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19XX Cole Steel Portable Serial # unknown 19XX Cole Steel Portable typewriter, Serial # unknown Uwe Wachtendorf's 19XX Cole Steel Portable typewriter. 2018-01-24 From the Virtual Typewriter Collection of Uwe Wachtendorf: 19XX Cole Steel Portable Serial # unknown I absolutely loathe these Koch ABC machines, mostly because I haven't found one yet that doesn't have a problem with its escapement. And fixing them - in my experience - is so frustrating that it will take years off of your life.

According to the Davis website this is a 4-series variation of the ABC sold by Cole Steel. If that information is correct, then all of the other Cole Steel typewriters listed in the database as Model 3s are actually Model 4 machines too.

Davis claims that the model 3 had a "3-position thumbwheel ribbon selector to right of keyboard," while the model 4 "utilizes a lever type ribbon selector on the right side of the machine, just in front of the carriage."

Something odd about his breakdown of the Cole Steel models is that he claims the model 4 is the most rare, and yet it's the only Cole Steel variant that I keep coming across.

On top of the dodgy escapement, this model also has a broken-off line space selector lever and a mangled ribbon cover badge. When I mentioned this to the store owner he weighed it against his asking price and offered to reduce it by $20. Unfortunately, some poor typewriter neophyte is going to end up paying a lot of money for this cantankerous portable and wonder why the machine spaces lines three apart.

19XX Cole Steel Portable #unknown

Status: Sightings
Hunter: Uwe Wachtendorf (Uwe)
Created: 01-15-2015 at 06:39PM
Last Edit: 01-24-2018 at 01:21PM


Description:

I absolutely loathe these Koch ABC machines, mostly because I haven't found one yet that doesn't have a problem with its escapement. And fixing them - in my experience - is so frustrating that it will take years off of your life.

According to the Davis website this is a 4-series variation of the ABC sold by Cole Steel. If that information is correct, then all of the other Cole Steel typewriters listed in the database as Model 3s are actually Model 4 machines too.

Davis claims that the model 3 had a "3-position thumbwheel ribbon selector to right of keyboard," while the model 4 "utilizes a lever type ribbon selector on the right side of the machine, just in front of the carriage."

Something odd about his breakdown of the Cole Steel models is that he claims the model 4 is the most rare, and yet it's the only Cole Steel variant that I keep coming across.

On top of the dodgy escapement, this model also has a broken-off line space selector lever and a mangled ribbon cover badge. When I mentioned this to the store owner he weighed it against his asking price and offered to reduce it by $20. Unfortunately, some poor typewriter neophyte is going to end up paying a lot of money for this cantankerous portable and wonder why the machine spaces lines three apart.

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I literally shudder at the sight of this escapement, which has to be one of the worst made.
I literally shudder at the sight of this escapement, which has to be one of the worst made.

Hunter: Uwe Wachtendorf (Uwe)

Uwe Wachtendorf's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]

Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 13159

Typewriter collector based in Toronto who prefers mid-century models.



RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Cole Steel Portable on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Cole Steel Serial Number page and the Cole Steel Portable By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.