1053 Brands 3197 Models 21806 Galleries 13648 Typefaces 6273 Patents
Home » Underwood » 5 » 1914 #727624
1914 Underwood 5 Serial # 727624 1914 Underwood 5 typewriter, Serial # 727624 Zach Hubbird's 1914 Underwood 5 typewriter. 2025-01-26 From the Virtual Typewriter Collection of Zach Hubbird: 1914 Underwood 5 Serial # 727624 This typewriter was saved from my mom's friend's attic, found in rather deplorable condition. Cleaning it up was a miraculous process, I could not believe I got it to type again. It still has carriage issues which I never quite resolved fully. Note the Shipman-Ward insert in the shift lock key. This company rebuilt Underwood typewriters, and in fact had something of a reputation for not always doing a great job at it. I eventually put two and two together, and realized with the help of a couple of experts that my No. 5 Underwood has a carriage from a different model, from what I understand probably a 3 or a 4. The picture of the two screws on the right side of the carriage frame and the plate next to it shows that a No.5 carriage plate simply will not fit this machine, which is what tipped me off, otherwise I would have never suspected the carriage was a mismatch -- I never realized this was even possible -- although the carriage does scrape on the ribbon spools a bit, which always made me wonder if something was amiss. I did eventually replace the cracked and rock hard platen thanks to Clickety Clack Typewriters in Rolla, MO, as well as one of the margin arrows that was broken thanks to Ace Typewriter in Portland, OR. My next goal is to replace the feed rollers. I have considered replacing the carriage but I feel that leaving the mismatched carriage on there is the right thing to do, given the history of the machine and the story it tells.

1914 Underwood 5 #727624

Status: My Collection
Hunter: Zach Hubbird (EmeraldCityTypewriter)
Created: 01-26-2025 at 12:54PM
Last Edit: 01-26-2025 at 01:00PM

Description Hunter 2 Photos 0 Likes  Find on Ebay #AD  Find on Etsy #AD

Description:

This typewriter was saved from my mom's friend's attic, found in rather deplorable condition. Cleaning it up was a miraculous process, I could not believe I got it to type again. It still has carriage issues which I never quite resolved fully. Note the Shipman-Ward insert in the shift lock key. This company rebuilt Underwood typewriters, and in fact had something of a reputation for not always doing a great job at it. I eventually put two and two together, and realized with the help of a couple of experts that my No. 5 Underwood has a carriage from a different model, from what I understand probably a 3 or a 4. The picture of the two screws on the right side of the carriage frame and the plate next to it shows that a No.5 carriage plate simply will not fit this machine, which is what tipped me off, otherwise I would have never suspected the carriage was a mismatch -- I never realized this was even possible -- although the carriage does scrape on the ribbon spools a bit, which always made me wonder if something was amiss. I did eventually replace the cracked and rock hard platen thanks to Clickety Clack Typewriters in Rolla, MO, as well as one of the margin arrows that was broken thanks to Ace Typewriter in Portland, OR. My next goal is to replace the feed rollers. I have considered replacing the carriage but I feel that leaving the mismatched carriage on there is the right thing to do, given the history of the machine and the story it tells.

Typeface Specimen:

Photos:

This photo shows the Shipman-Ward logo insert in the shift lock key (this model has a single key on the right to engage shift lock, a rather novel feature that I quite like)
This photo shows the Shipman-Ward logo insert in the shift lock key (this model has a single key on the right to engage shift lock, a rather novel feature that I quite like)

This photo shows the discrepancy between a No. 5 right side carriage plate and the screw mounts on the carriage, which are spaced 3/16 of an inch wider than the corresponding carriage plate (the distance between these screw holes on a No. 5 carriage plate is 2 7/16", whereas the distance between the screw holes on my carriage frame is 2 5/8").
This photo shows the discrepancy between a No. 5 right side carriage plate and the screw mounts on the carriage, which are spaced 3/16 of an inch wider than the corresponding carriage plate (the distance between these screw holes on a No. 5 carriage plate is 2 7/16", whereas the distance between the screw holes on my carriage frame is 2 5/8").

Hunter: Zach Hubbird (EmeraldCityTypewriter)

Zach Hubbird's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]

Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 33

Collector and maintenance/repair enthusiast, writer of poetry, letters and fiction. Currently have over two dozen machines, has been an interest of mine for years but only became serious about it recently (in 2024). Typewriters have become my primary passion in life, though I still enjoy doing other things from time to time. Typing outdoors is arguably my favorite thing to do. Note that I have only just begun cataloguing my collection here, I am hoping to enter at least one a day but we'll see.


RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Underwood 5 on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Underwood Serial Number page and the Underwood 5 By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.

Typewriter Hunter Merch!