Showcase (10) : Boots PT800

Boots is a major British retailer who sell toiletries, cosmetics and the like. They also once sold items such as records (i got my first LPs from them!) More importantly they sold Boots branded typewriters throughout the 1960s to 1980s as well. The typewriters were built by established typewriter manufacturers and given a Boots badge. There are two Boots typewriters in the collection, one is an Erika made Model 42 from the late 1960s and the later Seiko built PT800.

This is a standard Seiko typewriter of the late 1970s. Externally the typewriter is in very good condition, it is nice and clean and has had a new ribbon fitted recently though there are some problems with operation. At times it can be very stiff and the carriage hardly moves, at other times it moves all too quickly and fast! These problems may be can be ironed out with a bit of typing hopefully. 

Having visited a Boots store recently i can sadly report that they no longer sell typewriters which is a shame.

PT800 ribbon

The last typewriter for now to receive a new ribbon is the Boots PT800. This is a standard Seiko built machine so the ribbon installation was fairly painless. The typewriter doesn't work that well, i thought it was maybe just a bit stiff before but now it seems there may be more issues. It does work though requires a bit of patience.

Having a look at one of the Boots

I finally got around to having a good look at one of the typewriters i got for Christmas, my Boots PT800. It is a nice looking typewriter that is nice and clean and in good condition though a bit stiff. It types well and is very loud. A little more typing seems to be loosening it up a bit and it will probably be used for a future touch typing lesson.

Typing on a PT800

Another typing video, on one of my pair of Boots.

A pair of Boots

Two of the typewriters i received for Christmas carry the Boots name, if you are UK based then you may be thinking "Boots the chemist?!" and you would be correct! The pharmacy and healthcare chain also sold goods in a number of tangental and unexpected areas until bean counters with MBAs no doubt told them they could squeeze more money out of the business without such fripperies like music (the first LP i ever bought was from Boots indeed) and typewriters. 

Boots sourced their typewriters from a number of places. The Boots Model 42 is an Erika 42 with an extra name label. Built in the German Democratic Republic. It types pretty well.

Later in the 1970s, Boots switched supplier to Silver-Reed for the PT800 which is a very similar typewriter to the Silverette and WH Smith branded Red Fox. Like those others, it is a wonderful little typewriter. These are numbers 16 and 17 in the collection.

Three new kings...

Merry christmas, nadolig llawen to you all. Santa has delivered three new typewriters to the collection (which seems apt). They are the Boots 42 and PT800 and an Underwood 315. We'll cover them in more detail over the coming days.