The Arrow was a QDL minus the tabulator and chrome trim around the ribbon cover. It was a popular machine and is fairly easy to find today. This one came from eBay and was very inexpensive. It cost more to ship it that I paid for it. Take a look at that "Arrow" logo. It just screams post-war speed.
This Arrow is in an absolutely filthy state, but it was only a few dollars. Under the dirt, grime, and niter there is a very nice machine. Regardless, It's going to take some time to clean up and I am going to love every minute.
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| Look Ma, no tabulator! |
It must have been kept in a very damp environment, but there seems to be very little water damage to anything. The only hint to the atmospheric humidity of the previous location is the felt on the typebar rest. It's a little moldy. The mold seems to be fairly old because nothing feels damp. The chrome is bright and the keytop paper inserts are clean and flat.
After some elbow grease I'll have a shiny new Arrow. I don't know if this one will make it full-time into the classroom. It might go on rotation with some other rarer machines.
* A terrible, artless allusion to Achebe's third novel.
