1969 Remington (Brother) 711 #F9296034
Status: My Collection
Hunter: James Grooms (jgrooms)
Created: 07-21-2024 at 02:53AM
Last Edit: 07-22-2024 at 05:35AM
Description:
This is a fantastic piece of engineering. Is it the peak of affordable typebar electrics? This Brother JP-2 can type! Priced the same as S-C's top of the line 250, it is a better build, easier to service, has a superior ribbon system and is much quieter.
This gem came with part of a letter wrapped around the platen dated April 1973. So if it were sold in circa 1970 it saw three years of use and was parked in a box under the cover. They took the time to cut some foam and make a bit of a case out of the box. A careful light service and exterior clean up and away she goes. There's a bit of yellowing to the plastic, but not too bad and it's hard to figure out what it was like originally. I think the parts that weren't exposed to the sun also faded a bit. I've been looking at other Brother products on the thrift circuit and maybe something cheap will make a good experiment?
To answer the original question, is a JP-4 a step up or going the other way? I am going to guess cutting costs was underway. Edit - the 4s ran concurrently and were less expensive offerings. With that and looking at galleries, they're no match for what might be the best typebar in my collection. Worthy of a type sample not on a bench test ribbon.
Typeface Specimen:
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Photos:
Hunter: James Grooms (jgrooms)
James Grooms's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 7635
As with many, the bug is back there somewhere due to an Underwood No. 5. My grandfather was on a small town school board and used one for this. My parents had a yellow Royal Safari that I used to index card everything, including a beer can collection. Collection syndrome clue! The long dormant tic was activated when my neighbors left a Remington Quiet Riter on the curb when they moved in circa 2010, Yes a believe it or not story is next, when a Hermes 3000 comes home with the girlfriend from work for free. Yes, free! From there the addiction is full steam. And yes, I now have a No. 5. Typewriters are the perfect blend of using one's technical skills, history and functional purpose.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Remington (Brother) 711 on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Remington (Brother) Serial Number page and the Remington (Brother) 711 By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.