Praxis Makes it Personal

The specification for the 1983 Olivetti Praxis 20, makes for unimpressive reading: it has a print speed on the low side (8 cps), and a noise emission reading on the high side (69 dBA). The 1986 Olivetti Personal 50 is identical in design, construction, size, weight (6.3 kg) and technical specification. A stick-on serial number … Continue reading Praxis Makes it Personal →

Orphan Black

Of course, I knew Juki 2100 and 2200 portable electronic typewriters took an Olivetti Praxis compatible ribbon (and a TA Triumph-Adler print wheel, and quacked like a duck, see my Juki New Year blog post of January 1st, 2017), but who knew the Juki 2100 (or is it the 2200?) portable electronic typewriter was also … Continue reading Orphan Black →

A Whole New Ball Game

Goodness gracious great balls o' type, who would have thought there were so many golf ball typewriter variants? IBM were keen to develop and maintain a strong presence in Japan (a case of keeping your friends close, and your enemies closer). It's hardly surprising then, that perhaps the most Selectric-like of all the Selectric clones is … Continue reading A Whole New Ball Game →

Juki New Year

First established as a cooperative of machinery manufacturers in Tokyo in 1938, the TOKYO JUKI INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION began trading under that name in 1943. The first household and industrial sewing machines were produced in 1947 and 1953 respectively. In 1988 the Corporation was renamed simply as JUKI CORPORATION. Today, the company is known primarily for its production of industrial sewing … Continue reading Juki New Year →