1957 Hermes Rocket #5572854
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Patrick Jamieson (pjamieson)
Created: 04-26-2023 at 04:13PM
Last Edit: 07-07-2023 at 05:04PM
Find on Ebay #AD
Find on Etsy #AD
Description:
Purchased from an individual in California, United States in April 2023. I like the QWERTY keyboard with European diacritics; that's what attracted me to the machine. However, it had issues. I repaired the detached draw band, did a bit of cleaning and tuning, added a new ribbon in metal spools, and replaced the beat up metal lid with a nice leatherette case. The bottom of this case replaces the usual Baby/Rocket metal bottom, with the front and rear shell pieces--and thus the typewriter itself--attaching directly to it. I modeled and 3D-printed new feet for it. This typewriter now types nicely, with a good feel.
Typeface Specimen:
Photos:
Hunter: Patrick Jamieson (pjamieson)
Patrick Jamieson's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 1430
I'm a semi-retired software/web developer with a now eight-year-old grandson, Jaxon, who is crazy about typewriters. In late 2021, at age six, Jaxon got a Montgomery Ward Escort 350 portable from Goodwill that absolutely fascinated him. He still takes it everywhere, and remains especially pleased that it has a key for the number one. He considers his Escort to be our best typer, but I think that honor goes to our second generation 1969 Hermes 3000. Jaxon's got me hooked, and now--between us--we have a growing collection of writing machines. Together, we've set up and equipped a small workshop area and, whenever we get the chance, we clean and perform minor repairs on our typewriters. Now that Jaxon's reading and writing skills are steadily improving, he rarely needs anyone to tell him how to spell the words he wants to type.
Newer to typewriter collecting than Jaxon, I am particularly interested in ultraportables and portables, and have developed a special fondness for Gossen, Hermes, and Rooy machines. I am also very interested in any brand/model with a HCESAR keyboard layout. A collector-at-heart--I have long collected West Indian fiction (40+ years) and Haitian art (30+ years)--I am old enough to have owned and regularly used typewriters back in the pre-PC days.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Hermes Rocket on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Hermes Serial Number page and the Hermes Rocket By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
