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12-1-2023 15:20:16  #951


Re: New Member Thread

fountainpensplus wrote:

The first manual machine I roll over to my desk is also a standard; Olympia SG1. Thankfully I managed to find three great, rolling metal typing tables. At just under 40 pounds there is nothing 'portable' about it. The solid mass of the standards makes them the best to type on in my opinion.

George

Just to add: yeah, while I love my portables, especially the Hermes 2000 and my recent acquisition of a Underwood 319 (basically Olivetti Leterra 32 with a plastic shell), there is nothing like the standards for getting hours of work done more easily for me.

I have a few older Underwood Standards I got either cheap or free, and hope to restore to use. The most likely candidate is the 150, which just seems like it needs cleaning, possibly a slight lubrication (not WD 40!), and possibly that’s it. That was $10. And other patient I hope will play again is an Olympia SG3; I got for about $25 from a ShopGoodwill auction. It already had a few problems, and I made it worse, by accidentally breaking the bolt that holds the carriage return lever in place. Hoping that I can get that one working also.

 

12-1-2023 17:59:47  #952


Re: New Member Thread

ravvale1 wrote:

Hey George. Totally agree with everything you said. While I don’t yet have an arthritic challenge with writing with a pen, I have always had both a legibility problem and at least discomfort, if not pain writing that way. The computer was a kind of liberation, in that now, I could write, communicate and get through 10 years of rabbinical seminary, and years as a chaplain in the USAF.

But it still felt like a lacuna to me. It wasn’t me physically writing. And when I did, even I can’t read it sometimes. Never have that problem with a typewriter, no matter how many typos. As the title of a book about the beatniks says “The Typewriter Is Holy”! Amen!

Hi Steve,
Everything you mentioned about handwriting had been my experience. Then about 4-5 years ago I wanted to change that. It is seriously embarrassing not to be able to read ones own handwriting. The first thing I did after watching a number of videos about improving my writing was to get some fountain pens. I write in cursive and felt that the rolling ball of the pens I was using was like being on roller skates and for me hard to control. The other discovery was to write slower and space the letters just a bit. Before long my handwriting was fully legible and I was having fun doing it. Sadly in the summer of 2021 my letter writing had become painful and a letter would take many hours to write. Re-discovering writing with a typewriter meant no legibility issues and I once again was having fun doing it. Even today one of my penpals can be challenging to read some of it easily. That said, there are few things more wonderful than getting a personal letter in the mail!

George

 

18-1-2023 16:45:42  #953


Re: New Member Thread

It has been ages (last login was 10-6-2019!) since I have been able to log in here.  I am not really a new user, but since it's been so long since I logged in, I figured I would post here.  My favorite typewriters are Smith Premier, Olympia, and Smith-Corona.

This forum is where I first learned about the Smith Premier typewriters and the whole notion of an upstrike or blind typewriter.

Nice to finally make it back here.

Diane


Smith Premier typewriters are cool!
 

19-1-2023 14:12:45  #954


Re: New Member Thread

Welcome back, Diane. It has been a long time!


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

21-1-2023 15:42:31  #955


Re: New Member Thread

Hi all! I'm WJC, and I got into typewriters a couple years ago when I picked up an Olivetti Lettera 25 at my local Goodwill. I'm from the US, and though I'm new to typewriters, I find them fascinating and useful, and I'm glad to be here!


A Royal fangirl, through and through.
 

21-1-2023 17:40:23  #956


Re: New Member Thread

Glad to have you here, WJC! 


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

22-1-2023 20:25:50  #957


Re: New Member Thread

Welcome, WJC!


Smith Premier typewriters are cool!
 

02-2-2023 07:53:18  #958


Re: New Member Thread

fountainpensplus wrote:

ravvale1 wrote:

Hey George. Totally agree with everything you said. While I don’t yet have an arthritic challenge with writing with a pen, I have always had both a legibility problem and at least discomfort, if not pain writing that way. The computer was a kind of liberation, in that now, I could write, communicate and get through 10 years of rabbinical seminary, and years as a chaplain in the USAF.

But it still felt like a lacuna to me. It wasn’t me physically writing. And when I did, even I can’t read it sometimes. Never have that problem with a typewriter, no matter how many typos. As the title of a book about the beatniks says “The Typewriter Is Holy”! Amen!

Hi Steve,
Everything you mentioned about handwriting had been my experience. Then about 4-5 years ago I wanted to change that. It is seriously embarrassing not to be able to read ones own handwriting. The first thing I did after watching a number of videos about improving my writing was to get some fountain pens. I write in cursive and felt that the rolling ball of the pens I was using was like being on roller skates and for me hard to control. The other discovery was to write slower and space the letters just a bit. Before long my handwriting was fully legible and I was having fun doing it. Sadly in the summer of 2021 my letter writing had become painful and a letter would take many hours to write. Re-discovering writing with a typewriter meant no legibility issues and I once again was having fun doing it. Even today one of my penpals can be challenging to read some of it easily. That said, there are few things more wonderful than getting a personal letter in the mail!

George

"Aloha" George,

Your mention of "arthritic challenge" and typewriters to the rescue. . caught my attention.
Over the past many years, my former Palmer Business Script cursive handwriting letters with fountain pens has devolved into an illegible jagged script on arthritis RBD's, (really bad days). Vintage typewriters to the rescue.  And, electrics (SCM Electra 120's) on double RBD's for longer letters.  Tinkering and restoration/refurb is a bonus hobby!

Anyway, thanks for your interesting input on "arthritic challenge" per handwriting. . 
jimmy
"fountain pen network online forum". (still love handwriting)
https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/

thanks, steve, as well for your input.

 

02-2-2023 16:16:58  #959


Re: New Member Thread

Hi Jimmy, 

I suppose I could have begun learning to write better earlier than I did. Sadly it wasn’t until I began to think about leaving the workplace along with maintaining mental acuity while aging. Now at age 70 after working in heavy excavation construction for 50 years arthritis has decided to make some activities difficult to nearly impossible. During the height of the work season there would be days of 10-12 hours gripping a steering wheel and control levers. That said all my penpals are between 60 and 80 and none of them ran equipment and all have mentioned arthritic hand issues. Only one has chosen to write with a typewriter while the rest are still using pens. Thankfully I’ve been reading their cursive for long enough that I can usually decipher what was written. They all like reading my typed pages so perhaps one day the spirit might move them. 

It seems at the moment that striking typewriter keys straight down-ish while typing allows me to use any of my machines tot write with. Should the manual machines get to be a problem I have a number of electrics. When I wrote with FPs it was fun to use many of the inked pens for one letter. Now it is equally fun to do the same with typewriters. Write on! 

George

 

02-2-2023 16:21:44  #960


Re: New Member Thread

fountainpensplus wrote:

Hi Jimmy, 

I suppose I could have begun learning to write better earlier than I did. Sadly it wasn’t until I began to think about leaving the workplace along with maintaining mental acuity while aging. Now at age 70 after working in heavy excavation construction for 50 years arthritis has decided to make some activities difficult to nearly impossible. During the height of the work season there would be days of 10-12 hours gripping a steering wheel and control levers. That said all my penpals are between 60 and 80 and none of them ran equipment and all have mentioned arthritic hand issues. Only one has chosen to write with a typewriter while the rest are still using pens. Thankfully I’ve been reading their cursive for long enough that I can usually decipher what was written. They all like reading my typed pages so perhaps one day the spirit might move them. 

It seems at the moment that striking typewriter keys straight down-ish while typing allows me to use any of my machines tot write with. Should the manual machines get to be a problem I have a number of electrics. When I wrote with FPs it was fun to use many of the inked pens for one letter. Now it is equally fun to do the same with typewriters. Write on! 

George

Aloha George,
Also retired from construction.
Union finish carpenter, then G.C, etc. The jobsites took a toll.
mahalo,
jimmy

 

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