Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Typist at work, 2012



Here is my Adler Privat:



You can read more about the Adler Privat here.

Below is the Universal I covet (from the currently dormant Vintage Type blog). Obviously, another feature it has and the Special lacks is a decimal tabulator:



Alan Seaver has a gray and white Universal.


19 comments:

  1. Beautiful Adlers, all three. I'd give the Special the highest marks for looks, I find the monochromatic two-tone scheme attractive in an understated sort of way.

    Funny how much we are on the same page (pardon the pun). I'm also finding a good digital-analog middle ground. Of late, I typed a rough draft of a piece of fiction using a yet to be revealed mystery typewriter, and am currently working on the final draft on a Mac Mini. The thought process and initial writing birthed from analog, but I am a relentless editor, so digital maintains the sanity of my perfectionist side.

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  2. Thanks I've been wanting to see your Special - it's very much like mine. How did you nail down the date? I found out something about the margins - they are set with reference to the center. As you know I often use half sheets for the blog and I could not seem to set the right margin. The right margin stayed way over for a full sheet - would not set left of the center. I finally tried centering the page and setting them on either side and it worked.

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    1. Thank you for this tip as well - I just got one over the weekend and also have been struggling with the right margin. It's like magic margin but less obvious in its implementation.

      I'll try this tomorrow - thanks again.

      Thanks!

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  3. Nice setup. I too like writing on my iPad using iAWriter, then transcribing onto paper via typewriter.

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  4. Your setup is very similar to how I work a lot of the time, with my iPad close - and my typewriter even closer. I often have to jump over to the computer for some serious stuff, but the typewriter with my iPad, I can take anywhere.

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  5. And that universal..... it's really something!

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  6. All of those Adlers are great looking. I do not know which I like the best the Special or the Universal. The Special has a great typeface.

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  7. The Special looks to be a great typer. The special keys are awesome, and I have never seen double underline before. Also, I have yet to find a machine with a degree symbol, though I love to use my SG1 for addressing letters because of the *th* key.

    My god...the Universal...That looks like an SG1 on steroids! Amazing!

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  8. Cursive Universals don't do extended spacing either :(

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  9. So exciting news, my work schedule got changed around at the last minute yesterday and I suddenly found I had the evening off. At first this didn't seem like too big of a deal to me till my girlfriend reminded me "hey didn't that guy who always comments on your blog tell you something about a typewriter movie in Lowell tonight?" So we made the ride out the Lowell and saw it. First of all, I was surprised to see you so prominently in it (remember, I'm very very new to all this.) It was great! I'm all alone out here with my typewriter love, the combination of being deathly shy and an anxiety disorder, so seeing a that was extra great for me because it was a small chance to connect (through a movie screen, but still) with others who share this passion. It was amazing hearing how typewriters have meant to much to so many people and great to hear some people talk about having the same machine for nearly 60 years. It definitely has furthered me awe at these machines. The only thing I was disappointed about was that I didn't get to see a whole lot of your or anyone else's larger collection, I was hoping to see something new to me. But really it was an excellent movie! Thanks for the heads up.

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    1. Glad you could make it! I can't wait to see the movie.

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  10. Your method seems so much more...organized than my own. I sort of bounce around with my technology use. If I have an idea that I must get into print in the middle of the night when the rest of the house is sleeping, I use pen and paper, then type it up later. Like Ton, I'm sort of a compulsive editor, so I like to put things down in Word...but I also like the permanence of ink. This leaves me in a bit of a quandary for NaNo, as I'm most inspired with a typer in front of me (I think because so very much teen angst was poured into an unfortunate but long-suffering Brother Word Processor in the needlessly tumultuous yet banal days of my youth) but still absolutely dedicated to doing NaNo on typers.

    Lovely Adlers, but an equally lovely Oliver doing a poor job of being a ninja in the background...got a story for that machine?

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    1. Oh, I'm still figuring out my hybrid methods and experimenting.

      The Oliver 9 was an early member of my collection, found in pre-eBay days although I can't remember how. With some photoshopped humminbird wings, it became the mascot of The Classic Typewriter Page in 1995.

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    2. Ahhhh so that's the Winged One! It made for a very cute mascot!

      Have you done any restoration to it? It looks to be in wonderful shape.

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    3. Happily, it was in good shape to begin with and just needed cleaning. (Could probably use a fresh cleaning now!)

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  11. Hello Richard. First, I love your blog & how clearly you explain your writing process. I too exist in a world of fountain pens, heavy stock paper, manual typewriters, electric, neosmart writers, brother word processors, IBM Selectric, Windows, Macbooks, ipad, ipods & still waiting for the next new or old writing instrument.

    I am glad you credited my photo of my BIG Adler Universal, I thank you for that--most decent of you. I found that machine here in Toronto at a great store called Smash. I LOVE ADLER machines particularly. I feel the keys are big and the action is quick. I need to get back to my blog as much updating is needed.

    You have inspired me to do so. So check back in soon and I will def. keep up with you.

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    1. That's good news, Ange! Your blog is on my blogroll so it will shoot to the top whenever you update ...

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  12. heh, someone just gave me one of these - a 1953 model. It has a paper injector..
    http://typewriterdatabase.com/1953-adler-special.6594.typewriter

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