Typewriter models•Model guide
The Brother 100
The little white Japanese portable of the 1960s. It types in black only: a simple machine with no unnecessary settings.
A compact Japanese machine, no frills
Brother was born in Nagoya, Japan, in 1908, in sewing machines. It moved into mechanical typewriters in the 1960s, in its home city. The 100 comes from that period: a light, elegant portable designed for mass production and to last.
Our examples are white, with a few small period paint marks. The white is original, not a respray.
What it feels like to type on
It is more modest than its bigger sister the Brother 210: no two-colour selector, no extras. The strike is even, the key return clean, and the format sits on the corner of a table.
It writes in black only. Where the 210 has a selector to switch from black to red, the 100 has a single colour. That is an advantage of its own: fewer parts, fewer settings, and a mechanism that stays simple to maintain.
Which Brother 100 to choose?
The first criterion is the keyboard. The layout is mechanical, engraved in the typebars: it can’t be changed. We state the keyboard (AZERTY, most often) in the title of every machine.
The second is the condition of the body. At over fifty years old, a small paint mark is normal. We flag it on the listing, with photos.
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 Brother 100
How much does a restored Brother 100 cost?
The price depends on the condition, finish and rarity 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 Brother 100 come in AZERTY?
Yes. Our Brother 100s are sold 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 Brother 100 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 Brother 100?
A black ribbon is all you need: the Brother 100 types in black only, unlike the 210, which takes a two-colour ribbon. We sell the ribbon that fits, and every machine leaves with a new ribbon fitted.
Our Brother 100 typewriters available now
1 exemplaire actuellement restauré et prêt à écrire. Chacun est une pièce unique.
