Friday, January 27, 2012

Old Faithful: Seidel & Naumann Erika 9 (c. 1952)

13 comments:

  1. Very nice. I like your procession of typewriters.

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  2. A lovely little writing gem, indeed, even with the "patina". As James likes to say, "Patina: people pay EXTRA for that, you know!"

    I like the unusual shape of the ribbon cover. Also, the picture of the keys behind the type-slugs is excellent -- an unusual, arty angle.

    The typeface is also quite attractive, and one can tell from your typecast that it makes a "very good impression". ;-)

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  3. Thanks for sharing about your initiation ritual for new typewriters... makes collecting even more interesting.

    Beautiful Erika... very nice lines, typeface, even its techno label is eye candy to me. I first caught sight of the label on one of your earlier posts. A flea market sighting, if I remember correctly.

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  4. Sometimes the no drama machines are just more relaxing to use. My typewriter zoo has a variety of exotic typefaces, but the machine that gets the most use is the Torpedo 18.

    Of course the Erika may be common over there, but here it would be somewhat exotic. It is a nice looking machine. I'll have a decision to make soon on how much patina to leave on a black Remington. Tough choice since I tend to like shiny things.

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  5. I think she looks great -- a prewar look starting to get stylistically updated and moving toward the great bulbous Erikas of the mid-'50s.

    I can never resist polishing away a "patina."

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  6. @Richard, I always thought the value of patina normally applies to non-painted metals like coins, silverware, etc., not to painted typewriters.

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  7. Congrats. I like the typeface on the keys themselves. Very arty and elongated. I recently bought a 1940 Erika 5--QWERTY with a Polish keyboard. Same Goldilocks feel. Makes me wonder: though the 9 has a more chiseled profile than the 5, are they the same under the hood? Rob

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  8. Very nice. I've been looking for an Erika on ricardo for a couple of months now, but haven't had any luck so far. By the way, I find your new sidebar display very attractive. Great idea.

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  9. Since I've read your post about the Erika 5 that I want to try out one. But after reading your review about the Erika 9 I've realized I really need to get one! This machine just looks great. Too bad they are so difficult to find around here.

    Once again you've nailed it! An amazing post about an amazing typewriter.

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  10. @lo-tech: Yes, in November I spotted an Erika 5 at a thrift store with this same logo. In fact, it was virtually identical to this Erika 9, but at that time I already had two Erikas.

    @Dwayne: "No drama" is key! Every time I have to use a typewriter with a skipping escapement or sticky keys, I grit my teeth and wonder why I bother. The special typefaces sometimes make it worth the hassle :)

    @Richard: I must confess I am a bit more laid back because I have been unable to track down a good auto cleaner like Ryan Adney uses... but after all the paintwork/ delicate logos I have tampered with, I am willing to let a little patina slide.

    @Rob: Hmm, I wonder about that. The Erika 5 I saw in the thrift store was probably like yours (mine is the earlier version with exposed ribbon spools). I am hard pressed to tell the difference in action and I would wager that they are very similar under the hood. The glass keytops on this 9 are a bit thinner than the cough-drop-thick lusciousness on the 5, however :-)

    @Florian: I'm so sorry you missed the one in Geneva - who knew it would sell so fast? Anyway, I am sure something will turn up soon on ricardo, it always does :) Thanks for noticing the new changes around here!

    @Fernando: eBay Germany is overrun with Erikas! Since you purchase from there often, I think you will soon find one you like :)

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  11. Hi :)
    I hope this blog is still active. I just purchased an Erika 9 and I'm so excited. Unfortunately I'll have to buy a new ribbon and I can't find any information on what ribbon I should buy... could you help me out?

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  12. Hi :)
    I just purchased an Erika 9 and I'm so excited! Unfortunately I'll have to buy a new ribbon but I can't find any information on what type of ribbon I should buy... could you help me out perhaps?

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