I've been using the blank Rhodia staple top pads for a while and I have to say, the paper is great. It's 21.3 lb high grade vellum made by Clairefontane. It's a little pricey, but made for ink pens. It absorbs ink well without any bleeding. Anyways, I think it's worth a try.

Royal Portable O with touch control. Considering the bomber jacket and the age of typewriter, I guess the plane is a B-17.

In my limited experience, the quietest typewriter I've used (and own) is the Olympia Traveller de Luxe S. The type bars produce a soft thud, rather than a clacking sound. There is no padding glued to the inside of the body, but the frame and the components are rock solid, so there is no internal vibration while using. Also, it is heavier than other ultra portables that I've tried. When I got it, I was looking for the smallest machine I could find with all the bells and whistles I wanted, which it has, but upon testing I expressly remember thinking, "damn, this is one quiet machine."

Can, or have you seen it in person? If not, does the seller seem reputable? (Good reviews, photographs of all angles of the machine and case inside and out, etc.) Was it made in Spain or Mexico? (People seem to prefer the machines made in Spain, but I couldn't really tell you why)

Full disclosure - I own a red Valentine S and enjoy using it. Does it type like a Hermes 3000? Heck no, but mine, at least, types as well as a good ultra-portable. ( maybe that's a bad or vague comparison? I don't know, the only Valentine I've ever used is the one I have)

The price seems right if the machine is in order. If you're buying it to resell it you can probably double your money. I see the rare colors being sold for 600-1,000 - which is insane, plus, I don't think anyone is actually buying them at that price.

As for the condition of the body -- Deep scratches and discoloration are the things to look out for. Those are impossible to fix, unless you are a professional mold polisher. But light, surface scratches can be buffed out no problem with a plastic polish compatible with ABS. Mine had tons of little surface scratches when I got it. I used the Novus polish kit and in a few hours it looked good as new. Light scratches are par for the couse when it comes to the Valentine, especially on the top of the machine due to the direct contact it makes with the case. If you're keeping it for your collection you can solve that problem easy by placing a thin piece of felt with a sticky back inside the case.

SoucekFan wrote:

DRH wrote:

If you are looking for something to compare a platen to, I would look for something in the 60A to 70A range. Hope that helps

From an earlier post on the subject: "A general purpose platen would originally be rated in the 90-92 range."

 
Yeah, 90 makes good sense to me. I suggested those for a quick comparison to something around the house to get an idea for the "grippy" feel and fingernail test. I have only used rejuvenator, and have never tried to replace a platen at home. I'm not that confident.