The Phoenix Type-In Remembered

The Phoenix Typewriter Round-Up was a success. All told, 6 typewriter lovers ventured into the heart of Phoenix and enjoyed each other's company. I was excited to see so many typewriters from so many time periods at the event. Everyone had a chance to see and use a typewriter or two that were completely novel.

Particularly, I was taken by the mechanism of the Blickensderfer. Playing with it I was able to see how the designers were able to use a single type element. Looking at pictures does not compare to looking at it closely. The mechanism is simply magical. If you ever have the chance to see one in person you will spend hours being mesmerized by that rotating element. To think that it was designed and made without the aide of computers! It's simply amazing.

Everyone shared how they became interested in typewriters. There was a common thread in all the stories; everyone started with just one special machine that grabbed their imagination.

We had a lively discussion centered around my post-war QDL and the Aristocrat that came with Jim. And Bill shared a story with me on how he came by several machines that have connections to local history. We both shared an interest in tracking down Don Boles' typewriter.

I hadn't the heart to do a door prize drawing, so everyone who came to the event went home with either some carbon paper or a typewriter eraser.

We had no members of the press there. I had gone and invited every reporter, editor, Lit. Professor, coffee house barista, and hipster I could find, but not a nibble. Not the result I had wanted, but press overage was not the reason for this event. We wanted to celebrate the typewriter.

The food at Hula's was very tasty. I had the Spicy Tofu Tacos. Delicious! I do have to say that Hula's staff was very accommodating. They allowed us to have two very long tables which worked perfectly for our needs.

Will there be another Type-In in Phoenix? There seemed to be interest. While I think about how I could make that happen, take a look at some more pictures.

Bill, Marshall, Jim, and Ted's arm.

P.S. Ted Munk was kind enough to bring an Olympia SM-9 for the CTP. His name will be added to our roll of illustrious benefactors.

P.P.S. I should have taken a few more pics. Maybe I'll sneak a few from Ted's blog. He's too interested in typewriters to notice.

Typewriter Round-Up Pics

I will post a narrative soon, but in the meantime enjoy some of these great machines...

I have more pics that I'll share later this evening. It was a really great event.

Today is the Day!

I look forward to meeting everyone at the Typewriter Round-Up (Type-In). I've gone ahead and embedded a map of the location of the event in this blog post. As things develop over the day I'll  continue to post. But, in case you need the address of Hula's here it is:

Hula's Modern Tiki

4700 North Central Ave.

Phoenix, AZ 85012

Remember that Central is now home to the Metro light rail and the road is now divided by tracks. Hula's is on the west side of the street, so it is easiest co come from the north.

View Larger Map

I will also make sure to bring my camera to capture the historic event.

Countdown!

well, with that in mind, I thought it would be smart of me to think about the typewriters I plan on bringing. Obviously, my pride an joy, the Royal Quiet Deluxe should be allowed an outing. Normally it sits on the shelf looking pretty, but tomorrow it'll be hitting the town. The blue Olympia SM3 will be tagging along as well. The color is wonderful and the condition is nice. It will juxtapose perfectly against the black QDL. Finally, after much hemming and hawing, I am going to bring the 1969 Hermes 3000. It is going to serve as the official guest book. This Hermes is not a looker, but it is a good solid performer that has yet to fail me. As people arrive, they can type-in a message. 

Tonight and tomorrow I plan on assembling all the stuff I'll need for the event. I completely forgot the modest door prizes at school. I'll have to make a small trip back to get everything, but that's no biggie. I am getting seriously excited. 

On a wonderful note, Georganne, the proprietress of Frances Vintage (a wonderful boutique in Phoenix) was kind enough to post the flier for the Round-Up on her blog. Take a look. I've been to Frances and it is simply the best place to buy a gift for the significant woman in your life. There are things with frills and adornments!  

Two Days To Go

Please Pardon the Indulgence

ITAM has been wonderful. I've had the chance to write a few letters, get a few letters, and just enjoy typewriters. Others have posted their collections and, as my last ITAM post, I am going to share my personal collection of typewriters.

Of course, you know that the classroom has quite a few typewriters. The classroom machines are (incompletely) recorded on the "Our Typewriters" page, but I wanted to write about my personal collection. These are the typewriters that I have displayed at home. They are too special to me to risk bringing in the classroom. There are only four because I promised my wife that I wouldn't clutter the house up with typewriters.

Left: (1) Royal Arrow 1941, Right: (2) Blue Olympia SM-3 1959

Left: (3) Royal Quiet De Luxe 1946, Right: (4) Remington Remette 1942

1. Royal Arrow 1941

This is the newest to my personal collection. As I mentioned in earlier posts, this particular machine was incredibly dirty. The Arrow was the first typewriter which I dunked into a basin of warmish water. I had tried just penetrating oil, but there was so much grime and dust it wouldn't clean up. In a fit I decided to throw caution to the wind and dunk it into water, dried it in the oven, and oiled while warm. The water was able to get into all the nooks and crannies. It did wonders for the mechanism. However, there are two small problems. First, I cannot stop the Y from sticking. It's clearly not gunk, but some part of the linkage won't let the typebar return upon striking the platen. Second, the touch control is very hard to move. I took care to take pictures during the disassembly, but for some reason the touch control is stiff and difficult to move. The slider is set where I like it, so I have no problems with the current situation. I am pretty impressed with my own restoration.

2. Blue Olympia SM-3 1959

I love this typewriter because it's blue and it matches with our Heywood-Wakefield themed office. In all the Craigslist ads and dodgy eBay auctions I've seen few Olympias have been blue. No doubt it's not rare. It's just a little special. The picture does not do it justice. The blue is very nice, like a robin's egg.

3. Royal Quiet De Luxe 1946

This is the first typewriter I ever bought. It's special for that reason alone, but I've been spoiled by the condition of this machine. It was well loved and always stored in the case. There was almost no dust. It's life was spent in Arizona and there is no damage from moisture. The only thing that could be improved is the platen. Now that I have experience removing it, I might send it off to Ames for recovering.

4. Remington Remette 1942

This was a Goodwill find. I think it was $10 all told. Cosmetically, it's very nice. Mechanically, it's junk. The Remette uses a very interesting geared linkage. It made it possible to have the typebars resting at a very low angle. The low angle eliminates the need for a mechanism to raise the typebars to a 45%. This kept the cost of the machine down. It may look like a depression-era waste, but it really works. That is, of course, if you don't break the J gear linkage while trying to bend it back into place. Yes, I am that stupid. I thought that I could silver solder it back together, but I would need to disassemble the entire typebar segment block. I don't know how to do that or if I would want to do that. This Remette sits on our shelf and looks pretty. If I find another one, I'll just swap the body plates. 

I hope that you've enjoyed looking at my typewriters. I don't have nearly as many as others, but I do have the option of trying one out for a while and then taking it to school for the kids to use. Poor me.

Note: I staged the photos. Each of the typewriters has a special place in the house. I put them all together for ease of photography. 

Making History

Did you know that March 5th will mark the single largest gathering of typewriter enthusiasts in the storied 99-year history of Arizona?  It's true. Come and be a part of history. Bring a typewriter. Bring a story.