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| 1958 Underwood Quiet Tab Ace DC2939927 |
I will now be adding a simple grading scale to all my posts about new typewriters. It will judge the touch, print quality, aesthetics, and condition of my example. It will be on a 1-6 scale with 6 being nearly unattainable perfection. My Underwood does suffer on the print quality scale, unfortunately.
[EDIT: I have decided against the grading system because I was not being very accurate at all, eventually lumping all the ratings around 5/6. Therefore all ratings are deleted.]
[EDIT: I have decided against the grading system because I was not being very accurate at all, eventually lumping all the ratings around 5/6. Therefore all ratings are deleted.]
Typed with eager participation of my Underwood Quiet Tab Ace
I'm glad you found a good '50s Underwood portable. They don't have a great reputation, but I've found that the quality varies a lot -- it may be that some of them have a tendency to get out of adjustment over the decades, but those that have stayed properly tuned-up do great work.
ReplyDeleteYes, they did make that cool typeface in elite size -- I've got one.
I wonder if it would be the ones that stayed in use the longest would be better now, or the ones that were stored away earlier and left with less use.
DeleteYes, Underwood portables of this "last Gasp" late-50's stage are very nice to type on, and they are quite often found with this unique "slab serif" typeface. I also have one in Elite Slab Serif. It's a keeper! (:
ReplyDeleteThat elite is absolutely a must-have now! I like how it looks better than my pica version. Also, yours seems to have a bit better print quality, too.
DeleteCaranuba car wax may restore the shine to that gold panel, though you may have a time getting it out of all those little textured crevices.
ReplyDeleteI use "Mother's" brand to polish up my enameled machines: it's always startling how much grime it lifts off a supposedly clean, shiny typer.
Thanks for the tip. :)
DeleteBelieve it or not, I was the one who sold the Underwood to the Seattle Antiques Market--I am very glad you like it! It was made in September, 1959 (according to Jay Respler). My research on it can be found at:
ReplyDeletehttp://underwoodresearch.blogspot.com/
Did you notice the plaid case that it comes in?
You gave me a momentary scare there! I thought you said you were the one who sold it to me, at first. I couldn't believe such a person could ever be part of the typosphere. I don't know how you dealt with him. o.o
DeleteI dated it to 1958 using the Typewriter Database, but I might have been wrong then. Either way, close.
Of course I did. :)
He gets better when you get to know him.
DeleteI've given it a few tries, haha.
Delete