Machine which killed them all
This is the youngest specimen in my arsenal. Normally I keep myself in 20-50’ time period, when typewriters had the aesthetics matching my taste but I wanted to try a Japanese machine, to see what it was that made them so successful.
It was Charles who planted the seed of interest. Among many to chose I picked this Brother Deluxe model for a set of features which are unique.
First of all - it is still mostly metal-body machine. Plastic inserts, with faux-wood texture serve only as decoration. Questionable in my eyes but hey! It were the eighties!
Once I looked inside I quickly understood what Charles meant by saying that Japanese have simplified and lowered production costs as much as possible - but still keeping build quality at reasonably high level.
All parts which could be pressed from steel plate are done this way. Instead of cast iron (heavy) or aluminum (expensive) almost everything is pressed profile, resulting in stiff yet lightweight frame.
The result is a handsome machine which clicks all the points for most people. At the fraction of the price of European or American machines.
Advent of cheap yet reliable Japanese machines has caused other manufacturers trying to compete by saving on features which once were their key-mark: design, quality materials, smoothness of action. Some manufacturers quickly went down, most other did not manage to compete.
And then came electronic machines and later computers. While many electronic word processors are still operational today the mechanical machines are much more attractive to modern user or collector. Not only their “clic-clac” charm but simplicity and serviceability are the key points.
What I especially like in this machine is the way the front cover can be removed for routine cleaning. Two clicks and the whole top is removed. No tools necessary, the mechanism exposed for blowing or brushing.
Another cool function is a Repeat Spacer. No other machine had that, as far as I know.
Very ingenious mechanism.
Selling point for most potential buyers is that this small machine has all the functions one would expect in bigger, semiportables:
TAB function. Although you cannot define tabs, they are evenly spaced along the line to satisfy most users and the mechanism is kept simple and reliable
very nice, even, modern sans-serif typeface. My machine has Elite size font
Repeat Spacer - who does not love it!
Dual-colour and stencil selector
Lightweight!
Easy to clean
Margin release acts also as de-jammer