These two Erika 5 portables were brought to the shop, and one of them for a bit of work.
The 1935 model 5 is the pretty one, yet she has the most going on. Paper rollers were hard and cracked, needing replacement. The platen had stuck to the rollers so the platen needed a bit of reconditioning. Afterwards it was apparent the platen should be replaced. It is covered with micro cracks and is hard as a rockabilly song.
Oddly, the machine still puts print on paper nicely.
When I pulled the 1935 typewriter off the base, the grommets fell apart. I think this machine may have been subjected to high storage temperatures as all the rubber is pretty bad. After the rollers were replaced, platen cleaned up, and everything else cleaned and re-oiled this Erika typed pretty nice!
The 1939 model 5 comes with automatic tabs. Such a luxury! This machine has metal corrosion and pitting under the paint. On the other hand, while not as pretty as the older machine, it really just needed a bit of cleaning and re-oiling. Oh, and a new ribbon. Both machines type very well.
I love the Erika logo.