Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Revolution in the mailbox: On a Dutch Ambassador

Agent Boersma of the Low Countries reflects on a magnificent writing machine ...







8 comments:

  1. Wonderful thoughts, Hans. And I love both photos. For different reasons.

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  2. I would like to go to the Netherlands and adopt some unwanted typewriters - it sounds like a great place to go garage saling. Also: someday I hope to try out an Ambassador.

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  3. Couldn't agree more about the demanding nature of the Lexikon 80. Glad to hear the Ambassador isn't as gargantuan as it looks. Don't think I could resist if one came up locally.

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    1. Well written! I plan on using a Remington Noiseless Portable for nanowrimo, but reading this, maybe I should use something more ugly and less demanding. My Imperial Portable 260 (with built in radio) might be better. :)
      Ah, Hans, please, don't start a collection in The Netherlands :p

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  4. That Hermes is a beautiful machine. Beware, Hans. I started out only thinking I'd have one or two for serious use. Look what happened to me...

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  6. My Hermes Ambassador is indeed a beautiful machine. Though unimpressed by its everyday typeface (which I also find it a bit too widely spaced), the crispy sharpness of its print hasn't escaped me.

    My determination not to start a collection is made of steel, as hard as the inner frame (!) of my Ambassador. Maybe harder. A week ago or so I spotted a Corona 3 for little more than small change. Didn't even flinch, no sir!
    (Or maybe not so steeled, for this was hardly a standard machine. What if it had been, say, a wonderful turdy-brown Facit 1740? Even steel can melt like snow...)

    Garage sales have not yet been invented in this country. Even though garages have. Thrift shops ("recycle stores") on the other hand are abundant. There one can wade knee-deep through Erika 34s for ± €10,- a piece. More interesting machines tend to show up on local ebay-variants.

    Myoldtypewriter: I really like that site.

    By the way, I've filed my Underwood at the typewriter database (http://typewriterdatabase.com/1958-underwood-5.5154.typewriter). With no other goal than glorifying its underrated beauty!

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