tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60214754189757862742012-02-12T22:27:29.243+01:00Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.comBlogger1921100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-85817375693356760522012-02-12T10:08:00.000+01:002012-02-12T10:08:53.352+01:00

Looking at Etsy typewriters in descending order of price, one notices that the photography and descriptions get better at the high end of the range... naturally. Still, there is no better proof of the subjectivity of pricing than the fact that so many plastic typewriters - nicely photographed, but still plastic - are listed at such fantastic prices. Of course, the best bargains are to be found

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-24853704244438590512012-02-11T10:03:00.000+01:002012-02-11T10:03:27.209+01:00

This was one of the very earliest attempts - poor angle, harsh sunlight, way too many shadows. Same here, although I do sort of like the imperfections here. At least I got the angle right. This has potential, even for a shot in artificial lighting, but bubble wrap does not make a very good background... Another case of artificial lighting not producing quite the desired result... Although we

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-18525831516677756252012-02-10T10:10:00.000+01:002012-02-10T10:10:14.769+01:00

Pelikan typewriter ribbons, black and red, in nylon. Product numbers 571950 and 520841. Made in China. The typewriters that will fit are listed on the back of the package. New old stock ribbons: blue cotton, Barock black silk, and Juwel black silk. Kores typewriter ribbons: the red box is still sold in Portugal and was sent to me by a fellow collector; the plastic box is NOS purple and red

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-53235585490539391832012-02-09T10:03:00.000+01:002012-02-09T10:03:54.705+01:00

The famous Elna Grasshopper. A Helvetia portable sewing machine, Swiss-made. A rather ornate older model spotted at the Aarberg market - anyone know what it is?

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-40015325237620023562012-02-08T10:08:00.000+01:002012-02-08T10:08:53.460+01:00

And here is the link to the listing, translated.

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-3099715542428027132012-02-07T10:15:00.000+01:002012-02-07T10:15:02.648+01:00

One word: blah. I didn't risk getting too close to the water to take better pictures - obviously the salting machines aren't bothering with this part of town (a strategy I agree with), and I thought sliding down the ice and into the lake would not be a very dignified way to go. Unlikely, yes, but I have an overactive imagination. This used to be a beautiful, verdant park... sigh. More

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-68034509122734331242012-02-06T10:19:00.000+01:002012-02-06T10:19:43.818+01:00

To read more, here is the link to the Slate podcast, and to the NYTimes article. Oh, and here is that very first (blurry) picture of the Scheidegger in a thrift store in May 2010:

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-39735070947130602732012-02-05T10:43:00.000+01:002012-02-05T10:43:32.326+01:00

 The Hermes was in the midst of this pile, and blending in quite well, too. It took an eagle eye...  Case, as found, on the desk at work.  First test - does it work?  Cleaned up and ready for a close up, although light conditions are abysmal... it's the best I can do for now, what with Geneva having suddenly turned into Siberia.  Platen knobs intact, metal parts free of rust.  Would you believe

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-70370152274269438912012-02-04T09:03:00.000+01:002012-02-04T09:03:56.798+01:00

M-Office 1200 A taupe Olivetti Studio 44, just like the one we used to have but in pica. Florian would have liked this, I'm sure. A Rover 2000 that looks remarkably recent - a'90s machine, perhaps? Now that I look at these pictures... I'm not entirely sure it was plastic. Maybe it was actually metal? I should have written down notes; I really can't remember and the pictures don't confirm one

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-3181377670294466652012-02-03T10:09:00.001+01:002012-02-03T15:30:07.493+01:00

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-16229386872157933582012-02-02T10:16:00.000+01:002012-02-02T10:16:11.602+01:00

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-58528643835013931302012-02-01T10:28:00.001+01:002012-02-01T15:50:26.173+01:00

A look back at ITAM 2011 - Time to start warming up for those letters!

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-11095789963096308912012-01-27T23:30:00.002+01:002012-01-27T23:36:08.646+01:00

 

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-79761989999387500262012-01-25T22:16:00.001+01:002012-01-26T07:05:33.859+01:00

*All wonky typing/ alignment issues solely my fault... always trying to write on every inch of paper, as usual! Here's the only typewriter spotted this week - slim pickings:

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-73416545908767990592012-01-13T23:40:00.000+01:002012-01-13T23:40:01.346+01:00

  Typecast showing a bit of improvement, thanks to the TurboScan app for iPhone. Now I should just flatten the sides to avoid the distortion you see here... almost there!  Another look at the Everest corner; the middle shelf has one with an extra-long carriage.  The Olympia section, hosting an Oliver and Blick, too. The top shelf has an SG-1, Simplex, Plana, and another SG-1.  More detail on the

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-28063643054234571372012-01-10T23:29:00.001+01:002012-01-11T06:57:06.853+01:00

** Apologies for the typecast quality; looks like the no-scanner experiment is a bit less than ideal. Situation to be rectified shortly :-)** This Mercedes Addelectra greeted us at the entrance, next to an assortment of pamphlets and (not pictured) copies of Di Donato's autobiographical works. The reception desk is barely visible, surrounded as it is by typewriters. A shot of the main room,

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-83608950253795972502012-01-08T15:15:00.000+01:002012-01-08T15:15:46.143+01:00

My New Year's greetings, had they been offered in a timely manner as originally intended, would have looked like this photo: festive, exuberant, seasonally appropriate. Instead, they are a little more like this: Out of season, and a bit droopy. Sad. Nevertheless - and although you wouldn't know it to look at this blog - I have been keeping you all up to date. Albeit mentally. But you are not

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-48286998762794104972011-12-13T23:01:00.002+01:002011-12-14T05:46:04.727+01:00

 The Optima Elite was never on my radar as a must-have, but now that I have tried it out, I would say it stands up pretty well to its closest cousin, the Olympia SM-4 (both of them have the tab keys on either side of the space bar).    One of the first things I did after bringing this home was to trawl the typosphere for stories of others' experiences with their Optima Elites. However, it's not

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-29269962361420222412011-12-10T22:24:00.001+01:002011-12-10T23:24:01.227+01:00

 The seller puts down the croissant he is busily munching to try to figure out what is wrong with the Facit. No luck. Taking the ribbon cover off to examine the inner workings didn't make any difference; the carriage remained stubbornly stuck. Given that this was the only new typewriter sighted after visiting two major stomping grounds, it was clear that Geneva was not living up to its usual

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-46016657619573108452011-12-07T08:21:00.000+01:002011-12-07T08:21:13.129+01:00

* * *Typecast courtesy of a Smith Corona Skyriter - to be featured shortly!* * *

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-56043161543824599442011-12-04T22:22:00.001+01:002011-12-04T22:30:46.724+01:00

 Traveling with the Hermes Baby - Louis Vuitton ad courtesy of shordzi.

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-71438738681325230802011-12-03T23:25:00.001+01:002011-12-03T23:26:33.021+01:00

The first sighting last week was this rather unappealing Hermes 3000... Which was followed by an almost identical one (except this was a Media 3)... And yet another, a few feet away. It was really quite odd! But there were a couple of other machines too... A '40s Hermes Baby with French AZERTY keyboard, This beautifully-bulbous Remington Quiet-Riter, And just when we thought we'd seen

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-89504132487917198352011-11-30T22:48:00.000+01:002011-11-30T22:48:34.865+01:00

... lazy update just to update, pretty much, and get in one last post before November is well and truly over. And I also want to say thank you to everyone who has commented, emailed, or otherwise commiserated with me about the Voss - in that sense, it has brought me much joy because I feel so much closer to all of you! We are all in this together - fighting to resuscitate typewriters one at a

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-20926625828333950772011-11-27T21:07:00.000+01:002011-11-27T21:07:15.001+01:00

Type slug fully extended as far as it will go - not touching the platen, just lightly grazing the ribbon. Another problem is that the paper bail rests quite close to the plastic guard, perhaps a result of the carriage sitting too low. The shadow of the type slug on the platen - so close. And yet. Look at that carriage - it just isn't sitting right. The groove is where it's rubbing against the

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-89789832304597182872011-11-26T22:24:00.000+01:002011-11-26T22:24:52.576+01:00

Sad face Voss really has something to be sad about.  At least it's back together, not that taking it apart did any good :(

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-75291473816097244472011-11-25T07:55:00.001+01:002011-11-25T07:55:53.097+01:00

I have been out and about, as usual, even exploring some new venues to see what - if any - typewriter discoveries could be made. The showroom above - 2,000 square meters of furniture and antiques - was recommended to me by a work acquaintance, and it is in a part of the city I don't often visit, so I made the trip last Saturday. As I expected, they had lots of beautiful furniture and quirky

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-90917808194584496462011-11-21T21:52:00.000+01:002011-11-21T21:52:23.914+01:00

This lacks the glamor of the previous post, but I just wanted to re-assure my readers, and especially Rob, that I had found a solution to the squished feet previously in evidence on the Remington. Now to fix that decal...

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-78849691967036193242011-11-19T21:50:00.000+01:002011-11-19T21:50:08.777+01:00

A good look at how the typebars flatten out in the middle and taper at either end of the arc. I should also add that I like the typeface; it might be regular pica-sized, but it's got a little something - the numbers are rather elegant, for example. I also fitted a purple and red ribbon, not that it shows up all that well in the typecast...   Good thing I left this decal alone - it is

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-44348924884510288192011-11-14T16:19:00.001+01:002011-11-14T16:45:59.264+01:00

Look at that immaculate paint finish! I couldn't be prouder of this thing if I had pulled a Hephaestus and forged it with my bare hands. I made sure to take several pictures before sending it off wistfully. And not without a twinge of regret, but that's ok. In this and all the other pictures, New Baby is on the right - and here you can really see the difference. Old Baby seems to have a few

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-83793113282844223452011-11-11T07:10:00.000+01:002011-11-11T07:10:10.790+01:00

  It has been a while since I put up a typewriter manual, so I wanted to share this from the Olympia SF. It pertains to the later, more angular version, but I think the instructions should be applicable for the earlier Splendid-style ones too. I have seen this being asked for on a couple of the forums, but Machines Of Loving Grace, which is my go-to site for typewriter manuals, does not seem to

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-40390322490349396652011-11-08T11:34:00.000+01:002011-11-08T11:34:12.202+01:00

The funny thing about this keyboard is how many fractions it has - I would have preferred an exclamation point instead! Nevertheless, perhaps there will be some context in which this will be useful. Otherwise, this is a completely Anglophone QWERTY keyboard, in that there are no dead keys to type umlauts or accents (which one would find on an international QWERTY keyboard). That doesn't bother me

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-40941398782885241812011-11-05T23:25:00.000+01:002011-11-05T23:25:35.240+01:00

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-23246109653389494092011-11-04T12:05:00.001+01:002011-11-04T15:24:28.835+01:00

Typed on Swissa Junior with Bulletin typeface Blurry picture of Foucault's pendulum slowly toppling a cluster of metal rods (taken from awkward position behind tour guide's elbow!) Now to the rest of the museum: I called this a locomotive excavator, but I'm not really sure what the technical name for it is. I rather liked the look of it. How Lady Liberty was built! Vintage film projecting

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-67039243696806206732011-11-02T12:13:00.000+01:002011-11-02T12:13:41.719+01:00

Paperways is not very well-known internationally, but they seem to have found some distribution in Australia and the UK. Their website is here.

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-40973326227841820222011-10-31T22:48:00.000+01:002011-10-31T22:48:50.361+01:00

Oh, alright. There aren't really any tales of horror, but it seemed apt to threaten some on Halloween. There is, however, a rather unusual keyboard on a Princess typewriter that I came across over the weekend (and if it appears that I do little lately but hunt here and there for typewriters in the wild... mea culpa). I occasionally do other things too, but unless you would be interested in a

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-6236473939308777872011-10-29T21:38:00.002+02:002011-10-29T22:57:18.327+02:00

I have had an awesome typewriter-hunting day today - and I didn't have to leave Geneva to do it, either. My finds were humble, but in nice condition and at fantastic bargain prices: a qwerty portable that might replace its qwertz colleague in my collection if I can bear to part with it; and another Swiss-made portable that is just the thing I needed to send to a special friend. But more on those

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-83715899426790970042011-10-27T22:19:00.000+02:002011-10-27T22:19:19.957+02:00

Let's get right to it: this is a picture post, after all. With pictures of the European-manufactured typewriters spotted for sale at Retro Technica 2011 (yes, the last post in the series will be about the Americans - a good strong showing this year). First, I will present The One That Got Away: I really did like this Continental, and I was kicking myself for not having checked it out more

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-71407145328655127152011-10-25T08:27:00.000+02:002011-10-25T08:27:22.850+02:00

Hermes 4 standard, circa  Hermes Media in glossy black finish, circa 1945. Hermes Media, matte black finish, circa 1951. Hermes 2000, matte black finish, ribbon cover missing, circa 1955. Hermes Media 3, curvy shell, mint green, circa 1958. Hermes Media 3, boxy shell, mint green, circa 1968. Hermes 3000, boxy shell, mint green, circa 1968. Hermes Baby, gray with red index keys, circa mid '40s.

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-76043727579212993652011-10-22T07:43:00.000+02:002011-10-22T07:43:42.173+02:00

  So, I have been following the progress of Gary Nicholson and Christopher Lockett's movie project The Typewriter (in the 21st century) with some interest since word of it first spread around the typosphere several months ago. And I am rather jealous that Clemens got to have his day on camera, although I guess I can (sort of) understand that ye olde Schweiz is really far from the U.S., and I will

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-41385989679917267142011-10-19T08:34:00.001+02:002011-10-19T08:35:31.142+02:00

You can see this and other Detusch & Luba productions on their blog: http://blog.socialadvertising.dk/ For another instance of the Hermes Baby being used to illustrate a story, see this article. Some favorites from the other typewriters I photographed: Maroon/ burgundy Groma Kolibri that I got in a swap from Georg back in May. Oh, this old thing? Another Groma Kolibri in grayish-green that I

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-52624031069321362762011-10-15T22:17:00.001+02:002011-10-15T22:30:09.197+02:00

 Entering the Communication collection at the Musee des Arts et Metiers in Paris   Very early Remington, with decals for the most part nicely preserved The Remington 1 (dated 1873) is actually a Sholes & Glidden, as you can see here.   AWERTY - now there's a keyboard layout I haven't come across yet. An error, perhaps?  Speaking of inscrutable keyboard layouts... don't even get me started on the

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-18356088047684093372011-10-11T22:41:00.000+02:002011-10-11T22:41:12.882+02:00

This poster looks promising... or so you would think. Number of typewriters seen = 0. The first typewriter we spotted at Vanves: a Cyrillic-keyboard Hermes Baby. This was followed by an AZERTY Olympia SF; ordinary pica typeface. Finally, a French machine in France: this Japy Reporter is of a rather recent '70s vintage, though, hence the plastic. The seller swore vehemently that it worked

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-10652581911806875562011-10-09T22:33:00.000+02:002011-10-09T22:33:29.255+02:00

I have been back from Paris for a day now, and faced with the grey skies and constant drizzle of Geneva, I look back on the trip with fond longing. It is not very far, really, and so it is almost difficult to believe the speed with which I have found myself back at home, dreading another Monday, barely having had the time to unpack, review my many pictures and travel stories, and all the

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-27725930651056593942011-09-30T23:09:00.000+02:002011-09-30T23:09:21.007+02:00

Only for a week, really. Off to Paris on a belated "summer vacation" to see what treasures await. Some cool pictures to be taken, if nothing else. In the meantime, I leave you with a typecast:

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-91583154785108000832011-09-27T22:30:00.000+02:002011-09-27T22:30:15.877+02:00

 I never thought I'd be drawn to these gleaming black metal typewriters, but here we are. Far cry from the candy-colored Annabellas and ABCs of yore, but very attractive in their own right. Type-bar macro shows that some cleaning is order (maybe even overdue!), but it hasn't gotten bad enough to affect the quality of the text produced... yet. Sticker from dealer in top of case, and a couple of

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-14676682991435716552011-09-24T18:02:00.000+02:002011-09-24T18:02:43.274+02:00

 My answer to Florian's autumn-themed meme.   Tour de Sauvabelin in Lausanne on a crisp fall day. I am not looking forward to the foggy cloud that settles over Geneva most days in the fall and winter, leaving the city drab and grey for days on end. The only way to escape it is to take a hike up the nearest mountain, but that is not very practical most of the time...

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-85564069476799030692011-09-20T21:52:00.000+02:002011-09-20T21:52:21.112+02:00

 Young girl cheerfully makes off with a stash of Hermes typewriters.... never to be seen again!(Hermes poster courtesy www.mfk.ch)  (Prototype of midsized Hermes portable from the '70s) (Hermes 1000 prototype, which has seen better days. From the '70s - perhaps it was just as well this was never made!) Now that Georg is making friends with the museum staff, I expect that he'll soon be inviting

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-66497686144121071412011-09-17T15:09:00.000+02:002011-09-17T15:09:11.538+02:00

Another look at the Racer? Mais bien sur... although I didn't have the satisfaction of bringing this home with me, I made sure to spend a few moments just admiring it. Will Davis mentions on his site that the semi-portable Rooy typewriters have striking designs which are underappreciated because they are not often seen... how true! A look at the Typ-Fix - well-used to be sure, but still has some

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-10704279755046947102011-09-11T16:57:00.001+02:002011-09-11T17:22:50.369+02:00

Fitting that the first find was a Swiss classic: Hermes 3000 (unbelievably pristine condition, too). This Triumph was beautiful too; however we all spent too much time cooing over the Hermes to pay much attention to it. While there were only a couple of typewriters at HIOB, I was rather impressed by the good condition of the ones we found.  Three generations of Hermes Media: glossy black from

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-72901367559082662011-09-04T22:31:00.001+02:002011-09-04T22:32:16.463+02:00

  I have been reading much more about frakturschrift and blackletter fonts in general than about the Senta in particular; in fact, I can't say I would have gotten a Senta if it were not for this one's intriguing typeface! Nevertheless, I'm glad she's in such good shape, with intact rubber feet and no rust to speak of. Early Senta 3-bank portables came in a large molded wood case; fortunately

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-68537012091083544272011-09-03T22:38:00.000+02:002011-09-03T22:38:38.308+02:00

And here is a shot of the action, taken with a digital camera Clemens style:

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-33726926930564412312011-09-02T22:40:00.000+02:002011-09-02T22:40:33.916+02:00

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-44611918992657729892011-08-30T22:33:00.000+02:002011-08-30T22:33:39.668+02:00

Held twice a year on the last weekends in April and August, the Aarberg flea market bills itself as "one of the largest" in Switzerland, assembling flea merchants from all corners of the country in an event that has the atmosphere of a fair, complete with food stands every few feet. Attendees hold beer and bratwurst in one hand as they peruse antique wares with the other. Rather convivial,

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-22655441969485797022011-08-28T18:37:00.000+02:002011-08-28T18:37:37.813+02:00

So, a few links to the pages mentioned: Exchange Corner, Visual Typewriter Catalog, Typewriter Index Sunday morning - the best time to get in some quality typewriter refurbishing time!

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-90734454812067388282011-08-27T07:15:00.000+02:002011-08-27T07:15:46.293+02:00

Incredible but true: for the past couple of weeks, there has been virtually nothing to be found, typewriter-wise, at our flea market. What happened, you may ask? Well, it's August (vacation month), and it's been pretty hot. Many of the vendors are not showing up, and those who do come cower under umbrellas and complain about how the heat is driving away their customers. A couple of weeks ago,

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-38776050209014670462011-08-25T20:46:00.000+02:002011-08-25T20:46:15.204+02:00

 Place de la Riponne, the picturesque setting of the Lausanne flea market.   An Adler Gabriele 35, our only typewriter discovery of the day.   A seller's table is devoted entirely to pens, inks, and all sorts of awesome stuff.  Letter blocks! These look like they would be fun to dip in a big vat of ink and stamp about, don't they?

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-14145895871939004982011-08-23T14:48:00.001+02:002011-08-23T14:49:25.582+02:00

   A recent flea market discovery that would be a perfect gift for Mr. Late Shipper. Whew! I feel much better now that I've gotten this off my chest. Does it take so much effort to send a courteous email, especially after you have received fast and full payment? I don't mind waiting for the package; I just don't appreciate not knowing about the wait. And yet, if it arrives here in relatively

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-75951899423892728842011-08-18T22:54:00.000+02:002011-08-18T22:54:27.475+02:00

 The secretary at work The Secretary in her original surroundings, before we hoisted it home at a brisk pace, much to the surprise of onlookers. It is not everyday you see a couple carting a writing desk over the Mont Blanc bridge! The original dumpster find that started the obsession (cell phone picture, terrible lighting). Isn't it lovely? Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one who thought so. I

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-38806214089366818732011-08-16T21:28:00.001+02:002011-08-16T21:54:01.817+02:00

Geneva last week was surreal - every day brought a new headline, new speculations, worries about what the overvalued franc meant for Swiss economic stability. People drove across the border to buy furniture, electronics, groceries - the prices, always better, looked infinitely more so. Newspapers wrote that Swiss supermarkets and shops had been abandoned for French ones, and vendors that had

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-38173380434069504422011-08-11T22:23:00.000+02:002011-08-11T22:23:44.814+02:00

I never saw a typosphere meme I wasn't keen to join in on! Let's start off with Herr Baggenstos's discreet label on my army-green Hermes 2000. This undoubtedly refers to August Baggenstos, who had a well-known outfit in Zurich and distributed many Hermes typewriters, as you can see on Georg's site. There is still a Baggenstos A. & Co. office machine company near Zurich listed in the phone

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-47977482150410860552011-08-09T22:28:00.000+02:002011-08-09T22:28:09.974+02:00

A rather plain Jane, she is. Still, I'm teaching myself to be restrained and not bust out the can of spray paint just yet. We'll just let it sit for a while and see. There are some typewriters you bring home not because you're intensely curious about the make/ model/ mechanism, but because they are inoffensive, in working order, fairly portable, and the asking price is far too low to say no.

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-43266074858169921272011-08-05T22:41:00.000+02:002011-08-05T22:41:51.451+02:00

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-117160386462790762011-08-03T21:44:00.000+02:002011-08-03T21:44:01.596+02:00

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-20814829723057428782011-08-01T19:16:00.004+02:002011-08-28T09:24:33.519+02:00

  The color on this Hermes Baby is a very deep orange, almost red. Compared to the one I had last year, which had half the paint worn off its spacebar, this one is really quite lovely. (I should also add that this is one of my favorite pictures on the blog so far; courtesy of J who kindly photographed the typewriter on a rainy day last week - I'm not very good at taking pictures with artificial

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-61937516528337528232011-07-30T23:27:00.000+02:002011-07-30T23:27:10.872+02:00

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-72012171064956758862011-07-30T08:32:00.000+02:002011-07-30T08:32:52.221+02:00

This was part of the flea market on a cloudy Saturday morning last week. The vendors pull up in their vans and offload their wares on the pavement. Pink Panther seems to be in a rather unfortunate position... The market was not quite as populated, perhaps due to the threat of rain. Nevertheless, somewhere in that jumble, there was a typewriter to be spotted: Predictable, no? A heart-warming

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-84281528222548457192011-07-27T22:16:00.000+02:002011-07-27T22:16:31.324+02:00

View from the top of the Verbois dam: the funny thing is this was not where we were headed when we set out that morning, but we got sort of... well, lost. Turned out ok, though, we just walked around for a bit and then caught the next bus home. Besides, I hadn't seen the dam before, so it was an interesting excursion nevertheless.  Along the Rhone river, the Cheneviers incineration plant. Right

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-27430042747633514402011-07-24T22:27:00.000+02:002011-07-24T22:27:09.957+02:00

 Often overlooked, the Underwood Universal is an excellent typewriter that can hold its own against other highly-recommended workhorses like the Hermes 3000, Olivetti Studio 44 or Lettera 32, and Olympia SM-9. Side profile: I've always liked the elegant swoop of the carriage lever on the Underwood Universal. The taupe color is not something that would normally catch my fancy, except for... ..

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-25962362295183412352011-07-23T21:46:00.000+02:002011-07-23T21:46:32.053+02:00

The flea market - this was in a place called Vanves, I believe - was not exactly bustling since it had just started to rain when we got there. However, we did see a few typewriters including this classic Underwood 5... ... which showed up again on another seller's table, accompanied by a stenographer's typewriter (anyone know how to use one of these? It all seems terribly complex to me.). A

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-77911167476709260012011-07-20T15:06:00.001+02:002011-07-20T15:06:00.850+02:00

 This is only about 15% of the total received, and 25% of the total brought home for further exploration.   I could think of no better background for my pen pictures than the beautifully photographed book "Feder, Tinte und Papier" by Eric Le Collen, which I also received from Herr Wepf some time back. Here is the Parker 61, closed.  ... and open. You can just see the outline near the nib where

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-10181636553852740162011-07-18T07:37:00.010+02:002011-09-05T10:40:31.206+02:00

  One thing I really appreciated about this Hermes Baby was that it was extraordinarily clean when I found it - I haven't had to dip and dunk or get rid of decade-old caked-on grease. It's fun sometimes, but it's also nice not to have to worry about it. Sure, she may not be the best typer mechanically - a rather shallow typebar arc and a plastic feel - but at least I can be fairly sure that I

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-2499557837673821912011-07-16T21:30:00.000+02:002011-07-16T21:30:11.497+02:00

Today, there was a bit of a typewriter mystery at the flea market. I came across the case for an Olivetti Lettera DL/ 33 - you know, one of those fancy silver-and-black Letteras that I have coveted for ages. The case was like that of your average Lettera 32, just with silver instead of blue. So, thinking the typewriter could not be far, I combed the seller's stall hunting for it, and... zilch. I

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-76249923970296098792011-07-14T22:22:00.001+02:002011-07-15T07:51:11.398+02:00

It's been a pretty hot summer. Not today, though - it rained yesterday and has been unseasonably chilly all day. A nice respite from the days of relentless sun, but I hope those return too. I'm not quite ready to rediscover my collection of ragged fleece pullovers. A favorite weekend activity this summer - as always - is making our rounds of the local markets. In addition to the usual flea

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-39130216538952768362011-07-12T17:04:00.000+02:002011-07-12T17:04:28.297+02:00

(Typed on a plakatschrift Swissa Junior.) Here is a link to the Collectors' Weekly Typewriters page. So, while this may seem like a bit of a mixed post, my excitement at being featured on their site was not at all tempered by the discovery of the picture thief. After all, this happens all the time and it's not like CW is affiliated with eBay or their few unscrupulous sellers. The auction has

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-68375736945019101562011-07-10T08:00:00.002+02:002011-08-28T09:25:41.646+02:00

Finding my way around the Kolibri. It's a lovely machine, and I'm so excited to have one at last (since the last one I purchased online arrived DOA). It writes fairly well, but a thorough cleaning and lubrication would not be out of place. All in good time. So, there I was taking a stroll through a passageway in central Basel, and what should we find but... The typewriters.ch shop window!

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-85285757092995567472011-07-08T08:30:00.000+02:002011-07-08T08:30:47.380+02:00

(Photo courtesy of Mila S.) Typewriter House Collector also has a picture of a gold Princess 300 on his site. For other gold/ silver plated typewriters, see the Royal Quiet de Luxe, Olympia SM 4, and Smith Corona Sterling. As I mentioned, none of those are quite so eminently portable as the Princess 300.

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-30080119233749384202011-07-06T10:54:00.000+02:002011-07-06T10:54:36.503+02:00

 Typecast in progress - I really miss the 1.5 spacing option (nonexistent on the Rooy). This was pleasant enough to type, but one really does have to do some amount of hunting and pecking as not all of the letters play nice all the time, particularly the "a". Line alignment is also merely a vague notion on the Rooy, but I have long since resigned myself to that. This is more of a once-in-a-while

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-35481924471872257812011-07-04T23:07:00.000+02:002011-07-04T23:07:51.693+02:00

I'm shelving the scanner-free typecasts for now, at least until I can (a) figure out how to photograph an A4 page nicely - a tall order, I'm sure, or (b) get into the habit of writing on several smaller pages, and (c) get back into typecasting regularly, period! Having this giant scanner on my shelf prods my conscience, so I might as well use it. Which does not mean I cannot show you my new ink

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-8490035046661009862011-06-13T15:55:00.003+02:002011-06-13T16:03:23.096+02:00

I love these outdoor displays - there you are, taking a walk along the lake, enjoying the scenery... and bam! You get to enjoy some thought-provoking art as well, without all the effort of actually going to a gallery or museum. Brilliant, really. I vaguely recollect having seen posters for this around town, but I didn't read close enough to realize it was an outdoor exhibition. That said,

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-26825415898113549472011-05-29T22:06:00.001+02:002011-07-30T08:31:55.636+02:00

I have been sulking a bit since I passed on getting a Remington Portable #1 (with the pop-up keys) after I tried to bargain with the flea market seller and he would not budge. I should have made an exception to my rule of not paying "full price" for anything in an open market - this was a lovely, working typewriter, not often seen, and fitting in with all my new "vintage vintage portable"

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-82026305346864253942011-05-22T16:12:00.001+02:002011-05-23T06:00:34.513+02:00

Which is to say that the best way to prevent having second thoughts later is to make the purchase - providing it fits within my aesthetic, space and budget constraints - and think about passing it on later when I've had a few good hours with it. Speaking of which, there is a remorse-filled story about a recent missed opportunity that I have yet to narrate, but will soon. Till then, some clear

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-69574046882178889222011-05-15T23:29:00.002+02:002011-05-16T07:00:38.448+02:00

  There is something of an "orderly chaos" to Alfred's approach to displaying his typewriters. Here, his "colorful typewriters" section, with several machines artfully arranged to mimic, one imagines, a riotous flower garden. One of the colorful typewriters awaited our writing pleasure on the dining table: a pinkish-red Olivetti Lettera 32. This would fetch a princely sum on the 'Bay, for sure.

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-55772397973898248732011-05-08T22:16:00.000+02:002011-05-08T22:16:00.704+02:00

Yesterday, Georg of typewriters.ch kindly took me to see Herr Alfred Wepf, a renowned Swiss typewriter collector who resides near Lucerne, smack dab in the middle of ye olde Switzerland and thus far, far away from Geneva (we are practically in France, you see). However, having struck up a correspondence with Herr Wepf and salivated over his collection from afar (he sent me actual 3x5s of a few of

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-33502376488731606742011-05-05T16:52:00.000+02:002011-05-05T16:52:55.950+02:00

There are times when I have been able to tune out completely from current goings-on, staying immersed in my little world of eclectic hobbies - typewriters, papers, pens, ink, blogging, wondering whether it is a good idea to embark on yet another sourdough starter experiment. Engrossing stuff. And then there are other times like the last couple of weeks, when major world events have kept me glued

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-57683362790621129262011-05-01T22:15:00.000+02:002011-05-01T22:15:05.124+02:00

Another weekend gone, another - incredibly sunny - month already over. Where did all the time go? Between longer days and amazing weather, I suppose I have been spending more time outdoors and less playing with my array of writing implements. I discovered a typecast I had been working on earlier and finished it:    From what I can gather, getting a platen recovered is an expensive process

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-30117585970430939092011-04-19T21:52:00.002+02:002011-04-19T22:07:08.049+02:00

    This was such a fortuitous find that I was on a typewriter high for the rest of the week (you know how it is!). If I had not been sitting in the front office that day, if I had not taken a break to watch the workers, if our office had not been located on the ground floor... this beauty would have been on her way to the dump. Makes one wonder how many others... eh, better not to think about it

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-85717676946835826522011-04-17T13:28:00.000+02:002011-04-17T13:28:03.743+02:00

A few smudges seem to have crept in on my Rhodia legal pad... Well, here is the pen. There is a small scratch on the barrel, but otherwise the pen is fairly well preserved for its age. The name of the original owner, L. Borner, is engraved on one side. The gold plating on the steel nib has started to wear off, but I think it adds character! The dark spots are just splotches of Diamine ink.

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-90935183931824315932011-04-15T22:45:00.002+02:002011-04-16T06:31:31.086+02:00

In Part 1, we went through Perrier's collection of pre-1920s typewriters and foreign language typewriters. In this part, we shall be taking a look at his collection of Hermes typewriters and other unusual machines. I shall preface this by saying that as a distributor for Paillard SA during that company's years of active typewriter innovation and manufacture, Perrier SA has a close connection with

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-11203270351120129882011-04-13T13:35:00.008+02:002011-04-16T06:28:57.336+02:00

I have wanted to do a photo essay on Jacques Perrier's typewriter collection since I first visited in June last year, but during that visit I only took a cell phone camera. So, when Georg told me that he had scheduled an appointment to see the museum, I was eager to come along. In addition to typewriters, and a whole wall of Hermes machines, Perrier also has an impressive collection of ephemera,

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-76922529507362777102011-04-12T07:00:00.002+02:002011-04-12T13:44:43.423+02:00

I hope you have all read the very excellent write-up from Georg. (There is even a video as well as several pictures of my very shy self.) Well, the next post will be all about the Perrier Typewriter Museum and the grumpy but affable Jacques. There will be many pictures of his fine collection (typewriter pr0n at its best)!

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-53507876865568290772011-04-11T07:22:00.000+02:002011-04-11T07:22:08.249+02:00

(Typed on my new Erika 5, of course!) A whole page, and I have yet to get to the real fun! Well, there are lots of pictures and descriptions  yet to come, and I'm having fun drawing this out into a few solid posts. The museum visit alone will need its own post, and then there is also the subject of that very generous gift from Mr. Perrier, which crowned an absolutely superb day...

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-60279692855114294092011-04-08T12:57:00.001+02:002011-04-08T13:00:47.551+02:00

In order to keep these posts from becoming Hermes parades, I think I'll start them off with the most interesting/ unusual typewriter sighted in the given period. Last Saturday was a good flea market day: the sun was out, all the vendors showed up, and there were quite a few typewriters to be looked at, including several with qwerty keyboards, which is not so common. The best sighting was the

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-75028141399662437482011-04-07T13:46:00.000+02:002011-04-07T13:46:54.491+02:00

  Although I took the picture in natural light and I know very well it is a pale green, it still looks off-white to me! You know the odd thing? We took off the ribbon cover and tried to fit it on the bald typewriter - and it didn't fit! This one is just a hair larger - we're guessing different production years and probably also different manufacturing plants entirely (the much later

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-62563599696180035602011-03-24T07:23:00.001+01:002011-03-24T07:24:02.885+01:00

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-44085773571836810392011-03-22T20:29:00.001+01:002011-03-22T20:29:00.251+01:00

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-90046638215144532222011-03-21T21:50:00.001+01:002011-03-21T21:55:36.834+01:00

    Overall, I would say things turned out pretty well. Although I know it's purely superficial, I am still hoping to find a parts Hermes Baby machine for the ribbon cover (or otherwise nick one from a fellow collector). I already contacted the Typewriter Museum in Lausanne, but I haven't yet heard from them so I doubt whether they can help... in any case,  we just might come across another of

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-14197303988764206012011-03-20T23:10:00.000+01:002011-03-20T23:10:41.973+01:00

I uncovered an awesome typewriter find at the flea market over the weekend and proudly hauled it home - boy, it has been a long while since my twice-monthly visits bore fruit. However, I have been slacking on putting up typewriter manuals, so it is time to post up the ephemera from this Swissa Junior. My post on the new acquisition will have to wait till later in the week. Here is the front and

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-21831562163549623362011-03-17T21:08:00.001+01:002011-03-18T06:51:41.502+01:00

Keychoppers will not be around much longer, I meant to say, especially as this revolution picks up steam. At least in the States, I think; now I should get to minding my own pot on this side of town. There don't seem to be any keychoppers in Switzerland (yet), thankfully, but having found a Selectric in the trash once, I wonder what else is being discarded...

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-11693817484055247402011-03-12T13:09:00.000+01:002011-03-12T13:09:34.150+01:00

Now that the Dunas has been inked with Black Swan (using a syringe to fill up an empty cartridge), I love it and use it often. Applying a little pressure produces quasi-calligraphy as shown, although the empty spots are where the ink didn't keep up with my writing; I don't mind though. Far from ruining the nib (it's not a very expensive pen, in any case), it has now become a very wet fine (shows

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021475418975786274.post-1037206885731501822011-03-10T22:51:00.000+01:002011-03-10T22:51:56.679+01:00

And speaking of roses, it looks like spring is arriving in Geneva! It has been sunny and warm these past couple of days (of course, on weekdays when it does me no good), and I noticed some buds already making their way out on the tree branches. As good a time as any to share some of my favorite pictures of spring (we aren't quite at this stage yet, but will be in a couple of weeks):

Adwoahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457285629002149759noreply@blogger.com6