#Hermes 3000 typewriter manual#
#Hermes 3000 typewriter portable#

Other papersįound with it indicates that it traveled to Central America and Floridaīefore finally finding its way to Minnesota. They weren't many of those made, and they might be of interest to a collector as a transitional artifact. Smith-Corona used up the standing inventory of parts by relabeling the machine as the Smith-Corona Empire. In the 1960s, Smith-Corona bought out the British Typewriters Ltd factory which had manufactured Rockets under license for Hermes. from 1958 through approximately 1979, although information is sparse about the latter years. Subsequently, you can find very similar-looking typewriters under a host of names. The Hermes 3000 is a line of typewriters made by Paillard S.A. The Baby/Rocket was so popular that Hermes licensed its designs to many other manufacturers. Really, very little about it had changed across 30 years.

#Hermes 3000 typewriter portable#

The Rocket is a direct descendent of the Hermes Baby, Hermes' original subcompact portable typewriter. The 2000 has the advantage of being smaller and lighter, with less intricate controls. This makes the 3000 easier to use for long stretches, and probably preferable for the occasional typist.

The most significant difference is that the 2000 is carriage-shifted, while the 3000 is segment-shifted. Typists often debate which is better: the 2000, or the 3000? In my mind, both are amazing machines to type on the 'feel' is nearly identical between the two. This would be changed in the next redesign (see below). The most-heard complaint about the 3000 is that the controls are difficult to decipher. This curvy machine-dare I even call it 'sexy'?-is highly coveted by aesthetists and users alike both for its looks and its precise feel. Hermes radically redesigned their 'semi-standard' machine in 1958 with the introduction of the 3000.

#Hermes 3000 typewriter manual#

The 2000 is a superb typer-one of the best of the immediate post-war machines-if not the most attractive.It types with a satisfying 'budda-budda-budda' staccato reminiscent of an old rotary machine gun, albeit much quieter.ĭownload the manual for this typewriter here. The 3rd generation sported a logo and color scheme very similar to the later 3000 series, and came in a vinyl, zippered case. This second version predominated throughout the late '40s and early '50s. This unlabeled 2000 is what I think of as the 2nd generation 2000, the first being a black, glossy machine with the ubiquitous round keys. Please don't use any of the materials here without my permission. A pre-1960s Erika is another dopamine fix. What’s more, it’s the type of typewriter that gets the juices going. I’ve gone through stacks of typewriters over the years, yet the Hermes 3000 is one of the few that left a distinct impression in how it felt, worked and sounded.

Genealogy, with a focus on the Seaver, Bilyeu, Amidon, and Lowell branches That’s how long it has been since I reviewed the 3000.