@chrisaldrich Congratulations Chris that Royal is a winner. Of course I'm a sucker for those squared off, Post-War Royals. For some reason I like the typeface on them and that they take universal ribbons. It's nice to see machines built before modern plastics (Bakelite doesn't count) all those chromed metal parts giving it a feel of workmanship.
@bradenslen Bakelite for the win. Universal ribbons are certainly nicer to use. One of my primary strikes against Remington is the time it takes to spool ribbon onto those cores...
I just came across One Typed Page today. I'm curious if you've submitted there before?
@chrisaldrich This is the first time learning about One Typed Page, so thank you. I certainly put it in the queue to be added to the directory!
@chrisaldrich When I was a tiny child, my father worked for a company called BXL: Bakelite Xylonite Limited. I haven’t though about Bakelite for years, until I saw this conversation.
@adders The house my father grew up in, (built in 1946), had bakelite light switches. That’s my entire experience with it. Now, of course, I have many things that have a backlite.
@adders Did you have lots of it around the house the way I had a variety of roller bearings (my father's work) to play with? I wish I had kept more of the old Bakelite items I had as a kid. Alas...
@chrisaldrich @adders @odd My grandparents, both sides, had a lot of Bakelight things around their homes. I seem to remember ashtrays which were 1940's style. And the light switches in the basement were all Bakelite. IMHO Bakelite was/is quite a good material and feels better in the hand than modern plastics.
@bradenslen Yes, I wonder if it is underused because it’s an old material(?) I forgot the toilet seat at my uncle’s, I think that might have been bakelite, but that was a early 1960s model.
@odd I think Bakelite being considered "old fashioned" is part of it. I think we thought newer plastics were an improvement, being lighter, colorful and flexible. On the other hand, I think I read somewhere Bakelite has less negative environmental impact than modern plastics.
@odd @JohnPhilpin And let's hear it for Micro.blog. What other social network has a discussion about Bakelite?
waves cane
@bradenslen Yes, I imagined it would have, (just a hunch though), so maybe it should be considered again.
@bradenslen Haha, yes, I love it! The youngsters today should get off our lawn and start making some bakelite!