1968 Hermes Rocket #9102796

Status: My Collection
Hunter: Ethan Hartley (ehartley92)
Created: 08-31-2026 at 09:46AM
Last Edit: 08-31-2026 at 09:48AM

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Description:

Purchased from the original owner, who received it as a teenager as a gift for hobby writing. It appears to have been largely unused. The platen is rock-hard, but it still types wonderfully without being too loud when placed on a thick yoga mat. Seller was open about the carriage return and line spacing selector as non functioning. Carriage would seize up when return utilized without holding the loose selector switch all the way down.

I was able to diagnose this as a loose screw holding together the line space selector switch assembly. Simply removing the left platen knob made the screw accessible, and a simple tightening fixed the issue completely. However the left knob's brittle plastic broke when taking it off to fix. In my mind, an acceptable sacrifice to have a now 100% functional Hermes Rocket from a date that currently doesn't exist on the database.

A seemingly rare version of this popular ultra-portable that has a longer, much sturdier carriage return lever and a butter-smooth carriage motion. Keys have a delightful resistance that is light but significant enough to feel like the machine is much bigger, and it keeps up with fast typing no problem. As my first Hermes machine, I can understand the hype after a few sessions with this typewriter.

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The case also came broken, but was as simple to fix as re-attaching the lone spring located within the latch assembly. A good clean with no-bleach foaming Scrubbing Bubbles shower cleaner brought it back to its original glory.

The cost of fixing the carriage return and making the machine usable was a broken left platen knob. As the right (and more important knob) works perfectly, this was an acceptable casualty to me!

Hermes production of the Rocket had moved to Western Germany by the time this 1968 version came out. The quality of manufacturing is unquestionable, as it has lasted nearly 60 years and remains a workhorse.

The segment was as spotless as I have ever encountered since getting into collecting. No keys were stuck, but I did a quick brush with mineral spirits just to ensure no issues. Some simple cleaning and canned air brought it back to a beautiful specimen.

Hunter: Ethan Hartley (ehartley92)

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I am a 30-something writer from New England who has somehow made a living as a local newspaper journalist, a job I began after graduating from college in 2014. I am currently the editor of a weekly newspaper in Rhode Island, and discovered a love for typewriters after realizing my ability to write anything creatively on a laptop had been completely ruined by burnout from doing that 40-50 hours every week for work.

Discovering typewriters re-ignited a passion for writing creatively and writing for self-exploration through journaling. I currently have six machines, each of which I cherish and each of which have unique stories and roles in my collection; all of which I use to varying degrees. I find nothing more satisfying than finding a good deal on a machine, performing a little fix or two to get them singing again, and then slamming away on a page with my new analog friend.