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Installation Assistance for the FJA Products Universal Spools
FJA Products Universal Spool Installation for Brother, Hermes, Smith Corona, Royal, Olympia, Facit, Olivetti and many others
The FJA Products Universal spool has an expanding center core. The core has a "star" shape. Please insert with the star side face down into the spool cups. The star can expand and will fit down over the vertical prong (called the spindle). Most spindles are 4mm however the core will expand to fit over larger spindles found in the Olivetti Typewriters and can even be removed if needed for the Remington Typewriters.
When inserting, the spools in your typewriter, you will see a smaller vertical prong. Place the spool over the spindle, and press firmly. Place one of the cutouts of the star over the little prong. This is how the spindle advances the spool when you press the keys to type.
FJA Products Universal Spool Installation for Brother, Hermes, Smith Corona, Royal, Olympia, Facit, Olivetti and many others
The image above shows the spools are placed properly into the spool cups. Both the lag and lead spools are firmly pressed onto the both the large spindle and the smaller spindle. The spools should be level and should not tip or rock when placed properly in the spool cups.
FJA Products Universal Spool Installation Remington Typewriter with large spindle
If your Remington portable has a larger spindle (as shown in the photograph above).
Please push the star shaped center core out of the spools. You can use the back of a pen or a pencil. Once the center core is removed, this will allow you to place the large opening over the large spindle found in some Remington typewriters.
Please remember this item is described as 2 inch diameter, so if your Remington has the small spool that measure 1.5 inches you will need to rewind the new ribbon onto the smaller spools.
FJA Products Universal Spool Installation Remington Typewriter with large spindle
The image above is showing the spools placed properly into the spool cup over the larger Remington spindle.
The spools should be level and should not tip or rock while placed in the spool cups.
Please remember this item is described as 2 inch diameter, so if your Remington has the small spool that measure 1.5 inches you will need to rewind the new ribbon onto the smaller spools.
EricaPayne
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2025
These are the best typewriter ribbons on the market. They are not stingy with the ink and it leaves an excellent imprint on the paper. The printed letters are very legible and long lasting.
estatik
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2024
I find old janky typewriters and clean them and fix them and almost always put a brand new FJA ribbon in them before I sell them. They are always consistent, inked well, and the universal spools have worked in so many machines! I basically buy this two-pac with every order I place on Amazon. In fact I have ordered them often enough that I might be responsible for Amazon now stocking them at the local warehouse rather than having FJA send them to me. My only complaint is I wish they had an option for a two-pack of the red/black. Not much of a complaint though, is it? Kudos to FJA on their excellent product.
PlumDutchess
Reviewed in Canada on September 1, 2023
Came in flimsy packaging and dried out
Reagan
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2023
Recently purchased a military surplus, Swedish Olympus Carina 2. The ribbon in the unit likely decades-old printed a faint gray. Was happy to find these made an America universal typewriter ribbons. Fair price, even a good bargain for what it is getting two ink ribbons for a price just a little more than a single. This is my first typewriter I’ve ever owned it cost about $20. Everything seems to function fine, and Just be mindful Z & Y keys are reversed on my non-QWERTY layout Swedish typewriter.So far happy with the purchase it came one day after ordering it. Looks good and will be easy to install. First time getting into this typewriter learning how the auto reverse function works. Great! Thanks for making this item available.
Sudarat
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2023
These fit my L.C. Smith Corona Typewriter perfectly. They do not fit my newer 70s typewriter. However, the ribbons are good and I was able to use the ribbon on the original spools. The ink are good and not messy. The prints are sharp. The package came with two set of ribbons. I recommend to keep the one you are not using in a seal zip lock bag to prevent the ink on the ribbon from drying up.I will consider buying these again in the future. I highly recommend these to anyone who wants to restore their vintage typewriters.
cyryl
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2023
I had to take my typewriter to a service store to find out how to reverse the ribbon. Turns out the plastic spool won't accomplish that automatically. I had to replace the plastic spool with a special metal one. Ribbon seems fine.
Josh
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2022
These ribbons will fit most typewriters that use this size and type of ribbon. There are some models that take special spools, but I haven't had an issue using these with anything I have (mostly Royals and Smith-Coronas).I collect typewriters and use them for my own writing and as an option in my English classroom (I have students who enjoy the new-for-them experience of something they've only seen in movies). This company is the only place I've bought ribbons for almost a decade.These are great quality and long lasting. The ribbons have consistent ink for easy typing and great legibility. Even in a pretty rough environment at school (new typists with heavy hands, covers getting left off, climate control shut off in the summer, etc), these always last a long time.At home, we have one typewriter with an FJA purple/black ribbon that is still going strong after 3 years of storage and occasional use.I recommend FJA Products to anybody looking for a typewriter ribbon, and so do most of the folks I see on typewriter forums. You won't go wrong with them.
Rhonda Woolf
Reviewed in Australia on July 30, 2021
This may be stated as universal but it does not fit my type writer, an Optima typewriter
Mongrel
Reviewed in Australia on January 15, 2021
Hard to find item but sourced and found and did the job
Aaron Dawes
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2021
So they work super well, quality is very good, but in my experience they ran out very fast. I am unsure if I just type too often but they ran out very quickly it felt.
KrisSquared
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2020
I just got handed down my grandmother’s 1949 Remington Rand, still in working condition with a dry ribbon. I remember using it as a kid for school reports, before we got our first Apple computer with the black & green screen. Now a writer, I feel like it’s a dream to have this back in my life. I took a chance on this universal replacement, hoping it would work. Out of the box, it clearly would not slip into the spool slots. The universal spool has a star shaped piece that is meant to expand to the size of the slot in your typewriter, but mine requires an open circle. Good news is I was able to pull out the star shaped piece in the center of the spool to get the circle I needed. After that, I had a fresh working ribbon of ink. I can’t say how happy I am that it works. Thanks for keeping these available for those of us with a lot of nostalgia for the old typewriters. Will buy more.
William
Reviewed in Canada on March 23, 2019
I have an old typewriter I like to use now and again. The ribbon dryed up and Amazon was the only place I could get replacement.
Danielle
Reviewed in Canada on February 24, 2016
Had to put it on my old spools I had because the diameter was just a bit too big on these. Look like it works well. My typewriter was a portable smith corona corsair I believe. Arrived almost a week early than the earliest date it was supposed to which was awesome!
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