Uwe wrote:

Today was a good day for buying a typewriter.

Nice find, Uwe. That one looks like it is fresh out of the box!

Has anyone ever encountered typewriters with METAL keys? I was at a flea-market about a year ago, and I saw a very battered L.C. Smith typewriter. Almost identical to this: 



Only, the keys were all made of one piece of metal. Not glass. And certainly not plastic. Has anyone ever noticed this before? I never did until then. 

Uwe wrote:

@Steve and Shagas

Very intersting information on keys! However, you might want to consider creating a new thread in the future for such things as it's off-topic from the subject of this thread.

Thanks Uwe for keeping me in order.   You will find my new "What are your typewriters' keys made of? post at-
http://typewriter.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?pid=201#p201
 

Picked-up another typer yesterday, but the circumstances surrounding the purchase were unusual to say the least.  ​

I normally buy a typewriter because it's a model that I've been looking for, or sometimes, it's just one that unexpectedly pops up but fits with my specific taste in machines. Not so with the one I bought yesterday.

I must have looked at the ad for this particular machine a dozen times over three days - and dismissed it every time. "That is one fugly typewriter," I said to my dogs. They don't much care about typewriters, but like to stick to my side in case some food happens to fall out of my pocket. However, like with a train wreck, I just couldn't stop myself from looking at the photo of that gray whale with the homely face. "What were they thinking of when they designed that one?" I asked.

Still, something about its odd appearance had put a hook in me. Not at all familiar with the model, I started digging into its history and reading through other collector's impressions of the big boxy typer. It was then when things got a little weird; the more I read about it, the more it grew on me, and suddenly I was overcome by an urge to contact the seller and buy it.


1958 Royal FP ($25 CAD from a local seller in Toronto, Canada)



Even before I had picked up the machine, a plan for its future had begun to formulate in my head. I have no idea which of the six colours that this model originally was available in is represented by the one I bought. It sort of looks blue, but not, maybe gray? Is gray considered to be a colour? Regardless, it is going to change because this particular FP stands for First Project of the year.




The machine mechanically is in overall good condition. A couple of small items required my attention: The shift mechanism didn't work because someone had jammed its lock down too hard and a few of the keys were binding at the gate. Easy fixes, and although I usually replace the ribbon out of habit, this one was still good enough for a few pages of test typing.

 


There's no getting around the size of this typewriter. I'm used to portables, not massive structures such as this Royal FP, which on a desk makes an imposing sight. Spin it around and you're faced with something that resembles the Hoover Dam: There's enough sheet metal on this typewriter to build a Smart Car, or a garden shed, but I have to admit that I love its sheer mass!


 


I was pleasantly surprised by the Royal FP's performance, but what I really found enamouring was the quality in its details. Some were quirky, some exotic, and even though this machine may on first impression suggest that it has the face of a pig, the more time you spend exploring its nuances, the more impressive it all seems.

Specifically, I'm smitten by the satin and chrome parts on the carriage, its interesting colour selector wheel, and the ultra-groovy ribbon cover release button. I had no idea how to open the ribbon cover and no matter what I tried, it wouldn't budge. Then I peered inside with a flashlight. "No way!" I exclaimed in amusement when I discovered that with a gentle push of the Royal logo on the front of the machine, the cover is released and swings up on its own accord.






One other neat feature that took me a while to figure out was the Magic Margin system. Since very few old typewriters come with their original manuals, I'm often left to figure out how something is supposed to work through trial and error. Usually that's not a problem, but the Magic Margin controls weren't intuitive to me and it took a good 15 minutes of fiddling with them before I understood how they worked. It's an interesting feature to be sure, but one that is really only of benefit to those who have to type on constantly changing sizes of paper.




I have to say that this typewriter was a fantastic buy, and now I'm really looking forward to having a lot of fun with it. First step will be a partial tear-down and a visit to the dunk tub. Then I'm going to change its colour. It's hard to believe that a typewriter I initially thought was too ugly to buy has got me this excited. 

 

I'm fairly sure you don't need a pre-determined post-count to put pictures up. I didn't. Or at least I don't think I did...am I wrong? I dunno...I hope not. 

This is a rather glitzed up Princess 300: 



It looks like quite a machine!