1961 Torpedo 18a #1242245
Status: My Collection
Hunter: James Grooms (jgrooms)
Created: 10-12-2024 at 04:49PM
Last Edit: 10-14-2024 at 03:03AM
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Description:
When you see this case at a garage sale the heart rate skips. Then you start looking at obstacles to making contact without making it obvious.
If not for some brutish handling of putting the cover back on, she'd be darn near perfect. Any color matched recommendations? An interesting corrosion film across all the silver steel internals. See the first shot of the serial number. This required a lot of brushing at odd angles that wouldn't be required in a normal service. Then multiple passes back over everything to get the dust and larger bits that would flake off.
No tabs, not even a provision for stops. No touch control. A goofy auto ribbon reverse mechanism. It is pretty, but is it Hermes 3000 league? No. I'd put a 5 series up against it any day of the week.
Typeface Specimen:
Links:
Photos:
Hunter: James Grooms (jgrooms)
James Grooms's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 9561
As with many, the bug is back there somewhere due to an Underwood No. 5. My grandparents had a No 5. My parents had a yellow Royal Safari that I used to index card everything, including a beer can collection. Collection syndrome clue! A casual interest in typewriters started with a garage sale 3 bank simply because it said Underwood on it. Typewriters were found here and there , but I wasn't actively looking for them. The long dormant collecting tic was activated when my neighbors left a Remington Quiet Riter on the curb when they moved.
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.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Torpedo 18a on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Torpedo Serial Number page and the Torpedo 18a By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
