Restoring An Old Typewriter

This post is in remembrance of my grandfather, who was a man of great discipline, and from whom I got this typewriter.

My grandfather passed away in last week of this February. One of his good habits was to keep his stuff in order. If he did not need something, he would keep that safe in its original box (he used to keep them too). One of those things is this typewriter. Look, how it's packaged!

This is Brother Deluxe 1350, a portable typewriter made in Japan.

After getting such an artifact in this digital age, first thing one does is search it online. So did I!
On ebay, it was on sale for $60. Another dude was selling a different version of this typewriter for $285. I don't know what its real worth is. My uncle joked: "When you become 50, you can sell it and be rich."

I couldn't wait to see it working. So, my quest began.

I inserted a sheet into the roller. And pushed the 'A' key. It did not type anything. Probably, the ink was dry. Or the key required more effort? But it was a relief to see that the machinery was working. When I typed an alphabet, the 'cursor' (I don't know what else to call it) would move forward. Or simply, the roller assembly would move leftwards by one point.

As the typewriter proudly displays, the 'Automatic Repeat Spacer' is really awesome. You just keep it pressed, and the roller moves leftwards repeatedly. I would like to research about mechanics involved for this feature.

The metal cover is taken off.

Looking for the Black Ink Strip

I knew a little about the typewriters and how the ink got to the paper. So, it came down to arranging the 'ink strip' for the typewriter. I knew it must be called something else. I typed it into the search engine and let the internet correct me. Ah! It's called typewriter 'ribbon' (*facepalm*).

The ribbon comes in between the arms of the keys to print what's embossed on it, just like a stamp.

First, I tried to find the ribbons on online stores, who could deliver in Pakistan. There were none. So, I went to Urdu Bazar in Lahore to try find there. After inquiring hither and thither for an hour, I found the ribbons at a small shop, which happened to have them for just $1 each.

Time for some Action

After wasting a few sheets, I managed to write this poem in memory of my dear grandfather. The poem is great.

It was really an awesome experience, to see how the typewriter works, and understand its mechanics. I have decided to keep it safe, only taking it out to write letter, when I am faced with an opportunity like Frank Underwood experienced. :)

Here are some more photos of the typewriter: