![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
The end of the year really does sprint past you at the end, doesn't it?
I almost went out with friends today, but things fell through. So, since I had the day off from work and was in town anyway, poked around my favorite antique and consignment shops. Normally, I walk out with nothing (and pat myself on the back as a consolation prize for not buying those hand carved canes/spiffy rocks/somebody's grandma's vibrator, ect) or a cool but very inexpensive book or record for my player.
Less normally, I find something I really, really want.
In this case, all the way in the back of my local consignment shop, was a working royal royalite typewriter.
After testing it out (which is one of my favorite bits of local and small businesses, especially the second-hand joints, they almost always let you touch the goods, and if they don't, they're usually willing to show you proof of function, just so long as you ask) I took it home, borrowed some gun cleaning supplies off a family member, and spent thirty minuets or so fishing out what looked like old eraser bits and lubing it up with cotton swabs. One new ribbon later, and I was able to hammer out some words. The one bit of bad news is that the cover is probably incorrect, as it blocks access to the keys with it on, but covers are optional for typewriters, so its not the end of the world.
Insanely, the case still had the original manual inside, which basically never happens. There was even some spare carbon paper in there, too, just on the off chance that I needed to copy something!
Whoever owned it must've been a neat and orderly person, back in the day.
I haven't messed with it much, yet, but I had been wanting a replacement for my Chinese knockoff royal for a while now. It was a Christmas gift, one I was and am so touched by that I still can't bring myself to rag on them too much, even though the disdain you see for the things in the hobbyist space is...not unjustified. I can honestly say for a fact mine shipped with critical flaws. I haven't been able to use the shift key without unhousing my ribbon from day one.
Going for a professionally refabbed and cleaned typewriter would've been the smarter way to spend my money, but I'm slightly excited to have found this in the wild. I think I may grab some paper and give it a proper spin before I go to bed tonight, and then I'll know for sure.
I almost went out with friends today, but things fell through. So, since I had the day off from work and was in town anyway, poked around my favorite antique and consignment shops. Normally, I walk out with nothing (and pat myself on the back as a consolation prize for not buying those hand carved canes/spiffy rocks/somebody's grandma's vibrator, ect) or a cool but very inexpensive book or record for my player.
Less normally, I find something I really, really want.
In this case, all the way in the back of my local consignment shop, was a working royal royalite typewriter.
After testing it out (which is one of my favorite bits of local and small businesses, especially the second-hand joints, they almost always let you touch the goods, and if they don't, they're usually willing to show you proof of function, just so long as you ask) I took it home, borrowed some gun cleaning supplies off a family member, and spent thirty minuets or so fishing out what looked like old eraser bits and lubing it up with cotton swabs. One new ribbon later, and I was able to hammer out some words. The one bit of bad news is that the cover is probably incorrect, as it blocks access to the keys with it on, but covers are optional for typewriters, so its not the end of the world.
Insanely, the case still had the original manual inside, which basically never happens. There was even some spare carbon paper in there, too, just on the off chance that I needed to copy something!
Whoever owned it must've been a neat and orderly person, back in the day.
I haven't messed with it much, yet, but I had been wanting a replacement for my Chinese knockoff royal for a while now. It was a Christmas gift, one I was and am so touched by that I still can't bring myself to rag on them too much, even though the disdain you see for the things in the hobbyist space is...not unjustified. I can honestly say for a fact mine shipped with critical flaws. I haven't been able to use the shift key without unhousing my ribbon from day one.
Going for a professionally refabbed and cleaned typewriter would've been the smarter way to spend my money, but I'm slightly excited to have found this in the wild. I think I may grab some paper and give it a proper spin before I go to bed tonight, and then I'll know for sure.
Tags: