Isn't this a handsome typewriter?
That's what I thought when, on one of my scrolls through eBay.de, my eye was caught by a Triumph Durabel. This was Triumph's simplest model: no tabulator, no bicolor ribbon, no left platen knob. The serial number dates this one to 1954. On The Typewriter Database we can find examples dating from 1933 to 1957, in different body styles, of course.
For my taste, this body from the '50s is a classic: elegant yet not flashy. The subtly modulated tan color (the only color I've seen) reminds me of gold without indulging in glitz.
This typewriter is handsome from any angle.
I wanted to indulge myself with one of these. The problem was that every Durabel I saw online was QWERTZ, and I can't type on that layout. Then, Chris Mullen of Acme Type Machine Co. in The Hague came to the rescue.
Chris offered a Durabel with a Dutch layout, which is close enough to U.S. QWERTY:
You can always tell a Dutch machine from the ij diphthong (pronounced "eye") and the ƒ sign (for the old Dutch currency, the florin or guilder).
The typewriter arrived in great condition, perfectly packed, and I immediately inspected it.
Even though the Durabel is below the Norm and Perfekt in terms of features, it is not at all a throw-away, cheaply made typewriter. Everything is expertly assembled and made from high-grade materials. The mechanical design is proven and pleasant. Note how the rear carriage rail is much higher than the front (on most portables, front and rear carriage rails are on the same horizontal plane).
This arrangement lets you peek down behind the paper table and glimpse the escapement.
The Durabel feels very refined. Although it doesn't have a silent carriage return, the purr of the escapement is gentle and pleasant. The paint is very subtly textured, just short of glossy.
I know, I'm not supposed to be growing my collection, but how could I resist owning and using this typewriter for a while?
Meanwhile, Chris Mullen's business has been struggling recently, in part due to lower demand from American customers (are tariffs a factor?). So he's launched a Kickstarter campaign with the following goals:
—Keep the doors of the workshop and showroom open in order to continue to provide restoration work and expand our other activities such as technical training, historical preservation, public information and outreach.—Continue to provide an alternative to electronic, screen-based creativity—Continue to support writers, artists and students with free or very low-cost typewriters—Provide training to two new technicians to help the next generation of typewriter artisans—Increase and improve our public typewriter programs (seniors, schools, etc.)—Develop programs to reach a broader public through partnerships with larger companies
The campaign is off to a strong start. I hope you'll check it out, contribute what you can, and spread the word.
