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Theodore Munk

Personal blog · munk.org/typecastdesignhardware

Theodore Munk's personal blog at munk.org covers design and hardware. Since 2015, 5 different Hacker News readers have linked it 6 times. No feed was found, so read it on the site itself.

No feed foundVisit the blog
6mentions?
5HN people?
2015–2024first – last linked?
Links on Hacker News per year · peak 2 in 2024

Too few sampled comments (4) to say how often HN recommends it.?

Why HN links it

HN readers link Theodore Munk's Typecast posts on vintage office equipment, cited as sources for IBM Selectric typeballs, a 1938 Ace Pilot stapler, and Dymo and Kroy label makers. The comments only link the posts.

Summarised by Claude from a sample of 4 HN comments that link here. Each comment is marked recommending, critical or neutral (citing without judging); how this works.

What Hacker News says?

  1. I'm going to guess it was an IBM selectric using the pica72 font typeball. http://munk.org/typecast/2013/11/03/gp-ibm-selectric-typebal... Bitstream has a $$ font called Pica 10 Pitch if you're interested. https://www.myfonts.com/fonts/bitstream/pica-10-pitch/ n.b - the typist used lower-case L instead of the number 1.

    Comment linking /typecast/2013/11/03/gp-ibm-selectric-typeball-catalog-font-styles/

    on “My dad’s resume and skills from 1980”
  2. Submitted Kroy 80 as a story · 4 points

    HN discussion
  3. > - A high quality manual stapler is really hard to find. I haven't found any equal to my Apsco 2002 stapler which is no longer made. Everything I tried jams more often. Luckily, the dimensions of a standard staple haven't change in 50+ years, so you can purchase a beautiful used old Ace Pilot for under $15 - http://munk.org/typecast/2014/05/21/stapler-of-the-week-1938... (Or just get a new-used Apsco 2002 on ebay..…

    Comment linking /typecast/2014/05/21/stapler-of-the-week-1938-ace-pilot-model-404/

    on “Mathematicians Are Hoarding a Type of Japanese Chalk”
  4. Submitted Font Ball (2015) as a story · 1 points

    HN discussion
  5. They are cool and I almost bought one, that's why Dymo's were mentally at hand. Instead I bought the cheapest Brother on Amazon...it doesn't connect to the internet, just sits in a drawer. Maybe if I come across a Dymo in a thrift store, I'll have one too because they are kind of cool. Which reminds me, about 25 years ago I had a Kroy 80 in my studio. The Kroy 80 is a Dymo on steriods. https://munk.org/typecast/2012…

    Comment linking /typecast/2012/08/17/kroy-80-80k-sales-brochure-with-fonts/

    on “Pwning a Brother labelmaker, for fun and interop”
  6. The swappable typefaces are wonderful - it appears that there were dozens of them: https://typeballs.com http://typebarhead.blogspot.com/2012/04/ibm-selectric-typeba... https://munk.org/typecast/2013/11/03/gp-ibm-selectric-typeba...

    Comment linking /typecast/2013/11/03/gp-ibm-selectric-typeball-catalog-font-styles/

    on “The Selectric Typewriter”

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