1959 Royal Diana #DTE 87517
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Brad Sarno (bradsarno)
Created: 01-23-2014 at 08:42AM
Last Edit: 01-23-2014 at 10:56AM
Description:
A recent find, $15. Needed some basic TLC, cleaning, lubrication, and platen surface attention. It's all intact. It was clean and quite a good typer. It's interesting to see the construction methods and quality. It's really good, reminds me of German build, which makes sense because I understand that this Dutch-made machine was by a company that had transplanted from Germany. The typing feel is somewhat similar to my Royal SM4 or SM7, but it's unique. Maybe a bit of Royal feel to it, but really it's its own animal entirely. A very quiet sound with a delicate "tick" on the strikes. The one-piece aluminum body was fairly resonant and sounded like a mellow drum, so I glued on some rubber mouse-pad material in 3 places and that very nicely dampened the ringing sound.
Overall it's an enjoyable typer and the quality is really nice, well made metal parts, nice chrome and finish work, very serviceable with most screws and adjustments reasonably accessible. I find very little info out there on these Dianas, so I assume they're moderately rare. I really like the smaller 11-pitch type. Oh, and the carriage bell is THE quietest bell I've ever heard on a typewriter, this I LOVE about it.
Typeface Specimen:
Photos:
Hunter: Brad Sarno (bradsarno)
Brad Sarno's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 2728
I've spent my life as a mechanical and electronics tinkerer, bikes, cars, lawnmowers, appliances, cameras, audio gear, guitars, amplifiers, and pedal steel guitars. I was trained as a typist for 2 years back in the late 70's on IBM Selectric II's. At home I recall my mother having an Olympia SM3. More recently we got our daughter a typewriter for Christmas, and that somehow sparked my own personal interest in these fine and interesting machines. Now it's a habit that just won't quit. Daily searches on Craigslist, frequent trips to antique stores & malls, garage sales, etc. It's a fun and healthy addiction.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Royal Diana on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Royal Serial Number page and the Royal Diana By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.