A Twin to my Favorite

The solid chrome strip versus the black striped chrome strip is the only difference I can see (other than the color of course). 

Good Christmas indeed, the Royal in it's fancy case on top and my reproduction Crosley record player below.

Golden Shield

"It's (S)electric!"

Nasty, crappy, non-functioning Selectric I.  Shame because it is the best looking and easiest to store Selectric (it is next to a Royal KMM for size comparison).  This will be offered to a repairman for parts and if it gets refused it will be scraped.  I already pulled at least 4 cigarette butts from it... silly rednecks (this was a free "excellent condition" machine, yeah ok). 

My Selectric II, a good Goodwill find and it came with a dust cover and extra ribbons at a steal price.

Yep, got all three Selectrics, you gotta catch em all right? 

One of my job benefits is occasionally finding these in the warehouse and getting them cheap.  Some were broken and that was a loss but these work and overall I have gotten a good deal on these. 

My Selectric III with the table that came with in it's new location (outside of the typewriter room, GASP!)

Jumper was a dumb-name, as of now I christen the III "Humpty Dumpty" for obvious reasons.  Boy did I feel stupid/guilty when it flew off the cart.  Amazingly it works like a charm with only a crack on the bottom and some screwy hinges for the top-piece which I disconnected.  I am very glad to have it because I have had some of these awesome typeballs for a while and they don't work on my II.

Dreams do indeed sometimes come true! 

If you haven't yet seen a Selectric in action, you need to.

TPH U / T OEU (new toy!)

"Totally Your Type" in machine stenography.  It is a chorded typing language, the left side is the initial consonant, the middle the vowel, and the right is the final consonant.  Each line more or less represents a syllable.  This typing language is still used in courtrooms today.

The stenotype is about a foot in length. 

Each print element is fixed in location, and several keys are depressed at once to represent a sound.  The message reads "stenotype". 

It is a closer cousin to the adding machine than it is the typewriter.  I believe this is from the late 30s early 40s, but I don't know. 

Not much space on the keyboard.  Some typists could allegedly type 300-330 words per minute on one of these!

Really odd paper and paper tray.  I suppose if I cannot buy this paper I can fold up an add-roll which will likely be more labor intensive than respooling a ribbon.  I wonder how many court sessions could get recorded on one paper load. 

The case (on the left) is similar in size to a Corona 3's (right), so pretty darn small.

Finally Posting Old Correspondence!

I have been a ghost for a while, but I am back and still playing with typewriters, don't worry.  I just haven't posted.  I have added at least one new machine and played with several others.  Been active on my other blog a little and I will be getting back to this one. 

I haven't tried this so I don't know if this is impressive or not.  It looks difficult.  Shows how late this past is though...  sorry typosphere!

A Post That Isn't About Typewriters?!?

Got the projector to play something!  I need to learn more about it (I know the film is in backwards) but getting a picture from it was pretty exciting!

100+ Year Old Machines and the Mystery Box Reveal

Right handed carriage return is odd but I found one gets used to it quickly.  The paper tray looks like newer models, but the serial number says this is a 2.  Perhaps it was rebuilt or repainted at some point? 

I forgot to add that you can now visit this blog by simply going to totallyyourtype.com thanks to my old roommate who gave me a domain name as a birthday gift. 

One has to lift up the carriage to see what has been written, the typebars swing up from underneath.  Look at how fat that ribbon is! 

I think the understriking Remingtons look like pouncing spiders with their carriages up. 

Inside the box, know what it is yet? 

How about now?  It is apparently a 1927 (I haven't verified that yet) 16mm movie projector.  It seems to work.  I am waiting on an extra empty spool from eBay and then I should be able to watch this short Abbott and Costello skit I have. 

Let's all just hope the day I need to replace this bulb is a loooong ways away... (that's typewriter thumb there, as in ink, I am actually a clean person).

WHAT'S IN THE BOX?!?

Rubber chair tips can be trimmed with a knife and the inner diameter made a snug fit with the strange cowboy hat looking screw. 

The new feet look much cleaner than the old ones and have great tabletop grip. 

WHAT'S IN THE BOX?!?!?!?

An Attractive 70s Manual

I actually have grown to think this is an extremely attractive machine.  The shape is perfect, colors not so much.

Call for help from the Typosphere!

This platen is smooth!!!

Movie Stars

Much less dusty and mostly functional. 

JP attacking the frosty keys of the Remington. 

Junky stiff Underwood and the Liquid Wrench used to try to marginally improve it.