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A common supplier for typewriters in general is Ribbons Unlimited: https://www.ribbonsunlimited.com/ https://www.ribbonsunlimited.com/ The carbon film you're r

by ckz 3y ago

A common supplier for typewriters in general is Ribbons Unlimited: https://www.ribbonsunlimited.com/ https://www.ribbonsunlimited.com/ The carbon film you're referring to is likely part #1299095 (black correctable). Believe generics of these are still made. I also buy NOS sometimes. So far the 30-40yo cartridges seem to work fine once you get to the spooled film vs the few inches that may have been exposed to the elements. Not sure if the chemistry of them is just that stable (vs ink ribbons) or I've simply had good luck (i.e. I'm not speaking from 40 years of experience or anything). The tougher one to source is the "bicycle" style of cartridge used on some Selectric IIIs (other IIIs were built/swapped to work with the old II-style carts).

kamranjon 3y ago
fwiw just got a couple of bicycle style cartridges delivered from ribbons unlimited, along with some correcting tape, and they both work great.
neilv 3y ago
Thanks, Ribbons Unlimited looks like a great resource. A bit like the guy who sells much of the remaining new-old-stock of floppies. A small wholesaler and retailer I worked for as a kid in the late-1980s did a lot of business in replacement printer ribbons, and there was one third-party brand that offered compatibles for most every printer. Today, I wonder how the manufacturing worked: whether they just sourced from factories that already had the tooling and know-how to make those particular compatibles, or they had to arrange the reverse-engineering and tooling. And whether the same parties still make the ribbons today.
- vic-traill 3y ago
  >A bit like the guy who sells much of the remaining new-old-stock of floppies Kind of like Slide Rule Universe: https://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/sruniverse.html https://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/sruniverse.html
devoutsalsa 3y ago
You're lucky that hundred shot of NOS didn't blow the welds on the intake!

by ckz 3y ago

kamranjon 3y ago

fwiw just got a couple of bicycle style cartridges delivered from ribbons unlimited, along with some correcting tape, and they both work great.

neilv 3y ago

Thanks, Ribbons Unlimited looks like a great resource. A bit like the guy who sells much of the remaining new-old-stock of floppies. A small wholesaler and retailer I worked for as a kid in the late-1980s did a lot of business in replacement printer ribbons, and there was one third-party brand that offered compatibles for most every printer. Today, I wonder how the manufacturing worked: whether they just sourced from factories that already had the tooling and know-how to make those particular compatibles, or they had to arrange the reverse-engineering and tooling. And whether the same parties still make the ribbons today.

vic-traill 3y ago
>A bit like the guy who sells much of the remaining new-old-stock of floppies Kind of like Slide Rule Universe: https://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/sruniverse.html https://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/sruniverse.html

devoutsalsa 3y ago

You're lucky that hundred shot of NOS didn't blow the welds on the intake!