Three Favorite Ultraportables

In Typewriter Video Series Episode 294, Joe compares the three ultraportable typewriters remaining in his collection and why they are his favorite small go-anywhere typers.

[@mikeystorm8124]

I would very much like to go back to the 70s and buy a whole bunch of ink ribbons when they where dirt cheap

[@napoleonbonaparte1260]

In my country it only cost $0.60. Its a nylon not carbon though.

[@weezerman91]

I love my Remington Rand Model 5, but the sleekness of an ultraportable speaks to me. Always love the quick reviews of portable and ultra portable typing machines

[@Rod-bp8ow]

The Smith Corona brand also ranks as one of the sought after brands designed for businesses engineered equipment as perfect and precise as a typewriter. The narrator has clearly explained as well the details of a typewriter. Its the mechanism and the addictive sound that gives typewriters a cutting edge when it comes to writing many endless favorites. Continue to grow, expand, and impart technology and engineering as preserved as a Typewriter.

[@KlingonCaptain]

The only typewriter that I own is a Remington Quiet-Riter. I decided ahead of time that I would never own more than four typewriters. A good working desktop and a good working portable (that I already have) for writing. I also want an ultra portable just for writing letters. Lastly, for the fourth typewriter, I just really want a Chicago whether working or non-working (preferably working). I'm still young, so I've decided to set some hard and fast rules for collecting so that I don't become a hoarder when I'm older. I go through my belongings every spring and anything that I haven't used in more than four years I donate. With how hard I've been working these past few years (I'm a pharmacy technician), I have a feeling that this spring, I'm probably going to be donating 50% of belongings this year. I just haven't had time to do much outside of work lately.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Not being a hoarder is a conscious decision that, if we don’t make it, the accumulation of stuff will decide for us!

[@ripemangosmdm7997]

I love this, I also love the Dr. Pepper jelly belly color of the keys on the splendid. All super lovely

[@douglasjackson9058]

Another fine,fun video. Thanks Joe!

[@f1remandg]

Nice assessment with detail that is lost in others, who imply that they are going to inform you of a particular machines merits and flaws. That has to be good!

[@Nick215NY]

Looking at the Royal Mercury objectively, I strikes me that the mechanism of that machine looks very much like it is basically the same mechanism in the Brother "Webster" ultra portable. The keys, touch adjustment and ribbon color switches are the same, as are the platen knobs...

[@jean-olivierjanvier6030]

Same with my Sperry-Remington Tenfifty! Everything is the same: the keys, the body style, the touch adjustment, the bichrome setting, the line spacing, the platen knobs, the notch on the character indicator with the hole in it, the margin adjustments, even the paper holder ffs!

[@Kolibri1337]

I guess I would go with.... the Kolibri of course! The predecessor of the Kolibri, the Groma Gromina, is actually a bit smaller and also a joy to type on. And despite the beauty of the Kolibri, it's occurance and important part in the movie "The lives of others" makes it a must-have for collectors. At least in my opinion. :D

[@napoleonbonaparte1260]

Nope, Olympia Splendid’s umph when typing is far superior than Kolibri.

[@cjamit2916]

hello Joe. so great you posted this. you’ve done a few videos on them, but where does the Roxy (which i have; but the ROOY i see more often) fall in line with these beautiful machines?

[@Joe_VanCleave]

I have the MJ Rooy version. I find it barely usable as a typewriter, it’s more of a curiosity for collectors perhaps.

[@saulysw]

I always laugh at your pointer with the red tip. Cracks me up. The + key on the Mercury seems to go outside of the segment, which is ... interesting. I like my Baby's - what don't you like about those?

[@copyrightfreevideobyttf]

They're so cute! 😍

[@meursault7030]

I have a Silver-Reed Silverette 2. Absolutely beautiful machine. British-made, I think, in blue, with black keys and chromed metal parts, like your first one. Ambidextrous carriage release, very well maintained by the previous owner. The only problem it has is that I can't figure out how to represent the number 1. Neither the I nor L look like a 1 and there is no dedicated key for it. Apart from that, I can't see myself expanding a collection, since I've never seen a more beautiful typewriter in all my life, and it's nice to type with. I just managed to get lucky and find the perfect one straight away.

[@tmunk]

I was thinking yesterday about doing a full soundproofing job on my Royal Mercury, including doing a sleeve/R&C on the diamond-hard platen, like what I've done on the Brother Charger 11. I'll let you know how that turns out. (:

[@studiobuda]

Please. Please. If you could- please show us a video of how to take the platen off your Royal Mercury. I also had a lot of success making rock-hard platen like ones in Olympia SM3 SOFTER (of course nothing like new platen) with a mixture of Wintergreen oil: 91% alcohol (1:3 ratio) soaking the platen for 5-6 days or longer. Give it a try.

[@lukjad007]

Any news?

[@samlarsen2430]

Here it is. Ultra portable machines.

[@AtelierDBurgoyne]

In the last year, I let go of both a Splendid 33 and a SilverSeiko (isn't the Royalite a Silver Seiko too?) and now, after this video, I am going to be on the search for those. Thanks. Daniel

[@thethriftyfawn]

I actually mostly listened to this like it was podcast while doing house chores, and it was so calming! 😊

[@otterchen]

Thank you for that video to wich i totaly agree, one machine i love in that range is the Adler Tippa 1 wich has a very responsive feel when typing. And i have to say that the hermes Babys are quite overratet in use.

[@tinfoilcat]

Watching this video the Mercury looked familiar. My father bought a yellow Addo 601/621 (not sure) in the late 1970's going to uni, and in the early 1990's he would sit down on the floor with me when I was around 4 or 5 and write stories for me. A little later I got to use it, but I remember that I found the lack of correction frustrating (a six year old makes a lot of typos I guess) and I was always happy to go to my grandparents and use my grandfathers Canon ES-3 which had that. He got a bit concerned for cost one time when I decided that I did not like the story I'd written and erased a whole 1/4 page! I remember using the Addo for some journaling when I was nine but then we struggled to find a new ribbon (nobody really knew where to look) and it disappeared. Around age 13 I bought a Selectric I for 30 SEK/$3 at a thrift store which I remember that my mother refused to move around. I no longer have that either. The Addo seems to have been sold as the Facit 1601 in Sweden too, which seems logical. Addo was owned by Facit at the time they and both made money from mecanical calculators (Facit did their own typewriters too earlier I think?) and sort of missed out on the computerization (they did try) in the late 70's. Anyway - I have been checking in at times on your youtube channel, and remember you from various flickr groups from when I started shooting film 10 years ago. You have always come across as such a pleasant person who always conveys the energy to create and enjoy. It is about time I thank you for that.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Thank you!

[@rembrandx]

Would be interested to know when/how the difference between keyboard layouts came to pass. For example, I don't really get why fractions get preferential treatment over '#' or why there isn't a dedicated ` accent key on French Azerty keyboards, instead of accented letters. Would save you 3 keys (ù, è and à). With limited space on the keyboard, the degrees symbol (°) could be said to be preferable over the number 1. It has no 'short' alternative (while you can replace the '1' with a lowercase 'l'). Since it means 'degrees', it's used not just for temperature but also longitude/latitude, angles. It's also used for marking birth dates. In most languages '1' is also shorter to write out than 'degrees'. So from an administrative and note-taking point of view, you can make some sense of it. That said, it could just be a random fluke.

[@cauldron101]

I like a lot and I love the Oly Splendid 33. It looks great and it feels great while typing. Of all of my ultraportables that one is the most reliable. I like Kolibri too, but unfortunately its platen has gotten so hard that it sounds like a rattling gun when you type.

[@napoleonbonaparte1260]

I have to agree with you. The “umpf” when you type on Olympia Splendid is so satisfying.

[@donswearingen9805]

I inherited 2 typewriters. A Royal Model P made in 1930 and an Olivetti Underwood lettera 32 made in l967. The other typewriters I own sit gathering dust. But I have pounded those 2 for years, and they're beasts.

[@KlingonCaptain]

What are the other ones you have? You can't just leave us hanging like that. 😉

[@donswearingen9805]

@@KlingonCaptain A Triumph Matura, A 1937 Royal Silent, and a Signature 913 long carriage.

[@amoledzeppelin]

Maybe they omitted 1 because they thought the uppercase letter I would be enough.

[@cleverkitsune4302]

I have a clone of the mercury called a blue fox from a retailer called whsmith i kinda like it for travelling, though the hollow sounds coming from all that plastic while typing makes it feel kinda cheap

[@mrk131324]

Why did you rule out the Princess 300?

[@yuehchopin]

elegante Maschine

[@cynthiarollins3949]

Thanks for this video…trying to decide on a portable is ultra considered lighter?

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Mostly smaller, but can be also lighter. Usually the bigger the machine the better the typing experience, assuming they’ve been returned to normal operation.

[@joeycredible]

I was so upset when my Mercury fell from a high place and broke.

[@topchef83]

I'm trying to start a collection and I admire the paint condition of your machines. Do you repaint them or it is the original paint? I don't know if it would be correct to repaint my machines (for example a Royal Quiet De Luxe 1948, with serious paint issues) because that would mean to cover or replacing the original one, erasing part of its history. Looking at your machines is like time traveling .

[@Joe_VanCleave]

I have not re-painted any of my machines, I bought them looking that way.

[@topchef83]

@@Joe_VanCleave wow, that's amazing. But in case of mayor paint damage would you recommend to repaint it or just leave it that wa

[@Joe_VanCleave]

@@topchef83 It depends on your philosophy. I prefer to leave them as they are, because it represents the history of the machine. But other people like to repaint them.

[@topchef83]

@@Joe_VanCleave Yeah it's a though predicament, because you want to keep it original but on the other side, I can't stand watching scratches on the paint

[@samlarsen2430]

I just notice you pointer.

[@mystic_mimi21]

Is there any difference between the 66 and 33?

[@Joe_VanCleave]

66 has bichrome setting and touch control. 99 is like 66 but with more chrome trim.

[@gabriellanswok7067]

🤝 Good day. Is it true that portable typewriters, for example the Hermes Rocket, are smoother when typing than standard models? Thank you.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

No, just the opposite. The larger machines have room for the type bar linkages to be designed for optimal leverage, whereas smaller machines have to make compromises due to limited space.

[@gabriellanswok7067]

@@Joe_VanCleave Thanks for your reply. Smith Corona, or Hermes, which model would you recommend to start? I'm looking for a machine that isn't so hard, I have a Brother, but it's hard for me to type.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

@@gabriellanswok7067 Hermes 3000 will be easier to use, but are often more expensive.

[@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536]

Differences between ulraportable and portable typewriters are?

[@napoleonbonaparte1260]

1. I can carry my Olympia Splendid 33 anywhere, Portables like SM3 or Hermes 3000 weighs like 10Kg. 2. Storage space is minimal 3. Its way easier to fix under the hood. Portable typewriters like Hermes 3000 will give you headache fixing/disassembling/cleaning.

[@lizexox]

Perhaps it’s cm/inches

[@miguelrodriguez1788]

God bless you. I got a question, my name is Miguel, I'm a Christian! I have a typewriter, but I'm looking for ultra-portable typewriter. Question: But before I get one, I really got to ask, are ultra portable typewriters good for writing books? Lord willing I'm planning on writing my first Christian book using a typewriter. Let me know! God bless you! Jesus loves you! - Miguel.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Miguel, it depends on the individual machine, and to some extent on your personal likes. Many writers have used Olivetti Lettera 22s and 32s, but other people find them mushy feeling. Generally, larger machines are better suited for long term writing.