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1940 Underwood Master Serial # M5210600-12 1940 Underwood Master typewriter, Serial # M5210600-12 James Grooms's 1940 Underwood Master typewriter. 2025-09-25 From the Virtual Typewriter Collection of James Grooms: 1940 Underwood Master Serial # M5210600-12 A window into Underwood's approach, ca 1938. They have lost their number one position in sales. They surely know the competition is working on new models (KMM and Seventeen) that are going to turn carriage-shifted machines into dinosaurs. And this is what you come up with?

You spend valuable re-tooling resources to cut the front of a No. 6 frame off and then add a bunch of superfluous bodywork to the exact same machine. In the process, you make an already difficult-to-change ribbon even more challenging by restricting the space. You come up with some ribbon covers, which didn't work because they are now almost always long gone. But thankfully, it has insulating felt in those carriage side wings.

Did it work? Sales over the No. 6 dropped 15%. The 1939 "Consumer Research Bulletin" ranked it behind the Royal Standard and LCS Super Speed. After a less than three-year run they rolled out the S-Master, which is essentially a No. 6. The remarkable thing is that Underwood would survive for another 20 plus years with this strategy. It speaks volumes about being first and having that dealer/market penetration in place.

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This one is pretty clean cosmetically. The carriage was off the lift rod, which wasn't too much of a concern. Once into it, I see the motion stop parts are mangled. Then the carriage pivot in the back was loose. Next up the lift arms on each side were all out of whack. Some parts to the rescue and what a difficult thing to sort out.

1940 Underwood Master #M5210600-12

Status: My Collection
Hunter: James Grooms (jgrooms)
Created: 09-25-2025 at 05:55AM
Last Edit: 09-25-2025 at 08:55AM

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Description:

A window into Underwood's approach, ca 1938. They have lost their number one position in sales. They surely know the competition is working on new models (KMM and Seventeen) that are going to turn carriage-shifted machines into dinosaurs. And this is what you come up with?

You spend valuable re-tooling resources to cut the front of a No. 6 frame off and then add a bunch of superfluous bodywork to the exact same machine. In the process, you make an already difficult-to-change ribbon even more challenging by restricting the space. You come up with some ribbon covers, which didn't work because they are now almost always long gone. But thankfully, it has insulating felt in those carriage side wings.

Did it work? Sales over the No. 6 dropped 15%. The 1939 "Consumer Research Bulletin" ranked it behind the Royal Standard and LCS Super Speed. After a less than three-year run they rolled out the S-Master, which is essentially a No. 6. The remarkable thing is that Underwood would survive for another 20 plus years with this strategy. It speaks volumes about being first and having that dealer/market penetration in place.

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This one is pretty clean cosmetically. The carriage was off the lift rod, which wasn't too much of a concern. Once into it, I see the motion stop parts are mangled. Then the carriage pivot in the back was loose. Next up the lift arms on each side were all out of whack. Some parts to the rescue and what a difficult thing to sort out.

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Hunter: James Grooms (jgrooms)

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Typewriters are the perfect blend of using one's technical skills, history and functional purpose. My goal is type tested machines. My interests are not isolated to anyone area. For example, I am a big fan of Smith Corona electrics, mid century electrics and all things Royal.


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