Typewriter Talk / Selectric II keyboard(s)?

**Posted by defectx11** 13-12-2013 01:38:32

As A first question here on the boards, I'd like to find out why my Selectric II seems to have a different keyboard, as compared to the one seen in the official Selectric II manual.

The difference is not in functionality or in placement of keys, but rather the characters on the keys themselves.
Here's a list of the keys, and what is on the keys on my Selectric.
Margin release, looks like ◄-|-|-►
Nothing on shift key, no trace of there ever being anything writte on it (and no wear on other keys)
Express backspace, looks like ◄-◄-
Backspace, looks like ◄--

And generally if it's a "function" key, it has arrows on it rather than characters.

Does anyone know what this means? A different model of keyboard or a customization option, perhaps?

Thanks!

Last edited by defectx11 (13-12-2013 01:38:51)

**Posted by Uwe** 13-12-2013 02:28:01

Typewriters have a rich history of keyboard variations. I recall an Olympia ad from the 1950s that mentioned that the company had more than 120 keyboards to choose from. It comes as no surprise that there are variations between the keyboard on your Selectric and what appears in the manual. Typically, keyboards will vary from region to region, but manuals are meant to cover a language and therefore could have been used in many countries.

I have quite a bit of Selectric documentation and have noticed that it was changed over the years. That could be another explanation too; are you sure your manual is original to the machine?

**Posted by defectx11** 13-12-2013 05:44:52

No, it was a bad assumption that there was a manual to all of them. I was referring to a manual I found on the Web.

I had no idea they would alter a keyboard for some reason that isn't apparent to me. Do you happen to know a reason for using pictograms on the function keys, rather than text?

**Posted by Uwe** 13-12-2013 13:39:47

defectx11 wrote:
Do you happen to know a reason for using pictograms on the function keys, rather than text?

Sure, not everyone speaks English. It's much easier to sell your typewriter globally if it has an international-oriented keyboard that uses symbols instead of text. Instead of producing margin release keys in 20 different languages it's far easier to just stock one with an icon on it that can work for everyone.

**Posted by skywatcher** 28-1-2014 00:23:35

Hi Defect X11

Case in point, tab controls on the Hermes 300.

+ set tab
– clear single tab
- - - clear all tabs

The back spacer key has a doubled back arrow instead of the word 'Back-Spacer' like the old Royals used to, and the margin release key has two arrows, one pointing each way instead of the words 'Mar-Rel'. It's much the same as having a picture of a rabbit and a turtle on the throttle control of a lawn tractor as opposed to the words fast and slow. Hope this helps,

Sky

**Posted by ProfessorC30** 06-2-2014 11:19:36

Defectx11,
Based on your description, you have a "World Trade" model. Units made for the USA had lettering on the On/Off, Shift, Margin Release, Tab, Set/Clear keys but models made for the remainder of the world did not. They used symbols or were blank instead.

It seems strange, but every Selectric I've seen that was originally sold in Canada has the symbols instead of the lettering on the function keys.

It seems there was only one English-version User's Manual, so the pictures show the USA model instead of the WT model. My guess is non-english manuals showed the symbols on the function keys.

Clark

Last edited by ProfessorC30 (06-2-2014 11:22:35)

**Posted by exibmce** 29-8-2015 18:14:55

I'm an ex IBM Serviceman. The symbol keyboards were made for export. Mostly made in Canada. From time to time you'll find keyboards with different color keygroups. These were made for data entry.