The Joy of Typewriter Tinkering
Post-Script: I like the idea that typewriters provide such an enjoyable user experience, engaging both the physical senses as well as one's intellect, while also providing opportunity for exploring their inner workings and discovering their hidden design features. And, they're practical; you can actually write with them!
I didn't take an opportunity to photograph the Hermes Baby mentioned above, but it's virtually identical in appearance to my Rocket. I did type an earlier version of this article using the Baby and a combination red/black ribbon, but I wasn't entirely happy with the two-tone, red/black effect to the imprint, since this machine lacks a ribbon height adjustment and therefore uses the middle of the ribbon; I've subsequently installed an all-black ribbon.
The machine also has a European keyboard with accent marks, and lacks both the dollar and pound currency symbols; which led my friend and I to joke that this was an anti-capitalist machine, a Bernie-typer. Long live the revolution!
Typecast via Olivetti Lettera 22 with British keyboard.
Labels: Better Call Saul, Hermes, Hermes Baby, Hermes Rocket, typewriter repair, Typewriter video series
posted by Joe V at 7:34 PM
3 Comments:
It's always very satisfying to see that you've made some progress against entropy. Fixing typewriters is how I meditate.
Wish I had such diagnostic skills!
Tinkering with typewriters has really sharpened my critical thinking skills. I've learned that a seemingly hopeless typewriter can be fixed up if its issues are broken into parts and approached in a cautious and systematic way. Careful observation and research pay off. With each typewriter I tinker with, I learn something new and feel better prepared to meet new challenges (typewriter-related or not).
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