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18-1-2017 14:12:45  #1


Brother, can you spare a laptop sleeve?

I'll admit that I was intrigued by this image when I first saw the ad, at least until it turned out it was only a sleeve, and not an actual bag as the local seller described it. The thought of stuffing a Brother into a padded bag that had an image of a Brother on the outside appealed to me, especially for use while traveling, but the reality is that a laptop sleeve is far more suitable for carrying half a ream of paper than an ultra-portable typewriter.
 


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
 

18-1-2017 14:47:58  #2


Re: Brother, can you spare a laptop sleeve?

I keep forgetting that laptop bags often have sufficient depth to hold even a somewhat taller typewriter than a portable. And those bags are everywhere and very cheap.

 

18-1-2017 15:21:28  #3


Re: Brother, can you spare a laptop sleeve?

My go-to bag is still a Gator; it fits a number of ultra-portables and has room still for some paper. I'm not sure that I'd want to travel with a typewriter that was any larger or heavier as it would be too cumbersome, and besides, an ultra-portable easily fits under an airline seat, something I don't think larger portables would be able to do.


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
     Thread Starter
 

18-1-2017 16:29:54  #4


Re: Brother, can you spare a laptop sleeve?

Saw an ad locally for a Royal Junior, which is I gather larger than a true portable (e.g. Royalite) but still pretty small -- no case for it. I agree that something like a QDL or 5-series Smith-Corona might be too large and heavy for a laptop bag.

 

18-1-2017 18:40:08  #5


Re: Brother, can you spare a laptop sleeve?

A "true" portable is really any model smaller than a standard; it would be tempting to claim that a portable is any typewriter that has its own travel case, but there were a few standards with protective cases and that would probably confuse matters.

Years ago I started calling the really small (flat) portable models, ultra-portables. My reason for this was simple: the definition of practical portability has changed dramatically over the years, and in a world of ever-shrinking airplane seats and invasive security protocols, I felt it was important to distinguish between machines that were easy to move between the thrift store and your home, and those that you could actually travel with. Sure it's still possible to lug around a large and heavy portable, it's no great effort if you're using a car (I traveled with a standard once), but it's a surefire way of turning simple trips using other modes of transportation into arduous journeys. 

I own about half a dozen different models that are named Junior, but they don't include the Royal. If you're talking about the model from '30s, my bigger concern than being able to carry it around would be its durability when subjected to the rigors of travel. As a rule I only use 'newer' machines, those from the '50s and '60s, those that I wouldn't shed a tear over if they were to be damaged or lost. Although I've never scientifically proven it, I feel typewriters from those two decades are more robust and can handle travel in a bag far better. I use an Olympia Traveller most often, and it seems to shrug off being handled like any other piece of carry on luggage. 


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
     Thread Starter
 

18-1-2017 19:45:44  #6


Re: Brother, can you spare a laptop sleeve?

I'm thinking more of a case to store it in -- I wouldn't be hauling that machine around with me. Right now the only "ultra" I have is a Singer Scholastic (rebadged Royal Dart) that has its own attache case -- stylish and slim, but not padded.

 

22-1-2017 18:19:38  #7


Re: Brother, can you spare a laptop sleeve?

Uwe wrote:

A "true" portable is really any model smaller than a standard; it would be tempting to claim that a portable is any typewriter that has its own travel case, but there were a few standards with protective cases and that would probably confuse matters.

Years ago I started calling the really small (flat) portable models, ultra-portables. My reason for this was simple: the definition of practical portability has changed dramatically over the years, and in a world of ever-shrinking airplane seats and invasive security protocols, I felt it was important to distinguish between machines that were easy to move between the thrift store and your home, and those that you could actually travel with. Sure it's still possible to lug around a large and heavy portable, it's no great effort if you're using a car (I traveled with a standard once), but it's a surefire way of turning simple trips using other modes of transportation into arduous journeys. 

I own about half a dozen different models that are named Junior, but they don't include the Royal. If you're talking about the model from '30s, my bigger concern than being able to carry it around would be its durability when subjected to the rigors of travel. As a rule I only use 'newer' machines, those from the '50s and '60s, those that I wouldn't shed a tear over if they were to be damaged or lost. Although I've never scientifically proven it, I feel typewriters from those two decades are more robust and can handle travel in a bag far better. I use an Olympia Traveller most often, and it seems to shrug off being handled like any other piece of carry on luggage. 

From this, I would say the portability of a typewriter is relative--depending upon the circumstances involved with getting it from point A to point B.  It could be argued that a standard Royal HH upright manual is more portable than a Royal RE of the same vintage because the HH is self-contained, whereas the RE relies on an outside power source.  But could it be said that a Royal HH, being self-contained be more portable than, say, a Smith-Corona Coronet Super 12--which is not as self-contained and relies on a power source?  While both are heavier than blue blazes, the Coronet Super 12 is of a smaller size, and therefore, logically more portable than the HH, even though it's not self-contained. 

Just this ol' cowpoke's opinion:  a true portable typewriter, I think, would be self-contained (though not always necessarily a manual, as I've seen 6-volt Smith-Coronas and a myriad of battery-powered electronics), light enough to reasonably manage, and, as was said, can stand up to the rigors of whatever mode of travel is put before it.
 


Underwood--Speeds the World's Bidness
 

19-2-2017 15:05:11  #8


Re: Brother, can you spare a laptop sleeve?

What kinds of typewriters are small enough to fit in a laptop sleeve?

 

19-2-2017 16:18:43  #9


Re: Brother, can you spare a laptop sleeve?

Yale wrote:

What kinds of typewriters are small enough to fit in a laptop sleeve?

If you have a largish laptop sleeve, try a Canon Typestar or a Rooy portable.

 

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