Congratulations on your 100th post, Bill! A big achievement, to be sure.
I commend the courage it took to disassemble the carriage of your 3000. I have heard there is nothing easy about this, and I am very glad to hear it went off without major problems. Also, the Hermes ribbon spools (as pictured in the post you linked to) are rather fetching. It is great to find a machine with absolutely original spools, no?
I cannot wait for your post with the SM7. This was the first portable typewriter I ever purchased (although I did buy an Underwood Champion while I waited for it to be delivered). It is a fantastic typewriter, but I'll be damned if it doesn't have the heaviest carriage shift of any machine I have used. I prefer the SM9, but still break out the 7 every now and again. It has a great, small typeface, and works like a charm. Then again, it IS an Olympia!
Brill! Gratz on the hitting the 100 mark. Or, as we say here. 'Hitting the ton'. (not to be mistaken with the motorcycle term, 'doing the ton', which may also kind of be applicable).
Keep up the great work. And those Hermes... God, they are sexy.
congratulations on 100 posts! I'm looking forward to many more. Maybe we should work up typosphere wallpaper for these achievements. I would add repairs to the list, I'm still chicken about it.
Bill, cheers to you on you 100th post! I think the Hermes 3000 is a good choice. I know it has gotten mixed reviews; I, for one, find it to be a great typer.
Congratulations on 100 posts and here is to many more! I like your blog; you write clearly and thoughtfully and you have a knack for restoring and fixing that is simply amazing to observe. I can barely wrap my head around changing the drawband for a carriage, so what you do is wonderful to see. (By the way, I am not seeing the picture of the Hermes fully apart...)
Adwoa, Weird about the link. I just checked it and it works. All the photos load too. It was posted 20 May 2012.
I do not have any of the complete tear-down if that is what you are looking for. I took the carriage all apart and cleaned it, oiled it where needed and put it back together and remembered I did not photograph anything. Therefore since I did not take the carriage apart the second time for photos, those photos are not in existence anywhere. I'm sure I will come across another 3000 of a different typeface and then if I tear-down the carriage I'll do some photos.
Well done, Bill, and a timely reminder of bookmarks I hope I won't need. I constantly amaze myself with my naivety. I always assume a typewriter will be 100% ready to use - maybe just in need of a light dusting and fresh ribbon - when comes into the fold.
Dropped typewriters are probably as under reported as income by the those in the highest tax bracket. It's a goddamn crime! When I bought my groma Kolibri at an antique store, I tried it out and found there were some sticky keys and that the carriage grinded a bit rather than gracefully glided. I feigned disappointment in a veiled attempt to get the proprietor to discount the price, all along knowing even if she wanted 50% more for it I would be a slave to get it into my possession. I bought it for asking price and gleefully went on my way, happy as your currently cleaned and repaired sm7. It wasnt until months later when a typewriter repairman took a look and listen to it and immediately diagnosed it as a dropped baby. He said he could fix it probably but it would be costly and estimated repairs at $350. I think my wife said that this could be my Christmas and birthday present. I don't know if I'm brave enough to do the surgery on my own. You sir are a stud! Congratulations on your 100th!! I very much enjoy your blog.
The grinding carriage gave this one away as at least some kind of damage. It was one of the first I bought and I really wanted it because of its cosmetic condition and the Hermes spools. As I said in the typecast I made a really low offer that was immediately accepted so I suspected something major. I found out when I took took the carriage and body off of it. I really did not have much to loose since even if I messed the machine up out of my ignorance of typewriter repairing I at least had my spools. Besides Unlike a Groma Kolbri, the Hermes machines are quite readily available (maybe at a higher price than I paid for this one, but still available).
I do not know if I would attempt a major repair on a Kolibri since they are harder to find and generally more expensive than a Hermes.
Congratulations on your 100th post, Bill! A big achievement, to be sure.
ReplyDeleteI commend the courage it took to disassemble the carriage of your 3000. I have heard there is nothing easy about this, and I am very glad to hear it went off without major problems. Also, the Hermes ribbon spools (as pictured in the post you linked to) are rather fetching. It is great to find a machine with absolutely original spools, no?
I cannot wait for your post with the SM7. This was the first portable typewriter I ever purchased (although I did buy an Underwood Champion while I waited for it to be delivered). It is a fantastic typewriter, but I'll be damned if it doesn't have the heaviest carriage shift of any machine I have used. I prefer the SM9, but still break out the 7 every now and again. It has a great, small typeface, and works like a charm. Then again, it IS an Olympia!
Congrats again! Here's to a hundred more!
Congratulations on 100 posts, and nice Hermes 3000 you've got there, too!
ReplyDeleteBrill! Gratz on the hitting the 100 mark. Or, as we say here. 'Hitting the ton'. (not to be mistaken with the motorcycle term, 'doing the ton', which may also kind of be applicable).
ReplyDeleteKeep up the great work. And those Hermes... God, they are sexy.
congratulations on 100 posts! I'm looking forward to many more.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we should work up typosphere wallpaper for these achievements. I would add repairs to the list, I'm still chicken about it.
Bill, cheers to you on you 100th post!
ReplyDeleteI think the Hermes 3000 is a good choice. I know it has gotten mixed reviews; I, for one, find it to be a great typer.
Congratulations on 100 posts and here is to many more! I like your blog; you write clearly and thoughtfully and you have a knack for restoring and fixing that is simply amazing to observe. I can barely wrap my head around changing the drawband for a carriage, so what you do is wonderful to see. (By the way, I am not seeing the picture of the Hermes fully apart...)
ReplyDeleteAdwoa,
ReplyDeleteWeird about the link. I just checked it and it works. All the photos load too. It was posted 20 May 2012.
I do not have any of the complete tear-down if that is what you are looking for. I took the carriage all apart and cleaned it, oiled it where needed and put it back together and remembered I did not photograph anything. Therefore since I did not take the carriage apart the second time for photos, those photos are not in existence anywhere. I'm sure I will come across another 3000 of a different typeface and then if I tear-down the carriage I'll do some photos.
I am happy you like my blog. Thank you.
Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteI've noticed some differences between the curvy and angular 3000's -- it's not just the skin, although the basic design is the same.
I like the perfect alignment of these machines and careful engineering, although they are not the fastest guys on the block.
Congratulations on a 100 posts - and congratulations on getting that round 3000 to work again!
ReplyDeleteWell done, Bill, and a timely reminder of bookmarks I hope I won't need. I constantly amaze myself with my naivety. I always assume a typewriter will be 100% ready to use - maybe just in need of a light dusting and fresh ribbon - when comes into the fold.
ReplyDeleteDropped typewriters are probably as under reported as income by the those in the highest tax bracket. It's a goddamn crime!
ReplyDeleteWhen I bought my groma Kolibri at an antique store, I tried it out and found there were some sticky keys and that the carriage grinded a bit rather than gracefully glided. I feigned disappointment in a veiled attempt to get the proprietor to discount the price, all along knowing even if she wanted 50% more for it I would be a slave to get it into my possession. I bought it for asking price and gleefully went on my way, happy as your currently cleaned and repaired sm7. It wasnt until months later when a typewriter repairman took a look and listen to it and immediately diagnosed it as a dropped baby.
He said he could fix it probably but it would be costly and estimated repairs at $350.
I think my wife said that this could be my Christmas and birthday present. I don't know if I'm brave enough to do the surgery on my own.
You sir are a stud!
Congratulations on your 100th!! I very much enjoy your blog.
The grinding carriage gave this one away as at least some kind of damage. It was one of the first I bought and I really wanted it because of its cosmetic condition and the Hermes spools. As I said in the typecast I made a really low offer that was immediately accepted so I suspected something major. I found out when I took took the carriage and body off of it. I really did not have much to loose since even if I messed the machine up out of my ignorance of typewriter repairing I at least had my spools. Besides Unlike a Groma Kolbri, the Hermes machines are quite readily available (maybe at a higher price than I paid for this one, but still available).
DeleteI do not know if I would attempt a major repair on a Kolibri since they are harder to find and generally more expensive than a Hermes.
Good luck with your Kolibri.