I wanted an embossing label maker to label some spice jars. The modern electronic labelmaker, which I use all the time in the workshop, just doesn't have the vibe of the old type. The only embossing model available was the Dymo Omega. I ordered one of those, and it came with a roll of tape. Everything was good, or so it seemed - because this is where the story gets a little bit interesting.
My short product review of the Omega would be: it is utterly useless. The letter spacing and letter height are both horribly inconsistent, apparently because the forward "tracking" motion of the tape doesn't work, it keeps slipping and losing control of the tape. When you have cut the tape, more than half of the times I tried, the tape didn't come out again, it simply was stuck inside the machine after cutting. There's also something weird about the trigger, it is hard to control the amount of force you apply to it. The included tape is stiff and doesn't emboss easily. The letters are not clearly visible. I'm not sure if this is the fault of the tape or the machine, or a combination of both.
I don't get it. A company, which has made well-designed embossing label makers since 1959 (or thereabout), completely looses it and redesigns the thing to not work at all. And they don't seem to offer any other, better, more expensive models either. Except for the 3000, which makes metal labels.
Anyway, what to do? I found this lot with three vintage label makers at an online auction. A 1700, a 1710 and a 1750. The first photo below is the actual auction photo, where you can see them with one roll of tape. But they came with several extra rolls, plus all three machines have vintage tape rolls in them. I tried the green 1700, and it works perfect. The tape doesn't get stuck, the tape is softer and more flexible, resulting in a label with consistent letter spacing, and clear, easily readable letters. I'm happy.
But I would like to know more about these models, How old are they? What's the difference between them? I can't seem to find any online resources for this. Can anyone here tell more about the history of these labelmakers?
My short product review of the Omega would be: it is utterly useless. The letter spacing and letter height are both horribly inconsistent, apparently because the forward "tracking" motion of the tape doesn't work, it keeps slipping and losing control of the tape. When you have cut the tape, more than half of the times I tried, the tape didn't come out again, it simply was stuck inside the machine after cutting. There's also something weird about the trigger, it is hard to control the amount of force you apply to it. The included tape is stiff and doesn't emboss easily. The letters are not clearly visible. I'm not sure if this is the fault of the tape or the machine, or a combination of both.
I don't get it. A company, which has made well-designed embossing label makers since 1959 (or thereabout), completely looses it and redesigns the thing to not work at all. And they don't seem to offer any other, better, more expensive models either. Except for the 3000, which makes metal labels.
Anyway, what to do? I found this lot with three vintage label makers at an online auction. A 1700, a 1710 and a 1750. The first photo below is the actual auction photo, where you can see them with one roll of tape. But they came with several extra rolls, plus all three machines have vintage tape rolls in them. I tried the green 1700, and it works perfect. The tape doesn't get stuck, the tape is softer and more flexible, resulting in a label with consistent letter spacing, and clear, easily readable letters. I'm happy.
But I would like to know more about these models, How old are they? What's the difference between them? I can't seem to find any online resources for this. Can anyone here tell more about the history of these labelmakers?
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