You may think that was a little harsh, and I'm sure that this typewriter has its fans. I have to say it's okay to type on, but I have two Olympia SMs and a Remington Quiet-Riter that I prefer to write with.
I already have a Royal QDL with a tricky escapement and I don't want my collection to fill up with problematic machines. This Hermes doesn't display any other problem besides this escapement issue, but it's enough to make me want to move it on. Keys are in nifty condition, though.
The touch control knob is nice. Looks like a volume control.
Freshly serviced, you can still see the grease. Pretty clean. Looks like it's been clumsily placed into the carry case on more than one occasion.
And the carry case is simply perfect. Shame about the sticker being removed. This typewriter may have travelled more than I have.
But, after some careful thinking, I think I'll shift this one. Maybe there's a repairman out there who will figure it out with no problem.
Needless to say, it has typed better since I got it back from Zack than it did before I got it serviced, but if "Terminator 2- Judgment Day" (Dir: James Cameron, 1991) has taught me anything, it's that you can't trust machines. I'm sure I'll sit down to use this Hermes to write something important and it will start skipping words and spaces. Sorry, baby, you just can't be trusted.
I suppose if I had never bought an Olympia SM, I would probably keep this one, but the typing action on the German-made SMs is simply divine. This Hermes comes close, but I'm no expert on these things. I just know what I prefer. It's a variation on the old line about art; "I know nothing about art, but I know what I like."
Shame, really, because it's a beautiful looking machine. And if space wasn't an issue, I'd probably hang on to it, but I'm considering going for a late '40s or early '50s Royal at some point, so I want to thin out the collection so that I can wind up with models that I'll use.
Ah well, I'm sure that whoever winds up with it will be happy with it.
Thanks for reading!
I don't blame you for ditching this unreliable beast. You've gone above and beyond the call of duty in getting it serviced. It had a chance at spending time in the sun and that's pretty darned good for a 60 year old machine.
ReplyDeleteMy current heartbreaker is an Alpina. The keys are heavier than a Torpedo or even the Noiseless 8 and it is striking inconsistently. The Alpina brand is mythical, but I'm not feeling the love. I'll keep trying, but it may also end up on ebay or Etsy.
Damn, I was considering going for an Alpina. If it's got heavy keys, then I don't wanna know about it. Like my Hermes, I'm sure somebody will go for it and use it in their hallway to leave messages for family members or type up shopping lists on it.
DeleteIt may not be the machine... I have a couple of Royals that have offended me in the same way, but they never seem Togo wrong when other people type on them.
ReplyDeleteOh we'll... You're right, it is time to move it on either way.
An SM has made many a faithful man turn away from his favorite machines. It simply doesn't get any better! The 2000's really do look fantastic, but I have heard they are quite similar to the 3000's, just with a heavier (carriage) shift. That being said, I have never been particularly impressed with the 3000, and therefore haven't had any reason to seek out a slightly lesser model. Of course, I couldn't turn down one of those beautiful glossy 2000's if one came my way.
ReplyDeleteAlso, let me get this straight. You want to get rid of this 2000, which has minor escapement issues, and replace it with...a Royal? Sounds like getting rid of a car with one flat tire and getting one with three!
Good luck with the breakup. Many tear/oil drops, I'm sure, will be shed.
You'll find that most people who have used a Hermes 2000 will agree with you on this point - I have brought home three, and while the latest only skips once in a long while, all of them have been prone to this problem - some more than others. For some reason that particular machine has not aged well (at least in the body style you have and which is the most common; I have not tried any of the earlier shiny black ones). Can't say I blame you for parting with it - two of the three I got left a long time ago and the third is on its way out as well. Ken's analogy about replacing this with a Royal is funny, though!
ReplyDeleteNOW you tell me. (Ha, ha!) I'm beginning to think I should stick to watches when it comes to 'Swiss Made'. Well, watches and Lindt chocolate. Although, I am sure that there are some superb Swiss typewriters out there. I just don't have any.
DeleteMy Hermes Media has done a similar thing, but it's been improving on its own lately. I'm more interested in your experience of selling on ebay. Have you done it before.
DeleteI've sold numerous stuff on eBay. Two typewriters, a Remington Portable, which I posted about here, and an Imperial Good Companion 5. The hardest part was finding a box large enough to ship them safely. Other than that, I have had no issues.
Delete@ Scott, yep, it might be the way I type on it, but the keys are pretty heavy on this one. Either way, I can't keep every machine that I buy. Some of them looks great, but seem to lack something when you actually start typing on them.
ReplyDelete@ Ken, yes, I would rather have a Royal. My '46 Quiet De Luxe is by far the best machine I have, even with its random letter skipping. Besides, I can modify my typing technique (such as it is) and get no skipping occurring at all. And they weren't kidding when they named it 'Quiet De Luxe'. It's the most 'polite' sounding typewriter I have. I could almost type into the night with this one, but my wife is a very light sleeper and even a QDL would be too loud for her. As far as looks go, the QDL is Rita Hayworth compared to the 3000. That's why I named it "Gilda"...plus the fact that it was made in 1946, like the movie.
I'm yet to type on a QDL. But I believe my Arrow is very similar - but is the 30's O model.
DeleteHave you got, or tried a Hermes 3000?
A 1930s Arrow sounds nice. Never tried a 3000. To be honest, if I was gonna go for another '50s typewriter, I'd aim for a Triumph Gabriele or a Smith-Corona Silent Super.
DeleteWhat's surprising to me is that the 2000 doesn't seem to share the coveted "buttery" feel of the 3000. I love that Supermodel allusion!
ReplyDeleteSo when you list it on eBay, will you describe the skipping issues?
ReplyDeleteI totally relate to your exasperation with skipping. It's unacceptable over the long haul, especially when one relies on dependability and consistency for writing work (like for NaNo, for example).
Certain brands do "tend" to have certain issues, but not ALL of them exhibit these flaws. I have 4 Royals: Model 10, "O" portable, Arrow and Sabre. Only the "O" has the skipping issue; the others are fine!
For some reason, the Arrow models don't seem to have this problem...and they are the economy model! At least, mine doesn't! I have never once heard of a Royal desktop falling to this, either.
DeleteWith the typewriters that I've sold in the past, I was mindful of listing any and all faults with the machines. Once you get to a certain level of 100% positive feedback, it becomes a game where you want to ensure that it stays 100%. For me, anyway. This Hermes problem is not a major fault, I suppose, but I don't want somebody buying it and thinking that they're getting a perfect machine.
DeleteHow sure are we that the touch control is the knob on the back... it looks like a carriage tension adjustment.
ReplyDeletehttp://machinesoflovinggrace.com/manuals/Hermes2000Manual.pdf
DeletePage 7 explains it to be touch control, although I was right there with you with it being a mainspring tension adjuster. Though, this is not normally found on portables, now that I think of it.
I should mention here just in case it hasn't been tried, that Bill Wahl in Mesa fixed my skipping Lettera 22 by backing up the point at which it trips the escapement to let the carriage move a space. He explained that when it's too close, a rebounding typebar can trip it twice.
ReplyDelete