Kennedy meets the Collegiate
The Collegiate has an interesting opening mechanism for the case. You *do not* pull the strap (that would be absurd, how would you carry it?) Instead, you push the chrome strap ends.
Made in Japan by who knows who? I doubt it was a quality manufacturer like Silver Seiko.
Not a terrible looker, but it's flimsily-made, all plastic and feels like a cheap toy.
With the ribbon cover off, you can see how cheaply-made it is. Note the linkage between the "X" key lever and it's typebar is comepletely missing.
It is clearly a sign of obsession that I bought this nasty little thing. It’s not even remotely fit for the CTP and owning it breaks two of my cardinal rules of Typewriter Collecting in that it’s both plastic and unusable. The justification regarding the ribbon is valid, tho – I’d pay $8 for a good ribbon on a metal spool, so I will likely just yank the ribbon and spools and then use the rest as a shotgun target. *PULL!*
That is truly a Big Ass Typeface.
I see the Collegiate was sold by Western Stamping — notorious for the Tom Thumb toy typewriter, which is a hideous, hardly functional, very unpleasant little device!
ORLY? So this is probably the typewriter that people bought from ads in the back of comic books that go something like “Economical COLLEGIATE Typewriter, only $5 post-paid!”
Man, I can only imagine the disappointment felt by the young student that ordered this machine from such an advertisement. Then eventually, the resignation as he or she began using it for his schoolwork. Then the further disappointment and resignation after the “X” key stopped working. They didn’t use “X” much, anyway, so just paint the key white and keep on trucking. Eventually, at some point when you could still get replacement ribbons on metal spools, they replaced the ribbon. I seriously doubt the original ones came on metal spools. Man, what a horrible typewriting life that must have been. ):
Dramatically put. Relieved the exchange passed without bloodshed. “Chicago typewriter” made me laugh.