite standard is the Imperial 66.  My school opened traditional 'boys' subjects to girls and vice-versa, so I was able to learn typing - previously only for girls.  I learnt on an Imperial 66.  When I went for my job interview to become a typewriter engineer, the fact that I could type was a big point in my favour.  For my practical 'trade test', I was given an Imperial 66 and shown how to partially dismantle it.  I then had less than 20 minutes to reassemble it and make sure that it worked.  I did it in less than 20 minutes and got the job.  From a practical point of view, I like Olympia standards SG1 and SG3 a lot, but really admire the Hermes Ambassador.  Maybe the highest quality typewriter of all time is the pre-war Continental standard.  I do think the Olympia SF portables take some beating, but so does the early Adler Tippa and the Olivetti Lettera 22.  For heavy-duty portables I would have to pick almost any of the Olympia SM series, particularly the SMs 2-3-4.  The 1960's/'70s Adler Gabriele is a masterclass in how to build a modern typewriter with a minimal amount of parts without any loss of quality.

 

15-1-2021 09:20:08  #46


Re: What's your favorite Typewriter to type on?

Tom,

Interesting comments you made about boys'-subjects and girls' subjects in school in the past.

In junior high school, I wanted to attend Home Economics classes that only girls were allowed to sign up for.  My family took it to the school district and they finally opened up the classes.  First co-ed class had 3 boys...including me.

I am well into my 60's now and still love cooking as a hobby (and as a way to eat)...   My wife enjoys the days when it is my turn to cook.

 

15-1-2021 10:15:43  #47


Re: What's your favorite Typewriter to type on?

I agree that being able to type is a strength in typewriter repair. I've only just begun this trade in 2020 but I have seen and felt the benefit of typing out a page, deliberately, then at high speed. I feel like this is where the real diagnosis can occur because many touch typists (myself included) use a lighter touch, largely due to the takeover by computers, and if a type key arm can push and pull that force up to the slug without error, then the machine is in good working order. It's very different from hunt and peck testing of the keys which doesn't take into account the weakness or angle of the pinky fingers, to impart motion to type slugs at the ends, which tend to be the most finicky in alignment and movement. 
I think my SF DeLuxe is one of the most capable portables, and it's a great machine to work on. I think I prefer my Noiseless Model 7 for long sessions of typing. It forces me to really be consistent and has a wonderful "hum" to it when it's really going. One of these days I'll get to try a standard Noiseless, so long as I don't hurt my back moving it to and from the bench.

Phil Forrest

 

18-1-2021 13:42:13  #48


Re: What's your favorite Typewriter to type on?

thetypewriterman wrote:

The 1960's/'70s Adler Gabriele is a masterclass in how to build a modern typewriter with a minimal amount of parts without any loss of quality.

I am glad you mentioned that machine. The Gabriele pairs ease of maintenance, good performance and excellent type quality. The image below shows my disassembled machine. All it takes is the removal of six screws! The Gabriele is for sure one of my favorites too.

 

07-2-2021 11:00:59  #49


Re: What's your favorite Typewriter to type on?

Without a shadow of doubt, my 1955 Triumph Matura.

 

07-2-2021 18:21:10  #50


Re: What's your favorite Typewriter to type on?

Laurenz van Gaalen wrote:

Without a shadow of doubt, my 1955 Triumph Matura.

LIKE!


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
 

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