Typewriter Profile: The Underwood Universal

[@sandrodunatov485]

Amazing machine. Effective and quintessential.

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

You’ve used two very appropriate adjectives here @sandrodunatov485. Thanks for watching and commenting. Agreed!

[@ericaycock8728]

I love your descriptions, the ".32 caliber..." "going to war with words..." amazing

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

Much obliged, Eric!

[@GonzoSmith]

I picked up one of these Universals from an antique mall in Indiana. It was just dirty and dusty, but once I got it all cleaned and lubed up...yes, right on man...this one really is impressive. You do get a sense of awe about how well-made this typewriter is. No bells and whistles, just a writer's tool, fine-tuned to perfection, ready to get the job done. Never had an Underwood before in my collection, and I appreciated your tribute to it. Made me happy to join the club. Keep on keeping on.

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

Glad to hear you found one GonzoSmith. I agree, they’re excellent machines. Many happy returns to you and yours. Get it? “Returns?” That’s a little typewriter humor there… 😌😉

[@koraykaan]

Awesome video, thank you! Do you have any idea how to adjust uppercase and lowercase letters? My uppercase letters are typing just a bit high and not aligned.

[@LANCSKID]

Video watched … you convinced me … order placed!

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

May it be everything you hope it is, LANCSKID. In fact, may everything be what you hope it is. Because it probably will be anyway. Let me know how it goes and thanks for watching!

[@LANCSKID]

It needed a little attention much as I expected. Ribbon was upside down and incorrectly threaded! Feet (one missing) were rotting away for sure. Ordered four rubber door stops and some Superglue … worked like a charm! Platen not so bad, all in all a lovely, robust typewriter. Thank-you for bringing it to my attention - I trust your judgement 👍

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

@@LANCSKID I'm so glad it worked out for you. Good move on the rubber doorstops. Congrats on your new machine and, far more important, what I take to be your enterprising nature. Write well, my friend!

[@typewriterexperience465]

sold as a Olivetti. I saw one of them. But not used it.

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

Try it!

[@johnlennon1049]

Good video. I have a 1951/52 Underwood Finger-Flight Champion manual typewriter. When I would hit a capital letter, the letter would be a little higher (not much) than the rest of the letters. Is there away to adjust the letters that they all come out even? Also, once in a while after I would hit the letter “a”, the next letter would skip. Is there a way to fix that? Thanks!

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

Hi @johnlennon1049. Thanks for watching, and congrats on your Underwood. I don’t know that model so well but I think I know the problems you’re describing. If the capital and lowercase letters are consistently out of alignment, that’s likely good news. It means you should adjust the line setting for capital and lowercase by (in most cases) turning your typewriter over and using a flathead screwdriver to futz with the character alignment screws you’re likely to find there. Which screw is your character alignment screw? Every model of typewriter is different. It makes the most sense to get hold of the manual for your make and model machine, or the closest version you can find. Try Ted Munk’s typewriterdatabase.com. He’s got a lot of excellent materials available for download. Or Richard Polt’s typewriter resources page. He’s very kindly posted a lot of old manuals for free. Bottom line, this is often a simple operation that anyone can pull off to correct their typewriters’ output. The second problem you’ve described-the skipping “a”-is most often, in my experience, an escapement issue. Or a linkage to the escapement issue. I have this happen on a few of my machines, and only on specific keys. Sometimes you can adjust the touch settings so it doesn’t happen. Sometimes you can consciously put less pressure on that key (which often works on my Royals). The best way I know to deal with this issue is to check with a seasoned typewriter repair person. They can either alter the escapement or work in other ways to adjust the tension on the linkage for that key to keep the skip from happening. I hope this helps. Please keep in touch and let me know how it goes. Wishing you all my best.

[@johnlennon1049]

@@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco Thank you very much. I will do what you say and I will let you know how I made out. Love your videos and thank you again.

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

@@johnlennon1049 My pleasure. Good luck!

[@stampdealer]

"It's a contraption." I'll take it!

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

Me too, Greg!

[@aubreykay338]

Does the underwood champion also have the exact same features as the underwood universal?!!!!!

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

Hi @aubreykay338. The Champion has all the features of a Universal plus the tabulation mechanism.

[@notmychelle]

I commented yesterday but looks like it was removed? 😢 I have a 1939 Universal, it was my first typewriter.

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

Archelle, I apologize. An hour or so after that video launched I saw it had a copyright claim against the music track I used. Long story short, I had to delete it, redo it, and upload again, which I did as quickly as possible. Thanks for writing back. Love that you had a Universal for your first machine. What could be better? I love mine. Though I’d also love to have black Underwood Champion, or one of the old Underwood Elliott Fishers from that period. Bottom line they’re awesome I think. Congrats to you and yours.

[@notmychelle]

@@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco Thanks for the reply! These machines are lil’ tanks! Mine does not have the paper fingers like yours, or maybe they’ve come off in the past 83 years. I like how its paper bail folds forward. One drawback is the feed roller lever and the carriage release are so close together that I have to be very careful not to trip the carriage release.

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

@@notmychelle Archelle, you nailed it (again)! While filming this video, I actually had to do a bunch of takes on that very point because I kept mixing up the paper release lever (feed roller lever) with the carriage release button on the right hand side. Thanks for making me feel sane. Guess I'm not the only one. Regarding the paper fingers, I feel pretty certain they came standard with the Universal. Which begs the question... what happened to yours? Who stole your paper fingers ... and why? Sounds like the start of a good typewriter mystery. Sort of like Agatha Christie meets Typewriter Geek. Let's do it! Peace to you, my friend.

[@FrankGrauJr]

My Universal Champion is the one I generally let me kids use when they want to type. It’s either that or my Olympia 4. The Champion works like, well, a champ.

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

The Champion is definitely on my list, Frank. And I hear fine things about the Olympia 4. My 3 is a fine piece of machinery. Wishing you my best.

[@typewriter6885]

Variable line spacing - try pulling the left knob out

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

Will do! Can 't believe I've never tried that. Thanks! I'm traveling now but will try it the moment I'm back.

[@seanstevens7191]

Good for you on not replacing the feet with the "official" feet! I completely understand why you would do so if you wanted a showroom-condition example or if you were going to restore it to pristine condition to be sold to a museum (where it will likely atrophy & die), but if you're going to use this daily (as it should be), then why pay extra for something that's just as (if not even more) functional than the "official" part?

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

Sean, I agree completely, and appreciate that you understand this. Some of my 25 or so machines are in pristine conditions and I'm happy about that. But most have some small bug or irregularity due to their age and use. I'm a professional writer and use my typewriters often for work. If a machine is functional but not in A+ condition, I can live with that ... so long as they partner with me to get pages finished.

[@seanstevens7191]

@@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco I'm a writer/author too, and I use my typewriters to write with. I don't need something in showroom condition.

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

@@seanstevens7191 Right on. Then you get it. Well met, friend!

[@tranquilityseeker581]

Actually you have a 1940 one

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

Could be, @tranquilityseeker581. I'm just going by what the serial # index tells me from the online Typewriter Database. Which isn't infallible though it's an excellent tool.

[@someonespadre]

Why does the quick brown fox feel he needs to jump over lazy dogs?

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

Clearly the quick brown fox felt he wasn't getting enough exercise.

[@LANCSKID]

So much better than wizards packing liquor jugs etc. …

[@someonespadre]

Forgive my poor effort: A dark and stormy Knight riding upon a banjo wielding lizard vexed the Queen’s pony force.

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

@@LANCSKID no question.

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

@@someonespadre That’s not poor effort. It’s gorgeous. Now write what happens next!

[@mitchellaneous1]

you could be a double for Harrison Ford

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

What a nice compliment, Mitch. I'll take it, with thanks. And thanks for watching!

[@mitchellaneous1]

@@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco young harrison ford!

[@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco]

@@mitchellaneous1 “The ark is everything we got into archeology for in the first place.”