A look at the Maritsa 30

Let's take a look at the latest typewriter to join the collection, a Maritsa 30. It is a late 1980s machine with a plastic body. An unusual feature is that access to the ribbon requires removing two pieces of cover plate not one which is a bit of a faf. The typewriter is a good looking machine though, with a nearly new feel to it. The case is rather nice, making the typewriter look like an old microcomputer!

Operation wise it isn't bad. The keys are a little stiff but this may improve with more usage. The ribbon is nearly completely worn out, just a little bit of red ink remains. We will look to get a new ribbon later in the year.

Desert island typewriters

I was thinking, if i was ever marooned to a desert island and could choose just three typewriters to take with me, what would i pick?

The Brother Deluxe 1350 would of course have to be the first pick. It was the first typewriter i ever bought and is still going strong, indeed it is one of the better machines in the collection.

Next would be my Olympia Olympiette, my favourite typewriter of all. It works pretty well (maybe not quite as good as some others i could choose) but there is no way i would not pick this machine for my exile.

So, those two picks were easy, what about the third? I think it needs to be a solidly built and reliable machine, which means one of the Silver-Reed type portables of which i have quite a few, including re-branded examples. So, the third typewriter i would take on my exile would be my Silver-Reed SEVENTY which is a superb little typewriter that still looks brand new.

So, what would you choose?

Pencils making the grade

Personally i always use a HB pencil (a Staedtler one natch) but what does HB actually mean? This code refers to the hardness of the pencil graphite. The grading (in Europe at least, the US and elsewhere use different grade classification schemes) runs from at least 9B - which are the softest pencils - useful for artwork shading - through to 9H or beyond - these are so hard they can puncture holes in plate armour. B stands for Blackness and H for Hardness. There is also an F which is between HB and H in hardness, the F refers to the fact the graphite can be sharpened to a fine point.

This code has been used since the early 19th century. However, there is no standard for pencil hardness. HB or 2H from one manufacturer might be slightly different to another manufacturer. I find the Staedtler HB suits my purposes perfectly, as you would expect from a grade which is right in the middle!

Commodore 887D

This is a typical mid-1970s calculator, and can be compared to the Commodore 776M also in the collection. The 887D is a very similar calculator in many ways though noticably wider. 

That extra girth allowed for an eight digit red LED display. The calculator was powered by a Commodore GRBP-89 CPU. As well as the four standard operations and percentage the calculator also had an Exchange key (EX) which reversed an operation. My 887D still has it's box, though fairly worn. The box has kept the calculator in good condition though.

SEVENTY update

An updated video of me typing on my Silver-Reed SEVENTY typewriter.