Союз авторучка / Soyuz fountain pen

From what I can tell, this pen was two steps up from a cheap school pen and two steps down from the most expensive pens that I'm assuming only party members would usually have. (or if I'm overcomplicating things, the middle pen of a range of 3) Being made in the USSR, the "brand name" isn't particularly important. This doesn't say "Союз" anywhere on it. In fact, there are no letters on it at all. As with all pens, it ought to get even better to use over time as it adjusts to my hand. The nib is fairly broad and there is a little bit of flex to it, though it's not obvious when writing because the variation of the line is so slight.

Written with my new Союз fountain pen.

For sale: one of two known Jolson Almas

I promise I'm not turning my blog into a typewriter marketplace. XD

This will be the last "typewriter for sale" post for a while.

I've just been in a rather clearing-out sort of mood lately.

Richard Polt owns the other one, seen here

My original feature post

Sent from my Jolson Alma or Alma Jolson

I keep my collecting under control

This is not a joke.

*I see it as supreme truth, not a load of rot.

Sent from my Torpedo 18a

The most beautiful computer

What could this be?

1983 Otrona Attache 5300

The Otrona Attache cost $3995 new and was designed and made in Boulder, Colorado from 1982 to 1984. It has a Z-80 processor running CP/M 2.2.5 and 64k of RAM. The handle flips under to prop the computer up at two different angles.

Watch the Otrona Attache in action:

Programs for the Otrona Attaché

A video I recorded of an MBASIC-80 piano program that lets you play notes with the keyboard.

If you would like copies of any Otrona diskettes, send a message to my email address shown on the contact page. I can send you a listing of the contents of each disk and make copies for a small fee.

Otrona Attache on the Obsolete Technology Website

Otrona Attache on Old-Computers.com Museum

Otrona on Wikipedia

Sent from my new Otrona Attache

Double Gothic

197X Adler J2 4869080

Sent from my new Adler J2

Valentine-1984

I have fond memories of old DOS games with their chunky graphics and limited color pallets.

I was messing about in Photoshop and decided to create this.

Noodler's flex pen

Does my writing look like it's running downwards to you? I checked, in the scan the lines are perfectly horizontal. I think it's the way I hold my hand to get the right angle for the flex. Proper Spencerian pens have angled nibs so you don't need to do that.

This, the cheapest Noodler's flex pen, is finicky, has design flaws, and smells weird due to the plastic used, but with deliberation you can get results worth many times the cost of the pen, which only costs as much as an average bottle of ink.

Torpedo 20 vs Remington Travel-Riter

1952 Torpedo 20 610490

195X Remington Travel-Riter TR 629 703

Notice how the Torpedo logo on the outside of the case is nicer than on the paper table. XD

The Torpedo comes out as the clear winner for speed and touch, though the Remington has a nicer carriage return and more convenient functions. The Torpedo's case is a lot nicer, too. When I say I prefer Remingtons least of American typewriters, I mean post-war Remingtons. I'm quite fond of their earlier designs.