Remington Deluxe Remette Features

Originally from Manual Entry. Notice that Feature # 19 is the Standard keyboard.

The instruction sheet is clearly doctored--notice how smooth the Deluxe Remette looks--especially the right side--no screws, or overlapping metal, unlike the real thing...
Here is my own Deluxe Remette

Royal Portable Dealers, Washington State, 1964

Seattle Times, December 11, 1964

As you can see, the only Spokane dealer listed is The Bon Marche, a Seattle-based department store chain that merged into Macy's in 2005.

Former Bon Marche store, Spokane, WA, 2012. The "BM" monogram is left over from the 1960s Bon Marche logo:

Many remember the Bon Marche's One-Day Sales (Macy's still has them, but without the memorable commercial below)

Royal Custom II, 1968

This typewriter was originally owned by a resident of Spokane, Washington. His name is written on the inside of its case.

The first patent number on the underside of the ribbon cover is for the Royal Futura. The basic design of the  Futura was streamlined in 1961 to become the 890/Sabre/Caravan/Custom II/ Custom III/Futura/Sears Cutlass, just to name a few. Its production ended in the early 1980s.

A Section of a Higbee's ad from September 27, 1981's Cleveland Plain Dealer.

This is the other color my Royal Custom II was offered in. (Image courtesy of Etsy.com)

1970s Royal Futura

Royal Royalite/Northgate ads

As many Seattleites know, Northgate Mall was the first shopping center to be called a "mall" in the United States, when it was finished in 1950. Its anchor store, Macy's (known as The Bon Marche until 2005) remains largely original inside. Similarly, the downtown Bon Marche, at 3rd and Pine, was restored in the 1980s.

Royal Royalite vs Remington Deluxe Remette

Top: 1962 Royal Royalite. This typewriter was made in very large quantities in The Netherlands, from 1955 until 1963. (in this design). 

Bottom: 1940 Remington Deluxe Remette. Only 19,237 Deluxe Remettes were made from May 1940 until August 1941. 

While the Royal Royalite and Remington Deluxe Remette are mechanically very different, they have a lot in common. Both were low-priced portables. Both are compact, and both use a single-color ribbon. (In the Royalite, a two color ribbon can be used--if you want to use red, you have to turn the ribbon over...much more trouble than it's worth...) Both have a similar "feel"--the same amount of pressure is needed to operate each typewriter. 

Despite their similarities, the Royalite is much easier to use, due to its additional features, including: line-lock, which prevents the user from typing after the margin, a bell, automatic ribbon reverse, a carriage lock, paper support, a margin-release/de-jam key, horizontal carriage-return lever, three-position line-space lever (1, 1.5, and 2 lines), margin stops on the top of the carriage, instead of the back of the machine, a fully-enclosed frame, and a standard-size ribbon, and sound-proofing. As a result of these features, the Royalite is very easy to use, and much quieter. The Royalite is also two-tone gray, while the Deluxe Remette is black. Overall, the Royalite is the better typewriter for general use. Also, because the finish on the Royalite is smooth, it is easier to keep clean (the Deluxe Remette has a crinkle finish. Crinkle finishes are natural dust-magnets).

Rating Scale of Consumer Reports, 1937

"A product rated 'Also Acceptable' may be of higher quality than one rated 'Best Buy,' but the 'Best Buy' will normally give more return per dollar. In most cases, a product rated 'Not Acceptable is judged not worth buying at any price, because of inferior quality or because it is potentially harmful" (Consumer Reports, October, 1937)

With that in mind, here is the 1941 review of the Remington Remette:
"Remington Remette (Remington Rand, Inc.) $29.75. Most convenience features eliminated. Very good touch. Appearance of work only fair. Damaged standard business envelope. Despite other disadvantages, such as single carriage knob, manual ribbon reverse, single-color ribbon, no bell or type-lock, back-spacer on the right side, and only fair visibility, the Remette's low price makes it a "Best Buy." (Consumer Reports, November 1941)

J.K. Gill's Lowman & Hanford ad, 1960

I will try to find a higher-quality copy of this ad, making it possible to see the Olympia store.