1908 Hammond 12 #133451
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Mark Schrad (MLSchrad)
Created: 02-02-2026 at 10:51AM
Last Edit: 02-02-2026 at 10:53AM
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Description:
This one came to me with "good bones," but needed quite a bit of work to get back into shape. This one has been thoroughly cleaned and serviced, having been put through a partial disassembly for the cleaning and polishing of the typebars and guide pins in particular. It has been returned to functionality, though as one might infer from the type sample, it remains a little finicky: based on how quickly you peck or swipe at the keytop, it occasionally does not swing into perfect position, leaving instead the impression of a neighboring letter. (It took me some time to experiment and learn the best touch for this particular machine.)
In hopes of being as transparent as possible, I will note the following defects:
-The bentwood top lid had to be re-glued into place, and there is a slight chip missing from the right rear of the wooden base, as can be seen from the pictures. There also appears to be a paint blemish on the top-left rear of the lid.
-Both the wooden lid and base have been cleaned and polished.
-The Hammond takes a slightly thinner, 7/16” ribbon (rather than the standard 1/2”). Not having any fresh, new 7/16”, I instead re-inked the existing 7/16” ribbon that came with the machine, which works well for demonstration purposes. The original Bakelite ribbon spools are in great shape.
-I have fashioned and installed a replacement impression strip to protect the type shuttle.
-the keylevers, central turret and pointer have all been cleaned and polished separate from the machine body, which has also been cleaned.
-The rubber platen/rollers are in excellent shape, relative to most that have flat spots after 100 years. This one feeds paper cleanly and evenly.
Overall, a very nice 12! Purchased from a fellow typewriter enthusiast in Lansdale, PA in January of 2026.
Typeface Specimen:
Photos:
Hunter: Mark Schrad (MLSchrad)
Mark Schrad's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 47655
Professor of Political Science and Director of Russian Area Studies at Villanova University. Writes about alcohol politics, Russia, and international law when not refurbishing old typewriters.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Hammond 12 on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Hammond Serial Number page and the Hammond 12 By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
