Underwood

Underwood

Underwood was one of the most prolific typewriter manufacturers in history. Based out of New York City, 1895 saw the production of the first Underwood Standard Typewriter. Designed by Franz X. Wagner, this standard frontstroke machine was generally considered the first modern typewriter and catapulted the company to success before a merger with Olivetti in 1963.

Standards

Name	Date Range	Description and Rarity	-
Underwood 1 , Underwood 2	1895-1900	The first Underwood standards had metal paper scales and a more primitive bail roller system, and their frontstroke design made them the first "modern" typewriter. These machines are quite rare, and often command high prices; however, given that they look very similar to later Underwood standards, they may often be overlooked.
Underwoods nos. 3, 4, 5	1895-1933	The Underwoods 3, 4, and 5 were variations on a highly successful theme. Differences from the 1 and 2 included a redesigned shift system and more keys, and a different ribbon color selection system. Their abundance makes them less valuable; however, they tend to type well and are excellent beginners' machines due to their attractive design and ease of repair. The 3 is wide-carriage; the 4 types 78 characters and the 5 types 84.
Underwood 6	Far too long	Just no.	Disclaimer: one of our editors hates it; it's not that bad.
Underwood Master	1937- 1940	The Underwood Master was the successor to the 6. A distinctive trait was the "door" implemented on the front of the machine to access the typebars for cleaning. A comparatively uncommon Underwood, but still a very common machine. Tends to type well.
Underwood S, SS, SX, FIVE	1941 - 1968	These grey and boring standards are hard to tell apart, generally worth little, and generally write well. Many were used in the US government and its branches. The S is the earliest and is carriage-shifted; the SS is basket-shifted, and the SX is a '50s redesign that often features plastic keys. The Underwood Five [stylized "underwood FIVE"] is a plastic-shelled version of the SS or SX.
Underwood Fanfold Machines	1931 - 1942	Has a long extension behind the typewriter to create fanfold duplicated documents. Very rare.
Underwood Noiseless 6	1929 - 193X	Built by Remington for Underwood, this machine is an exact clone of the Remington Noiseless Standard no. 6. Not particularly rare.
Underwood Noiseless 10	193X - 194X	Built by Remington for Underwood, this machine is an exact clone of the Remington Noiseless Standard no. 10. Not particularly rare.	Example
Underwood Raphael	196X	Underwood's attempt at a proportional-spacing standard, the Raphael is a rare machine. However, it is also an electric standard and thus generally undesirable.	Example
Underwood Forum	196X	IDK Man.	Example
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Portables

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