Manual machines & the ink they need

Remington Typewriters

A vintage black portable manual typewriter on a wooden desk beside a stack of ivory typing paper.

The only original here

One genuine machine, a shelf of reproductions, and the ink they all need

Almost everything sold as a “Remington typewriter” today is not one. The reproductions below are Royal-built retro machines — 44 keys, 88 characters, an 11″ typing width — and they are good, honest things that arrive working. But there is exactly one actual period Remington in this list, and it is worth knowing which.

The other thing worth knowing: a typewriter without a ribbon is an ornament. Ribbons are the consumable, they dry out, and they are marked in red throughout this page for that reason.

See the vintage Remington Rand → See the vintage Remington Rand → See the vintage Remington Rand →

The original

1 machine
Vintage Remington Rand Noiseless portable typewriter Period machine · sold as seen

New manual machines

6 · Royal-built
Royal Manual Typewriter black (79100G) Black Scrittore Portable Manual Typewriter By Royal 44 keys · 88 characters Royal Epoch Classic Portable Manual Typewriter - Gray (ROY79103Y) Gray Royal Consumer Information Products Classic Retro Manual Typewriter (Black), Model Number: 79104P | 44 Keys and 88 Characters, Metal Housing, Black and Red Ribbon Selector, Space-Bar Repeater, Model 79104p Black · Metal housing Royal 79105Y Classic Manual Typewriter (Pink) Pink Royal Classic Manual Typewriter, 11 Inch Carriage, Ribbon (Black, 2 Items) | Model 79104p, Metal Housing, Black and Red Nylon Ribbon Included Black · Metal housing
A two-colour typewriter ribbon on a metal twin spool, black above and red below.

Why two colours

Black above, red below

The ribbon is split along its width, and a selector lever on the machine lifts it so the type bar strikes the upper or the lower half. That is the whole mechanism behind red ink — no second ribbon, no cartridge.

Ribbons

6 · the consumable
Black Typewriter Ribbon for The Old Antique Remington Typewriters Black only Remington Typewriter Ribbon - Black & Red… Black & red Remington Typewriter Ribbon - Black Spools - Old Remington Typewriter Supplies Compatible Black only Universal Typewriter Ribbon,Twin Spool Ribbon Twin Spool Replacement Pack,Compatible with Most Royal,Olympia,Smith Corona,Remington,Olympia,Brother and Other Vintage Typewriters Universal twin spool Royal Quiet Deluxe Twin Spool Combo Pack Typewriter Ribbon - 2 Pack Twin spool 3 Pairs Universal Typewriter Ribbon, Red and Black Twin Spool Replacement – Fresh Ink Compatible with Smith Corona, Royal, Brother, Olivetti, Underwood, Remington and More Vintage Manual Typewriters Universal twin spool

On paper

2 · not machines
Posterazzi Nthe Remington Standard Typewriter No. 2 1890S. Poster Print by, (18 x 24) Print Remington Typewriter Furniture (Classic Reprint) Book