1962 Underwood Touchmaster Five #11-8913260
Status: My Collection
Hunter: James Grooms (jgrooms)
Created: 03-03-2024 at 08:15AM
Last Edit: 02-02-2026 at 09:09AM
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Description:
A low mileage Touchmaster 5 ready for service and detail. It is missing its ribbon covers. One of the plastic ribbon drive gears is broken.
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This was taking up valuable cart space, so I finally got around to it. Oh hmm is what I think of the Olivettified Underwood standard. The T2 is actually the last true Underwood standard..
Interesting Duane PT vid on a more robust tab brake that this one doesn't have. The only ones I have seen have a pad and lever that engages the main spring.
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Ads from 57-58 are the Touch-Master, which is some cosmetics applied to the SXs
Touch-Master IIs for 59 with the new corporate logo. The Documentor electric and the TII are cosmetically aligned.
This is the end of Underwood. Olivetti guts the top brass and many of the middle level managers are pushed out. The Touchmaster II is effectively the last Underwood machine.
T5 starts in 1960. The T5, and the electric lineup are, somewhat, aligned with Olivetti's color scheme on their office machines. The Lexikon 80E is dropped in 1961 as they rollout the Raphael for their top of the line electric. The Underwood portable lineup is killed and all sold off at steep discounts by early 1961.
Typeface Specimen:
Links:
Photos:
Hunter: James Grooms (jgrooms)
James Grooms's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 20078
Typewriters are the perfect blend of using one's technical skills, history and functional purpose. My goal is type tested machines. My interests are not isolated to anyone area. For example, I am a big fan of Smith Corona electrics, mid century electrics and all things Royal.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Underwood Touchmaster Five on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Underwood Serial Number page and the Underwood Touchmaster Five By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
