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Spotting a silver Sterling
At least, that's what it looks like.When watching the movie "Kiss and Make-Up", the secretary in the very swanky beautician's office uses a typewriter that seems to match the overall decor. The machine...
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An impulse buy
Just picked up for the sum of five (5) Euro. An impulse buy with serial number Y7461873.According to a very quick look at online resources, this should mean it was manufactured in Scotland in 1929.It's...
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Cleaning up the impulse buy machine
The machine was clearly well-used, with wear to the finish from fabric and hands sliding over the surfaces. After use, the machine must have been stored away for perhaps decades, judging from the dust,...
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Singer 28K sewing machine
The sewing machine is clean and working again!This is another niche subject it's possible to totally 'geek-out' with. Looking again at some more online resources (there's e.g. ISMACS), it turns out...
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Associated ephemera - haberdashery
Even though these are 'consumable' items, probably a great many of these cards survive - like these.An amazing amount of these snap-fasteneres were jammed in in an old jam-jar. Amongst a load of fairly...
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Variable speed drive demonstration model
Some relaxing tinkering with the vintage bits of Meccano. In addition to the instruction manuals and 'book of models', the Meccano Magazine is full of inspiration and little (and large) models to...
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Box for the resistance controller
The Resistance Controller was sold by Meccano from the late 1920s to regulate the speed of electric motors. It is a fairly simple variable resistor to be placed in series with the motor. The cardboard...
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Es Leuchten - Mercedeses
In the light musical film 'Es Leuchten Die Sterne', Mercedes machines can be spotted. Twice.The secretary uses a Mercedes standard typewriter in the first scenes, using it to put on paper her...
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How does a Yankee jam?
Had been browsing the online auction sites, something that can lead to an impulse buy. Perhaps this is also a subject that's in-line with the typosphere; vintage tools - another analogue, chip-less...
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New arrival (first in years...)
Just picked up.After several years of not acquiring any new typewriters (and even giving an Erika M a miss a year ago), again a new machine. This should be a machine that's worth finding another space...
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Olivetti MP1
The machine as received, before any cleaning. An Olivetti MP1 Ico portable typewriter in glossy black.This really is exceptionally clean. As if it was cleaned and refurbished only yesterday, e.g. as if...
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New old stock Olivetti ribbon
An Olivetti ICO is a bit special, a good reason to use the new old Olivetti ribbon I picked up years ago. The ICO (or MP1) will not take a full 10 meters, only about 6 meters or less. It has the small...
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Olivetti Ico typebar-rest felt simple improvement
This Olivetti MP1 typewriter is in very good condition. That is good, because they are not machines I would like to 'mess with'. They are too rare, dare I say valuable, and stylish to want to risk...
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Safari Tropical
After dropping off some stuff at the large, local charity shop I also did a quick round. In the whole store there was one typewriter. An Olivetti.An Olivetti Tropical portable typewriter. Not a name...
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Binns Road's invisible knots
The 0-E book of models for the 'alphabetical period' of Meccano contains hundreds of models to build. No step-by-step instructions, but a single picture with sometimes a caption with guidance on the...
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Another Safari, back case spotted!
A casual browsing of the local thrift-stores over the past week turned up a few typewriters this time. Often there aren't any typewriters, but this time a first two were set out on a table. Modern,...
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New useful part - boiler - and a steam winch
The twenties and thirties were the most active period of development for the Meccano system with many new parts being added. Such new parts would be announced in the Meccano Magazine, usually with a...
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Newly discovered Melotyp (from the shed)
In the March 4th program of the 'Tussen Kunst & Kitsch' television programme (similar to the BBC's Antiques Roadshow), a Melotyp machine was shown.This is the music-typewriter also known as the...
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Newly arrived - wooden box
Just arrived, another little item in the category 'vintage technology obsessions'. Continuing to 'dream lo-tech', I rather splurged on this little item. In these times especially, this makes a grand...
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Edison Bell Model B Crystal Set
The small wooden box still has the decal stating it to be an "Edison Bell Radio".In their catalogue it was named the "Model B Crystal Set" and according to the online Radiomuseum site the model dates...
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