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1965 IBM Selectric I Serial # 4165474 1965 IBM Selectric I typewriter, Serial # 4165474 William Saxbe's 1965 IBM Selectric I typewriter. 2021-08-28 From the Virtual Typewriter Collection of William Saxbe: 1965 IBM Selectric I Serial # 4165474 Classic IBM beige-on-grey mid-sixties Selectric I in tip top shape. Found on craigslist from a local author who intended to write with it but was too attached to word processing on his PC. Sales slip inside chassis indicates he purchased it from an office machine supply business (in refurbished condition) in the nineties. Typewriter then sat unused in his dry basement for decades. No issues when firing it up, and a half dozen golfballs included (dual gothic is a nice san serif font: my favorite). I'm glad it's in such good shape as it's my first element writer. Not sure if be able to fix the mechanism on my own!

Edit: sourced some elusive blue key caps from a donor machine: a real junker found several states away listed as a "Selective" typewriter... Transplant went well!

Pretty little things.

1965 IBM Selectric I #4165474

Status: My Collection
Hunter: William Saxbe (wsaxbe)
Created: 03-31-2021 at 06:15PM
Last Edit: 08-28-2021 at 07:07PM


Description:

Classic IBM beige-on-grey mid-sixties Selectric I in tip top shape. Found on craigslist from a local author who intended to write with it but was too attached to word processing on his PC. Sales slip inside chassis indicates he purchased it from an office machine supply business (in refurbished condition) in the nineties. Typewriter then sat unused in his dry basement for decades. No issues when firing it up, and a half dozen golfballs included (dual gothic is a nice san serif font: my favorite). I'm glad it's in such good shape as it's my first element writer. Not sure if be able to fix the mechanism on my own!

Edit: sourced some elusive blue key caps from a donor machine: a real junker found several states away listed as a "Selective" typewriter... Transplant went well!

Pretty little things.

Typeface Specimen:

Photos:






Post surgery. Nice set of IBM 'accent' baby blue keys.
Post surgery. Nice set of IBM 'accent' baby blue keys.


About halfway through the transplantation.
About halfway through the transplantation.

Pulling keys from the donor machine. They needed some cleaning as they were spritzed with white paint at some point.
Pulling keys from the donor machine. They needed some cleaning as they were spritzed with white paint at some point.

IBM Accent blue keys, ready to go into a clean and working  Selectric I.
IBM Accent blue keys, ready to go into a clean and working Selectric I.

IBM heaven. So many BALLS.
IBM heaven. So many BALLS.

Pair of 3D printed knobs from ebay. Blue is a little darker, and there are a number of printing artifacts on the knob, but they look okay, considering.
Pair of 3D printed knobs from ebay. Blue is a little darker, and there are a number of printing artifacts on the knob, but they look okay, considering.

Plastic sheath fits over 3D knob okay.
Plastic sheath fits over 3D knob okay.

Blue on blue
Blue on blue


Hunter: William Saxbe (wsaxbe)

William Saxbe's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]

Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 287

Old typewriter hound in Seattle Washington



RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the IBM Selectric I on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the IBM Serial Number page and the IBM Selectric I By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.