The latest typewriter to join the collection is this Grey Fox, like my Red Fox it is WH Smith branded and looks to be a Silver-Reed product. Unlike my Red Fox though the Grey Fox needs quite a lot of work, it is missing a key (number 8), some of the hammers are bent. That doesn't really matter as the ribbon doesn't lift so nothing is typed anyway! We'll see if we can get this working one day, for the moment it is just there looking pretty!
So you have a typewriter collection, you are justly proud of it and often get one of the typewriters out to play with. But what can you use your typewriters for, in a proper useful sense? Well, one use i have found is to do ingredient labels for the cakes my wife makes. In the past i used to write down the ingredients on a sticky label but where is the fun in that? My beloved Olympia Olympiette, the best typewriter i have, makes a much better job of it.
This isn't the first time i've used a typewriter "in anger". Once i had to write a very official letter, while the letter itself was done on my computer and laser printed i needed something to write the address on the envelope. My Brother Deluxe 1350 did a good job, as did it's distant cousin my Brother laser printer on the actual letter!
If you are used to modern microcomputer keyboards, with over a hundred keys, then a typewriter with about half of that will seem quite odd. Many keys you may take for granted on a microcomputer keyboard do not exist on a usual typewriter, plus there are plenty of keys you'll never see on a computer too as this series will explore.
An example is the bullet point key which my Silver-Reed typewriters both have. A standard bullet point key on a microcomputer keyboard would probably be a good thing considering the mess Word makes out of them.
Beginning the Showcase of my typewriter collection. A monthly feature where one of the typewriters in the collection is... well, showcased!
We will start with the Silver-Reed SEVENTY, this typewriter is similar to a few others i have got, including my Silver-Reed Silverette. It is a nice compact little portable typewriter that is in remarkable condition. When i first received it i thought it was brand new! It was only after a closer inspection that i could see there was a little wear and tear here and there, though not much. The typewriter looks like it has not been used much or, if it has it has, it has been very well cared for.
It types pretty well, a couple of keys on the fringes are a bit awkward but that might just require a little correction. It only types in one colour (black).
Welcome to the Typewriter Museum, a blog dedicated to my steadily growing typewriter collection and other items of interest from the typewriter world.
