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Uwe wrote:
When you say the "platen is not terrible", what are you basing that assessment on? Hard platens definitely contribute to the issue you seem to be having.
To answer your question, models such as those from Noiseless (or Remington Noiseless) that use a thrust-type action create a deeper sound, more of a thud than a clack.
The rubber feels like it still has some springiness to it, that's basically the whole of my assessment as a complete novice. I've also seen a video or two of the same kind of machine, either under the Consul name or as the Brigitte, and they make that recognisable snap as well. But as evidence goes, that could mean they all have bad platens.
Thanks for the recommendation, I appreciate it.
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I'm going to say a German keyboard SM-9. Intrinsically quiet, likely to have fewer age related problems, and of course an abundance of them with German keyboards, albeit mostly in Germany!
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UnderwoodStd wrote:
I'm going to say a German keyboard SM-9. Intrinsically quiet, likely to have fewer age related problems, and of course an abundance of them with German keyboards, albeit mostly in Germany!
Hi UnderwoodStd, I'm not sure if you were replying to me, but if you were, then thank you for the suggestion.
I have an Olympia SM-9, but it's the massive one from the late 70's (with wide carriage) and it's very loud. It is lovely to type with, though, and returning the carriage is so effortless. It's a quality machine.
Is there a specific decade/year of SM-9 you would recommend? Perhaps an older one?
Thanks.
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BlackLicorice wrote:
Hi UnderwoodStd, I'm not sure if you were replying to me, but if you were, then thank you for the suggestion.
I have an Olympia SM-9, but it's the massive one from the late 70's (with wide carriage) and it's very loud. It is lovely to type with, though, and returning the carriage is so effortless. It's a quality machine.
Is there a specific decade/year of SM-9 you would recommend? Perhaps an older one?
Hi BlackLicorice - I have one with a wide carriage also, though the serial number puts it at 1966. Late 1970's was the Twilight of the Typewriters and a lot may have changed although the model number did not, though you seem overall satisfied with it except for the noise. I share your distaste for high-pitched noise: a thudding or even a clacking sounds like work being done, while a sharp slapping noise is unpleasant. I am not a fan of the feel of "silent" actions either, though I find a lot of machines with conventional actions are very quiet, including examples of the SG-1 and the Royal QDL as others have mentioned. Only brand/model which is definitely NOT quiet in my experience is, ahem, an Underwood Standard, except for the late ones which have things like "FIVE" (not 5) and "Golden Touch" in their name. The classic Underwood 5 is a loud machine in my experience - albeit the ones in my experience were all in need of new platens - and I have a 1940's era SS which sounds like an entire newsroom by itself.
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P.S., When you say you have a "massive" SM-9 I wonder if you are referring to the SG-3. The styling of these two machines is so similar that without something to set the scale it's not hard to mistake one for the other in a photograph
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UnderwoodStd wrote:
I share your distaste for high-pitched noise: a thudding or even a clacking sounds like work being done, while a sharp slapping noise is unpleasant.
Yes, that's it exactly. I can withstand the sound for a while, but if I'm getting more than a page of work done, it starts to get very unpleasant. I guess our ears are unusually sensitive for typewriter enthusiasts
UnderwoodStd wrote:
and I have a 1940's era SS which sounds like an entire newsroom by itself.
Vivid picture! I can imagine :D
UnderwoodStd wrote:
P.S., When you say you have a "massive" SM-9 I wonder if you are referring to the SG-3. The styling of these two machines is so similar that without something to set the scale it's not hard to mistake one for the other in a photograph
I browsed the pictures more closely, and it looks like the SG-3 has a tab system above the keyboard in a little 'niche', and if they all have that, then mine is definitely not an SG-3.
This is exactly what mine looks like:
That could be a photo of the one I have, except it's hard to judge the scale, like you said, without something to compare it to.
I may have exaggerated a bit with the "massive". It's the biggest typewriter I have, but more than that, it weighs a lot (at least to someone without much upper body strength...) and hauling it around is not something I would do gladly.
So, judging from everything, it seems I have something of "the worst kind" of an Olympia. I do like the precise nature of the machine, but all the negative aspects of it have pretty much guaranteed it gets very little use. This was my first and only introduction to Olympia typewriters, and it put me off from investigating the brand for a long while!
Glad to hear they're not all like this.
I know the SM-2 and 3 are probably not the easiest on the ears, but they look so pretty I might have to buy one eventually regardless.
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Well, BlackLicorish, the main difference between between the SM-9 and the SG-3 is that the first is a portable and the second an office machine, which is a dead giveaway if you are sitting in front of one. Albeit, the SG-9 does look like a super-sized SM-9. At this point the inevitable flogging of the obvious that there are many sources of variation in the noise of a machine besides the original design, age (lost insulation, loosening parts, hardening platen) seldom favoring quiet. This means that sight unseen all you can do is play the odds, with some models and epochs having a higher probability of satisfaction. I like almost all species of typewriter sounds, except as we agree the highest pitched and most painful. They provide constant feedback that 'Hey, this guy's working!".
If you want to develop upper-body strength I recommend of a course of full-sized standard acquisition with frequent rearrangement. You can follow this up with full-sized electric typebar standards, but be sure you've worked through the manuals first and done warm up exercises to avoid injury.
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" Albeit, the SG-9 does look like a super-sized SM-9."
SG-3 does look...
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I see this thread is a couple years old but i want to chime in anyway.,The Quietest typewriter ever is the Noiseless 10. I don't have loads of experience with typewriters, over the years I've had maybe 20 machines, not a lot. For the last year I've been using a Remington Noiseless 10 #X408172, built in the end of January, 1937 (according to TWDB serial number charts). I love this thing and a very big part of that affection is the quietness. ive had a Quiet Deluxe in the past, it was deluxe, but not exactly quiet. That's apples and oranges though, my Noiseless standard is not exactly portable... I don't think there is anything that can be compared to a Noiseless typewriter as far as quietness. It isn't exactly noiselsss, it makes noise, soft and even thudding, a "low" noise, much better on the ears than a sharp tapping. It is much quieter than anything I've ever seen (heard) in my limited experience, but I cant imagine anything could be quieter than a Noiseless standard. Types brilliantly and evenly regardless of key pressure (to a reasonable extent) which I think is inherent in the Noiseless design. It types beautifully without a backing sheet, i cant tell you how much I love that. And it won't wake the cat. I even muted the bell-- some people would never do that, the "ding" is so much a part of the aesthetic for a lot, but a gentle "plink" is all I need. It doesn't need to be louder, there isn't a racket to hear it over! Only complaints I have about this particular machine are for one I much prefer elite type, but the type face design,is very pretty on this machine so that's not so bad., It shifts the carriage, which is heavy but there are a pair of springs in the back,that are supposed to counter that weight, and they need to be adjusted. And it seems a little slower in the typing action, that is, I can type faster on a light machine (like maybe a QD!). I haven't given this thing a thorough cleaning, in fact very little cleaning at all, so I imagine the typing will lighten up considerably if I did. Its not too much of a problem for ME, I am not the worlds fastest typer, it has no trouble keeping up with my moderate typing speed. That slight sluggishness might be inherent in the design, considering how much goes on in there when you press a key. Changing ribbon is a little more difficult, there are no removable side panels or anything like that for maintenance access, and its much more complicated than a "normal" typewriter. Once I have another machine working I will give the Noiseless 10 a complete cleaning, I very much want to see how much it improves the speed. I can't imagine it wouldn't. There are quite a few pivots and bearings and connections and things between the key top and the slug, there is much more potential for friction than other machines. I should add that all the keys work with aboit the same weight and apparent friction, so maybe it IS working about as free as normal. But,on the whole it is a brilliant typewriter, and if you suffer migraines, or have thin walls in your apartment, you can't beat it. I don't know anything about the other Noiseless models, but Quietest Standard Typewriter Ever: Noiseless 10
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My new Remington Quiet-Riter is in fact the quietest machine I have ever used. Mostly due to the fact that the sound-dampening foam and the rubber is in excellent condition, which is what influences the sound most of all. When used on a thick felt-pad, it is quieter than any other machine I’ve used, including my Erikas. It is only missing a silent carriage return, which Quiet-Riters do not have (why?) to my knowledge (that and a paper support)
I suppose Quiet-Riters stand up to their name. I have read that many people actually find them rather loud, perhaps they got lemons?