1964 Hermes 3000 #3232097
Status: My Collection
Hunter: James Grooms (jgrooms)
Created: 04-02-2024 at 01:41PM
Last Edit: 08-02-2024 at 11:12AM
Description:
Going through the backlist for TWDB adds. Another case queen this one was. I am pleased to have stumbled into an example, otherwise I doubt with the current (2024) frenzy I'd have one. An office cleanout/move was underway and it simply walked in the door one day! Woo woop they're still out there. The $50 Hammond is proof of this.
Not difficult to figure out why it was parked decades prior. It had the achilles heel of carriage dragging on the body which makes a lovely noise that even the most intrepid of "I can fix it" sorts leave things alone.
Is it the greatest typewriter ever? The action is certainly sublime and 10/10 for typing. However, the controls are a silly mishmash and I'm pretty forgiving to manufacturing quirks on controls. The margin set/carriage release setup is just bad. When they called it "flying margins" they got that right! Then there is the margin release and backspace positions combined to drop it to 4/5 on controls and you might say 3/5.
Service score gets a knock down with the feet/bushing/mounts/bottom setup - 2/3. Fit and finish is excellent at 3/3. Case is a 1/3. Sorry, any machine that integrates case into body (as a portable) is a disaster waiting to happen. 2/3. Style? Well if I was a style emphasizing individual it'd get more points, but I am not and it is about typing first. 3/3.
10/4/2/3/1/3 = 23/27
Typeface Specimen:
Links:
- Know Your Hermes or jack it up on reddit...
- Guru on ribbons
- McMurtry
- Captain the carriage is going to blow...
- My Gen 3.
- My 64 gen 1
Photos:
Hunter: James Grooms (jgrooms)
James Grooms's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 6393
As with many, the bug is back there somewhere due to an Underwood No. 5. My grandfather was on a small town school board and used one for this. My parents had a yellow Royal Safari that I used to index card everything, including a beer can collection. Collection syndrome clue! The long dormant tic was activated when my neighbors left a Remington Quiet Riter on the curb when they moved in circa 2010, Yes a believe it or not story is next, when a Hermes 3000 comes home with the girlfriend from work for free. Yes, free! From there the addiction is full steam. And yes, I now have a No. 5. Typewriters are the perfect blend of using one's technical skills, history and functional purpose.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Hermes 3000 on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Hermes Serial Number page and the Hermes 3000 By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.