Typewriter models•Model guide
The Royal Quiet De Luxe
The American portable that wrote a good part of the twentieth century. Hemingway’s machine, and an absolute benchmark for typing feel.
Hemingway’s portable
Royal launched the Quiet De Luxe in 1939, shortly before the Second World War. Production was suspended during the war, when the company switched to armaments, then resumed in 1946. It ended in the late 1950s.
It was the first Royal to offer the Magic Margin, the tabulator and a characteristic “crinkle” finish, set off by chrome bands. Hemingway made it his machine of choice. Ian Fleming had his made in gold plate; it was sold at auction in 1995 and for a long time was the most expensive typewriter in the world.
What it feels like to type on
It is a solid machine, heavier than a modern portable, with a firm and very even strike. The tabulator and quick margin setting make it a real writing machine, not a stopgap.
Its design was reworked in the late 1940s, with rounder corners. Depending on the year, finishes and colours vary.
Which Royal Quiet De Luxe to choose?
The keyboard is decisive in France. It is mechanical and can’t be changed: we state AZERTY, QWERTY or QWERTZ in the title of every machine.
The condition of the finish matters too. We describe every example precisely, with photos, hiding nothing of the marks of use.
What we check at the workshop
- Body dismantled and the segment fully cleaned, where the typebars bind.
- Axles degreased and relubricated, strike and line spacing adjusted.
- Carriage check: travel, return, end-of-line ratchet.
- Condition of the rubber platen, often hardened with age.
- New ribbon fitted, then a full page typed, letter by letter.
The right ribbon
Every machine leaves with a new ribbon fitted. The day it needs changing, we sell the ribbons that suit this model: not all spools fit.
The questions we get about the Royal Quiet De Luxe
How much does a restored Royal Quiet De Luxe cost?
The price depends on the condition, finish and year of the example, never on the quality of the overhaul: they all go through the same workshop. The machines available right now, with their exact price, are just below.
Does the Royal Quiet De Luxe come in AZERTY?
Yes, we offer them in AZERTY. The layout is mechanical, engraved in the typebars: it can’t be changed afterwards. The keyboard is stated in the title of every machine and on its listing.
Is it ready to type on delivery?
Yes. Every Royal Quiet De Luxe is taken apart, its segment cleaned typebar by typebar, its axles degreased and relubricated, its strike and line spacing adjusted. A new ribbon is fitted, then we type a whole page before dispatch. It arrives ready to write, with nothing to buy.
Which ribbon for a Royal Quiet De Luxe?
The ribbon is the only consumable. We sell ribbons that suit Royal machines, and every machine leaves with a new ribbon fitted. The listing of each machine gives the right reference.
Our Royal Quiet De Luxe typewriters available now
1 exemplaire actuellement restauré et prêt à écrire. Chacun est une pièce unique.
