197X Underwood 19 #U-667023-027
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Javier Vazquez del Olmo (Javi)
Created: 07-29-2016 at 11:03AM
Last Edit: 07-29-2016 at 11:09AM
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Description:
This typewriter may seem as a lowly impersonator with the (missing) Underwood badge on it. Well, it´s a rebranded Olivetti-made typewriter, but all in all it´s not that bad.
First of all, I rescued it at a one-figure-price, so I pretty much didn´t care about the condition. If it worked, that´s fine because typewriters have to work. But if it doesn´t, it´s fine as well because I have some challenge ahead. The bad part is that is works only approximately. There´s something going in the escapement because it tends to skip spaces at random, and I do´t know if it´s a matter of dirt or something more complex.
The good part is the potential of this machine. Somehow, I find it quite attractive. The design inside it has its little own beauty. These ribbon spools and the skeleton of the machine go perfectly together, and even if it looks like another chunk of plastic it´s a metal bodied typewriter. Another thing I like a lot is the ribbon color selector. In good condition this typewriter should be pretty decent, and it deserves a little effort by me to get well soon.
And now another question: should we have an Underwood (Olivetti) category for the 19´s?
Typeface Specimen:
Photos:
Hunter: Javier Vazquez del Olmo (Javi)
Javier Vazquez del Olmo's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 6476
The first typewriter I saw was my grandpa´s Olivetti Linea 98 at the office. It was just a curio for me. Then I was given a Nakajima, which I didn´t use and my grandfather took it from me because it was easier to handle than the bulky Linea 98. Now I own that typewriter, and I started a little collection in Valladolid, Spain. The Nakajima, which is "my" typewriter only returned home in 2017, almost 20 years later, when he wanted a better typewriter.
A collection that started small grew into something bigger, a nuisace for my family and a great source of satisfaction for me.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Underwood 19 on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Underwood Serial Number page and the Underwood 19 By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
