Wagner-Underwood #2 versus #5

Wagner Underwood 5, SN 3932-5

Last week, I finally bought a very early Wagner-Underwood #5, with serial number 3932-5. Not many earlier Underwood #5's are known to have survived. I was able to buy it after some harsh negotiations, just 10 minutes driving from where I live. It needed some minor repair and a lot of cleaning, but now it's working again.

Wagner Underwood 5, SN 3932-5

Wagner Underwood 5, SN 3932-5

According to the serial number, this machine was made in 1901. However, it features a dealer sticker of Kaptino. This Amsterdam based typewriter dealing company was founded in 1950, but the address on the sticker was used by Kaptino only from 1962 onwards. I think it's amazing that this typewriter was apparently re-sold again over 60 years after it came out of the factory!

Wagner Underwood 5, SN 3932-5

As the typewriter was re-sold by Kaptino in the 1960s (or later), it's possible that the machine was rebuilt or thoroughly serviced. It seems it was repainted at some spots, but not everywhere. For example, the Wagner-decal at the back is still visible. To me, it seems that the hardware is still original. That makes sense, as Kaptino re-sold standard typewriters for as little as 59 guilders (a new Underwood costed 415 guilders at the time), see this 1962 advertisement. If this machine was really altered with new hardware, it wouldn't be profitable to sell at such a low price.

Last year, I was lucky enough to buy a dirty Wagner-Underwood 2. I was so excited about the find, that I only posted some snapshots of the machine before cleaning it. Now I've cleaned it and I also replaced the not original (plastic!) letters of the shift- and tabulator-key. It looks far better now:

Wagner Underwood 2, SN 9732, before cleaning

Wagner Underwood 2, SN 9732, after cleaning

In total, only around 12000 Wagner-Underwood's 1 and 2 were made (the #2 was the export version with more keys). After that, they were continued by the improved models 4 and 5, the latter being the export version. According to the typewriterdatabase.com, my Wagner-Underwood #2 SN 9732 was made in december 1900. That's just a few months before my Wagner-Underwood #5 SN 3932-5 came out of the factory. So, let's compare the two machines. Click on the image to enlarge.

Wagner-Underwood #2 SN 9732 (left) and Wagner-Underwood #5 SN 3932-5 (right)

Wagner-Underwood #2 SN 9732 (left) and Wagner-Underwood #5 SN 3932-5 (right)

Wagner-Underwood #2 SN 9732 (left) and Wagner-Underwood #5 SN 3932-5 (right)

Wagner-Underwood #2 SN 9732 (left) and Wagner-Underwood #5 SN 3932-5 (right)

Wagner-Underwood #2 SN 9732 (left) and Wagner-Underwood #5 SN 3932-5 (right)

Can you spot the differences?

Early Underwood 5 typewriter

As you know, it is quite easy to find an Underwood 5. Over 3.5 million were made to last forever, and most of them still do. Because of space limitations, my collection can't be too big, but of course it has to include "the most successful typewriter design in history". With so many Underwoods around it is quite hard to make a choice. I waited and waited, till the "perfect" Underwood 5 would show up.

Last week I thought I was lucky. On the internet I found an Underwood 5, with serial number 2815-5. This early number indicates that the machine was made during the first year of the production period (1900-1931). It also had a Dutch dealer sticker, and I like to have machines in my collection that were actually used in The Netherlands. The sticker could hardly be from the period (1901), as synthetic adhesives were only used from the 1920s onwards. Well, I thought, that would be something to find out later about.

According to the Yahoo Typewriter forum, the very early Underwood 5's were made by the Wagner Typewriter Company - the inventors of the first Underwood. Franz Xavier Wagner and his son invented the linkage between the typebar and the key lever and related this to the principle of the segment and type guide. This way, they devised the idea of a segment and bars - an idea which has been incorporated in all successful standard and portable typewriters ever since (Beeching 1974, p. 26).

After some negotiation about the price (30 euros), I was finally able to get the machine. Unfortunately, the owner had bought it at a thrift store, so he knew nothing about its history. Back home, I started to clean the machine...

Before cleaning.

After cleaning. Notice the left shift key has been replaced by a French one.

Than I started to clean the back of the machine. I used a mild abrasive and noted that the typewriter was either VERY dirty, or repainted at some point (by the Dutch dealer?). The back of the typewriter was totally black with no sign of any decal. Because of its early serial number, I suspected that under the dirt/paint would be the Wagner Typewriter Company decal. So, I started rubbing...

Before cleaning

After cleaning

To my surprise, a regular Underwood decal appeared! No mention is made to the Wagner Typewriter Company. I was baffled at first, but some closer inspection of the serial number revealed the mystery:

2815-5 or 42815-5. Quite a difference!

I checked the SN when I picked the typewriter up, but didn't see that it was a 42815 instead of 2815. Nor did the former owner. The first digit is very faint. This makes it a 1904 Underwood, instead of a 1901 Wagner-Underwood. Does it make a big difference? Not really, it's only a decal... But still...