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| The STOEWER, manufactured by Bernhard Stoewer A.G. of Stettin, Germany, appeared first in about 1903 as a three-bank double-shift standard machine. This LLOYD, from the collection of Thomas Fuertig, is representative of that design. This machine is officially a Model 1; within a very short time a Model 2 appeared with four rows of keys and single shift. This model assured a successful production run for the firm. |
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| Stoewer No. 3 s/n 4889 Tilman Elster collection About 1905 (according to Dirk Schumann's online Typewriter Serial Number Database, linked from this website's LINKS page) the Stoewer No. 3 appeared. The machine is completely enclosed unlike the vast majority of standard typewriters of the day. |
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| Stoewer No. 4 s/n 8218 Tilman Elster collection The No. 4 Stoewer appeared in 1907, replacing the No. 3. Note the elaborate decoration of the front panel and the model numbers appearing either side of the name STOEWER on this panel. |
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| Stoewer No. 5 s/n 16985 Tilman Elster collection The No. 5 Stoewer displays a wholly more modern look, with open front and in fact open sides. This model appeared in 1905 and began the famous STOEWER REKORD name for these machines; this is incorporated in the small circular emblem centered above the keyboard. The No. 5 or REKORD remained the only model, with modifications, produced in standard form by Stoewer AG until the end of production in 1930. |
| Swift s/n 26654 Thomas Fuertig collection This machine is a relabeled Stoewer No. 5; many machines of various models manufactured by Stoewer carried the name Swift (and a large number of other names as well.) Note again the more modern, rounded shape of the machine overall and the half-circle cutout in the front of the machine marking the edge of the type-bar rest. Note also the circular emblem above the keyboard, which says SWIFT REKORD. |
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| Stoewer Elite s/n 74234 Tilman Elster collection From 1912 Stoewer manufactured a three-bank double-shift portable machine to complement its standard model; unlike the standard, though, the portable remained a three-bank machine for many years. The design was finally changed in 1926 with the change to a four-bank single-shift model, seen below. This example has an extremely high serial number for three-bank Stoewer portables and is certainly one of the last built. |
| Stoewer Portable s/n 126294 Tilman Elster collection Introduced in 1926, the four-bank Stoewer portable had a very short life; production of all Stoewer machines, both standard and portable ended in 1930. The portable machine's tooling was sold to Rheinmetall, who immediately placed the machine in production under its own name. |
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| Stoewer Record s/n 118286 Davis collection This Stoewer is a particularly late example, having been manufactured in 1928. It displays a different, more squared body style than the machines seen immediately above but still retains open sides and back. We are lucky to have this machine here for close inspection and testing; it has been fully rebuilt by Your Typewriter & Computer (Craig Burnham.) |
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| It is obvious that, over time, the number of circular emblems appearing on the front of these machines increased. These are representations of medals won by the Stoewer at various expositions and competitions. One of them lists the Manchester Industrial Exposition of 1910, at which the Stoewer won the Gold Medal. Another is from an Arts and Education exposition in Italy, while another is from some sort of exposition in 1908. Clearly, the Stoewer was well received in its day. |
| The Stoewer does include some peculiar design features. For example, the machine does not have a back-space (rucktaste) key, but rather a lever for this function. The back-space lever is seen on the front, right side of the machine. The singular key immediately to the right of the space bar is the margin release key, which operates a long linkage that pivots the margin set rack out of the way of the stop on the right-side margin tab. Also, the machine does not employ a shift - lock key; the lever on the left side of the machine performs this function. The machine is carriage shifted. One further note is that the escapement is tripped by a bail contacted by the primary key levers, and not by a bail located behind the segment. |
| The ribbon holder on this machine is not like most; it is a V shaped device which opens or closes the angle of the "V" depending upon the setting of the ribbon color selector lever, which is located on the front left side of the machine. Our example still has one original Stoewer-labeled ribbon spool in place. Ribbon advance operates from carriage movement, and not from key action. |
| The machine you see here is actually missing four type bars; Craig Burhnam notes that whether by deliberate design or by unfortunate design, they will come out quite easily -- and that it is obvious, having worked on the machine, why they're missing. Having said that, though, we put the machine through its paces (the only useful character missing being Q) and found pleasurable results. The key action feels smooth and solid, although key travel is slightly longer than ideal. The feel of type bar contact, if the keys are followed down with the fingers is a sharp blow; the machine was likely a strong manifolder. The odd operative functions were actually not impossible to become familiar with; the most difficult being the back-space. Overall, the machine is capable of very decent speed with a steady, firm keystroke and rhythm and obviously, by our testing and the awards given it was one of the better machines of its time. |
| STOEWER PORTABLES |