Stumbled upon this. Case in good shape (not pictured.) Some problems; the carriage return lever is missing the piece that folds up, and the paper feeding function is not advancing very well using the carriage return, so I just advance it by hand by turning the platen.  Something undoubtedly needs adjusting.

But it's a marvel of engineering.

I was on the hunt today with fellow Typewriter Talk member Valiant and picked up four machines. Three were electric typewriters: a later model Smith-Corona electric that I haven't even looked at yet, an IBM Selectric that I've yet to test, and an Olivetti Lettera 36. The Olivetti is typical in that its design is fantastic and that it doesn't work. I poked around under the hood for a little while and have it running now, but it's going to take a few more hours to bring it fully back to life.

The final machine was a 1927 Remington Portable, which I admit has me a bit confused because its manufacture year suggests it should be a Portable 2, but a number of its features have more in common with a Portable 1 than a Portable 2, so I'll have to spend some time to figure it out. The typewriter was made in the U.S. as an export model and was originally sold in March, 1927 by a typewriter shop in Charlottenburg, which is a district of Berlin, Germany. At some point the typewriter made its way to Canada, I would speculate in the hands of German immigrants, and although it's seen better days and needs some tweaking, it types well enough to use. I've only ever seen one other like it locally, and that was in an antique shop that was asking $250 (it's been in that shop for at least two years now).

We also spotted a grey Royal Quiet De Luxe with very good paint, an early '50s model, and although its $58 asking price tempted us, but we both passed on the machine. I already owned an example of the model, albeit in a different colour, and Valiant already had an Arrow from that generation. 

1927 Remington Portable 2(?) with German keyboard:


One of the things that amuses me the most about these portables is how busy the left end of the carriage is with its mess of levers and quirky carriage lock. Since I was playing around with this model today it seemed like a good opportunity to document them:
 

 
 

I LOVE THIS MACHINE.

Probably common to you across the pond, but I've never seen one around Portland. An English friend gifted it to me. I'm not sure how to date it, because I don't really understand what the model is. A Klein? Probably sometime in the 30s. Serial # R 201744.

I love the type action on my Klein-Contintental. It is probably my favorite in terms of feel for a portable. It is tough to describe, but it almost feels like a light piano action. It feels like it has just the right counterweight and bit of bounce. It is so satisfying.

I got one like that back in the fall. It has a nice typing action, with a nice typeface -- sort of a Congress style. Its problem is that the vibrator is missing a spring that keeps the pivoting parts of the ribbon guide (which pinch together to allow you to install or remove the ribbon) vertical. As a result, they flop open and the ribbon tends to ride up and sometimes out of the vibrator. Annoying.