https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7402637/files

James Wood, typewriter collector<br /> aka u/Wooden_Underpants<br /> https://www.youtube.com/@Woodys-corner<br /> match via https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1wbs1wq/day_in_the_life/

https://www.youtube.com/@Woodys-corner<br /> James Wood, typewriter collector<br /> aka u/Wooden_Underpants

match via https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1wbs1wq/day_in_the_life/

reply to u/InIt2WihnIt at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1wba3iq/first_typewriterribbon_right/

Kudos!

Here's your manual: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/SCMClassic12.pdf

Try to put your paper straight down from the start and place it flush with the adjustable paper guide as you roll it in with the platen knob. If it's still crooked, use the paper release lever to remove tension on the platen and rollers and then re-align it using either the line indicator, the paper bail, or the paper table. Then roll the paper back to where you need it to be to start writing.

See also: https://boffosocko.com/2025/08/17/the-uses-and-subtleties-of-the-line-indicator-on-a-typewriter/

https://auctions.posterauctions.com/lots/view/1-84GUYO/remington-1910

Original Leonetto Cappiello Remington poster sold for $31,250 on 2023-11-12

Possibly inspired by the preface to the novel Penguin Island (L’Île des Pingouins. Calmann-Lévy, 1908) by Nobel prize laureate Anatole France, in which a scholar is drowned by an avalanche of index cards which formed a gigantic whirlpool streaming out of his card index (Zettelkasten)!? (See: https://boffosocko.com/2022/10/24/death-by-zettelkasten/)

reply to u/grenierdave at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1w86wy5/first_typewriter/

I like this Sewing Parts oil because it's got a nice, long "zoom spout" for dispensing a drop at a time. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BV4G9R1Sypers.html

I also sometimes use Rem Oil in a spray can, but that can be overly aggressive, so I follow it up with my air compressor at 75-90psi to blow off the excess.

Using a toothpick, screwdriver with a long shank and flat blade, or a long q-tip saturated in oil, and doing a "drop" at a time on moving parts is an old-school trick as well. A 4 oz bottle of oil should last you nearly forever.

Another trick some will use is to do a 10:1 mixture of mineral spirits to oil on their last treatment of a machine. The mineral spirits will flash off fairly quickly and leave an incredibly thin coat of oil on all the parts that need it (with exception to the segment.)

A drop of oil on your carriage rails every couple of weeks is also useful for ongoing maintenance.

See also:<br /> - https://boffosocko.com/2024/08/09/on-colloquial-advice-for-degreasing-cleaning-and-oiling-manual-typewriters/ - https://boffosocko.com/2025/06/06/typewriter-use-and-maintenance-for-beginning-to-intermediate-typists/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1w94ytj/i_recently_got_this_beautiful_1964_olympia_sm9/<br /> via u/costeleo

Matching typewriter purchases identify u/Proud_Illustrator266 with Kathy Tetlak

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1w7b12q/thrift_store_find/<br /> https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1363217359330368/

Russellville native finds niche in typewriter repair business |<br /> by [[Jack Dobbs]] for Bowling Green Daily News<br /> accessed on 2026-09-04T08:59:30

https://www.instagram.com/barrenrivertypewriter

Royal Royalite/Parade/Signet Full Tear Down for Service Walkthrough Tutorial<br /> by [[Hot Rod Typewriter]]<br /> accessed on 2026-09-03T21:56:07

via u/Wooden_Underpants at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1w69ulq/comment/p7n66y2/?context=1&screen_view_count=1&ext-referrer=DIRECT

—via Bergens Tidende

Department of the Army. 1955. TM 10 601 Dept of the Army Technical Manual: Underwood Typewriter Maintenance and Repair. http://archive.org/details/TM10601.

https://archive.org/details/TM10601/page/n65/mode/2up

https://sites.google.com/site/downeyprinterrepair/<br /> Cameron Skill <br /> I have 42 years experience as a typewriter technician.(as of August 2026).

See listings on Craigslist at https://www.craigslist.org/search/area/losangeles?cat=sss&query=zzyzx#search=2~gallery~0

https://typewritermuseum.org/index.html

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1w27ca7/a_smokers_studio_44_before_after/

Tom Hanks' Unusual Hobby -Friday Night With Jonathan Ross

Likely Season 14, Episode 1 from Sun 13 Jan 2008

Hanks has a collection of "about 80 typewriters" circa 2008.

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Series 14, Episode 1<br /> by BBC One<br /> accessed on 2026-08-31T10:06:21

via Jim Tuxbury on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1355024096816361

Full page photo:

In the Sunday, March 8, 1964 edition of The Plain Dealer Heloise Cruse suggest putting several drops of pure glycerin onto one's dried out typewriter ribbon as a means of rejuvenating them. She recommends letting them soak for at least three days.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10163177170344678/

IBM Jingle: https://youtu.be/wtaI18Yq59s?si=1rexqhuKQafnOzuu&t=569

"Thou shalt conduct IBM's business in a responsible and ethical manner."<br /> —IBM Sales Manual #

Rowlf The Salesman (1966 IBM Film) [4K]

https://www.facebook.com/sameeranff/posts/pfbid027ztMHDpviDq8p4rQrAyLHoAuEnBZkEfqWJff2iRGf3HHYJM9g1LCCcfVa1xXZ3Ztl

uncommonly large typewriter spools

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10164041808449678/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10164042236034678/

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/profile/100001551643342/

Craig French recommends soaking rusty typewriter springs in Diet Coke and then wiping them with aluminum foil to remove rust.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1354433773542060

https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1355607023424735

The Corona Zephyr and Smith-Corona Skyriter typewriter cases used to have two strips of leather sewn over a metal internal strip on their case handles.

Most of these vintage metal cases are missing the leather straps leaving only an uncomfortable metal strip.

via Greg Hubert

via Milton Solomon at https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1354754280176676/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/HartongInternational

Looks like Jason of Hartong International refurbishes(?) typewriters and sells them via an Etsy Shop.

Typewriter maintenance all machines<br /> by bremeloboy

Vaguely hilarious in it's portrayal of the way that typewriter repair should never be done.

One of a handful of Professional Elite No. 41 machines in the typewriter database as of 2026-08-15:

• https://typewriterdatabase.com/1959-olympia-sm4.10661.typewriter
• https://typewriterdatabase.com/1959-olympia-sm4.17725.typewriter
• https://typewriterdatabase.com/1969-olympia-sm9.12039.typewriter
• https://typewriterdatabase.com/1958-olympia-sm3.18757.typewriter
• https://typewriterdatabase.com/1959-olympia-sg1.11825.typewriter
• https://typewriterdatabase.com/1959-olympia-sm4.22064.typewriter

Of all coincidences, the post immediately after yours in the sub was for a refurbished Studio 44 out of Berkeley Typewriter Shop with a script typeface: https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1vtctas/will_i_regret_it_passing_on_this_olivetti_studio/

The though thing is recognizing how to identify potential script machines in online auctions when they don't explicitly state or show the typeface. For many machines prior to 1970 the clue to a script machine may be a dedicated "1" key as script lower case "l" typically won't suffice to also stand in for the number 1 as it did for most other typefaces.

If you'd like to scroll through some and do some research, the database has a section for typefaces: https://typewriterdatabase.com/typefaces.php If you log in there are also downloadable typeface catalogs you can browse through in addition to the resources Ted Munk has at https://typecast.munk.org/category/typewriter-typestylesfonts/

On machines with stated script faces, you may need to be prepared to pay $100-150 on average above the cost of just the machine itself. Less common (and more expensive) variations are machines with Fraktur, Vertical Script, or Spencerian typefaces.

Good luck in your hunt for one, they're definitely out there and not rare.

Reply to u/Ganimor at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1vtcpjz/cursive_typewriter/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/748857487433028

https://www.latimes.com/socal/la-canada-valley-sun/news/tn-vsl-xpm-2005-01-20-obits02-story.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10164022229359678/

https://axminsterheritage.org/industry-commerce/

J H Shand Ltd.<br /> From 1940 until the late 1980s J H Shand Ltd employed highly-skilled engineers and technicians, designing and manufacturing steel type used in office equipment and industrial marking systems; and the manufacture of tools and equipment for use by other manufacturing companies. The company’s original role was to supply individual letter type blocks to manufacturers of manual typewriters which they could build into their machines. As electric typewriters took over, the company specialised in the manufacture of plastic ‘daisy wheels’. As well as producing raised characters for use in typewriters etc , the company made embossing type to produce raised letters or numbers when pressed into metal or plastic. This technique was used to make credit cards, many millions of which have been issued. Another side to the business made larger equipment including precision machine tools.

Example of female typist covering keyboard up with handkerchief to show how light the touch needed would be.

"Note that the handkerchief is hardly ruffled."

I feel like that time period and the century before, being able to do something through a thin piece of cloth was indicative of how little effort was required, or how dainty something could be. It definitely feels very gendered to me, but I'll have to find other historical examples to back this argument up.

In the digital age, these typewriter superfans hold the keys<br /> by [[Victoria Hoffmann]], [[Mackenzie Farkus]], [[Melanie Stetson Freeman]] in The Christian Science Monitor CSMonitor.com<br /> accessed on 2026-08-15T16:33:28

a mini history along with some reasons to use typewriters in the 21st century. nothing really new here...

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1vo2oot/need_shelvingcabinet_ideas_with_sources/

Remington Typewriter Company. 1927. An Easy Guide for Operating the Remington Portable Typewriter. http://archive.org/details/AnEasyGuideForOperatingTheRemingtonPortableTypewriter (August 13, 2026).

https://www.ebay.com/str/keatsandyeats

Web storefront at: https://www.typewritermechanic.com/

https://www.typewritermechanic.com/<br /> Unknown name and address in Lebanon, PA<br /> Private home, not a storefront<br /> Etsy shop: https://www.ebay.com/str/keatsandyeats

Not currently on Richard Polt's list as of 2026-08-13.

https://typespec.com/green-smith-corona-portable-musicwriter-typewriter-for-sale/

u/Suspicious-Diver-630 on Reddit is Mos 6502 on TWdB

https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1vjoyny/underwood_touchmaster_ii_revival/ https://typewriterdatabase.com/typewriters.php?hunter_search=8385&collection_search=My+Collection

https://lumicrest.com/showcase-lighting-martin-howards-antique-typewriter-collection/

via https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10163958948944678/

check original source

War Department. 1944. Typewriter Maintenance. War Department Technical Manual TM37-305. United States Government Printing Office. https://maritime.org/doc/typewriter/index.php (February 6, 2025).

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1vl9d36/too_many_typers_how_to_unhord/

via SGW: https://shopgoodwill.com/item/273016054

Dennis McCarthy: When the best way into the 21st Century is through a Selectric typewriter<br /> by [[Dennis McCarthy]] in Daily News accessed on 2026-08-10T12:06:13

https://www.facebook.com/groups/474920510009958/posts/2313296542839003/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/474920510009958/posts/2314952302673427

Davis Typewriter Works: A Royal Safari at Eighteen Years on the Net<br /> by [[Will Davis]]<br /> accessed on 2026-08-06T20:57:15

typewriter body shell (aka mask)

https://www.tbwritersplus.com/general-8

You have to love that they have DIY services for typewriter repair enthusiasts!

https://www.tbwritersplus.com/plans-pricing

$50/month for unlimited typewriters per month one at a time<br /> $40/month for one typewriter

reply to u/dazzleshipsrecords at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1vhiow0/passed_this_on_up_will_i_regret_it/

You'll always regret the typewriters you don't get (or can't carry—just yesterday I had to pass up on a $44 Olympia SM3 in good condition because I couldn't physically carry it with me on vacation and I'm still irked about it).

Watch Shopgoodwill.com and surely you'll run into a few KMMs in similar condition that you can pick up at nearby shops in the $15-25 range.

reply to u/betonyourself19 at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1vhjuav/what_am_i_looking_at_here/

It's a Smith-Corona 5 series from the 1950s, likely a Silent-Super (though it's difficult to read the lettering on the back of the paper table. Looks like it may have been either originally a pink machine and someone repainted the body grey or someone chopped the pink parts off and put them on a gray machine.

Repair shops in the US typically run $40-75/hour of labor plus parts or a few hundred for a general clean, oil, and adjust. You can ask for the bare minimum to get it going again all the way up to a full restoration depending on your needs and budget. Typically based on what you need a shop will give you a quote before starting work.

https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-repair.html

Tom Hansen interested in typewriter repair workshop https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1333610698957701/

via u/Briaaanz at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1vc6nhe/iso_good_typewriter_quotes/

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8328077-take-a-writer-away-from-his-typewriter-and-all-you

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1vc5bd4/happy_65th_birthday_to_the_ibm_selectric/

https://ftp.sharktastica.co.uk/patents/<br /> Admiral Shark's Keyboards FTP

found via https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1vc5bd4/happy_65th_birthday_to_the_ibm_selectric/ maintained by u/SharktasticA

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/312645-i-m-all-in-favor-of-keeping-dangerous-weapons-out-of

original source?

IBM Selectric Service Training (1978, Restored)<br /> by [[Thickboy]] on YouTube<br /> accessed on 2026-07-31T10:13:34

I just finished a project and I think a lot of you would like it. I found the old Selectric training videos but the narration is very outdated, slow paced and the slides were all burned red and miscolored.

With the help of AI I restored the photos and created a new narrator. The script has been modernized to sound more palatable to our ear. "Stop the reel" updated to "pause the video", for example and is now narrated at a natural pace in a woman's voice.

These courses, for me at least, are way easier to sit through and absorb. There maybe be some coloration errors or glitches in some photos, but for the most part they came out pretty good. Take a look and let me know what you think.

I'm also putting together some review videos with quiz questions for each section that I will release soon.

IBM Selectric Service Training (1978, Restored)<br /> via u/Mike3521 at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1vbcsob/just_finished_restoring_the_old_selectric/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1332186355766802

Sister Boniface Season 3, Episode 5

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10163943772119678

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10163944123654678

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1jqfs8a/a_typewriter_rarity_and_desirability_chart_from_a/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/721704878218903/posts/2379249682464406

reply to u/NoFace125 at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1vb701u/thoughts_on_3d_printed_parts_on_typewriters/

I've heard mixed things on 3-D printed platens and there aren't many out there from what I've seen/heard.

I've seen lots of broken spacebars, though never run across a 3-D printed one.

As for the platen knobs on the Hermes 3000, they're probably one of the most commonly broken parts of any typewriter out there, and I've seen dozens of variations of printed knobs for those. It's almost like you don't own a real Hermes 3000 unless you've replaced the knobs on it.

https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1vajqs7/olympia_sg3_question/

Olympia SG3 typewriter with an optional carbon ribbon set up?

My guess:

Is it just a holder or is there some sort of drive mechanism associated with it? Is the other side a mirror version of it?

I have seen a handful of custom machines (all of them standards) in the late 50s/early 60s that had dual ribbon set ups: one being the standard cloth ribbon mechanism and the second, usually in a "Princess Leia's hair bun" configuration on the sides of the machine (similar to your photo) in which a secondary carbon ribbon was stored for secondary use when/as necessary. I've never seen one on an Olympia however.

It could also potentially have been used for white correction tape as well.

Here's an example of a Royal FPCP with such a feature: https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1203433725308733/

It could be the passive holder side for an optional carbon ribbon that is then threaded to the spool on the left side which does the pulling. Typically most carbon ribbons are single use only, so you wouldn't need/want an auto-reverse mechanism.

reply tu u/liamkembleyoung at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1v9g96o/best_prewar_typewriters/

Best by what criteria? Manufacturing, design, materials, user interface, ease-of-use, portability, serviceability, price, features, value, collectability, rarity? There's a lot to consider here and your analogistic comparison to the Olympia SM3 leaves out a lot. Even worse, you're asking for opinions from a crowd that is typically not using the best exemplars of machines by which to be making such comparisons, not to mention the personal bias that enters into these sorts of comparisons.

Generally you'll get a lot more bang for your buck on all the criteria (except for portability) with a solid well-tuned standard like a Royal Ten, an Underwood No. 5, or even a Woodstock No. 5, but then I'd also be more partial to the Olympia SG1, SG3, Hermes Ambassador, Remington Super-Riter, or a Royal HH or Royal FP in the post-war era.

Really the hidden secret to any era is to be using a typewriter that has been properly cleaned, oiled, and adjusted with properly functioning replaced rubber.

via u/Tall_Garage_7398

via u/Tall_Garage_7398

https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1330939455891492/

Olympia SM1 with metal bumps placed onto the plastic keys of a keyboard. One on the 6 and J, two on the Z and N (a German keyboard) presumably for the blind.

1946 Electromatic Model 01 - IBM's First Typewriter <br /> by [[Tech Tangents]]

Not the best cleaning and repair advice here for a typewriter, but some interesting tidbits of IBM history.

via Ted Munk as a comment on a YouTube video

reply to liamkembleyoung at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1v4ykv9/pros_and_cons_of_pre1950s_typewriters_vs_1950s/

Quality of the materials, build, and engineering, condition of the machine (clean, well-adjusted, rubber condition), popularity, rarity, desirability, collectability all figure into machine pricing.

Most would say that the $250-350 Royal Classic/We R Memory Keepers machines from Shanghai Weilv Mechanism Company that are available new from Amazon and other retailers are cheap, poorly made pieces of junk with dreadful quality control and thus not worth the money one would spend on them. (The fact that they sell on ShopGoodWill for $5-10 underlines this.)

You might also have a 1970s Brother typewriter (made in the millions) that might have sold brand new in the $100 range versus a used 1955 Olympia SG1 selling in that same shop at the same time (1970s) for about the same money, or possibly less. The SG1 is acknowledged as one of the finest typewriters ever manufactured versus the very pedestrian and "cheaper" (materials-wise) Brother, so it's going to be worth more money now in the secondary market. The SG1 is less common, has a better reputation, more popular, more collectible, and just a better machine overall which is also likely to last longer. At the low end the SG1 is going to go for $75-150 while the Brother will be $25. Fully serviced out of a repair shop (cleaned, oiled, and adjusted with new rubber feet and a recovered platen) they might go respectively for $700-850 and $400-475.

Keep in mind that most typewriters you'll see on this sub and in the broader market are far from "rare"; rarity and desirability are two different things; and rare doesn't always equate to being more expensive. Actually rare machines aren't often discussed on this sub in general.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10163913759524678/

via Koponewt (aka Pelicram ❤️ Slug Goblin) at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1v1fcw8/comment/oyntwp4/

Get in touch with Galerie Alte Technik, they specialize in selling off collections of antique typewriters.

https://galerie-alte-technik.de/

https://www.avito.ru/brands/4af46572a96fdd3f95cf6c86ca1e756e/all?sellerId=ff0216c60d511747adb524621c3b9171

New shop opened in April 2026 in Moscow, Russia

via <br /> https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1v1ar6h/my_typewriter_repair_shop_vibes/<br /> https://www.instagram.com/iskra.machines

https://www.typewriterservices.com/

reply to u/shadowwolf892 at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1uzynlz/a_portable_compared_to_sg1/

You're comparing apples and oranges and the apple you're looking for will never be an orange. (i.e. Standard machines are almost always going to beat out portables: https://boffosocko.com/2025/03/21/standard-typewriters-versus-portable-typewriters-and-ultraportable-typewriters.)

The feel question is also going to be so variable across people's experiences (not to mention the condition of the machines on which they were formed which is a tremendous amount of noise in the secondary market) that you're highly unlikely to find what works best for you in this way. Incidentally, this is also a great way to end up with 30 typewriters and still be unsatisfied.

Your best bet for all of the variables you're trying to optimize for is to go to a shop with a variety of machines in good condition to try and purchase something you think will suit you best.

All this aside, I nearly guarantee that neither of your machines are well tuned, so you might consider looking into this for your Sterling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYOXgqiHBmg.

via Ted Munk at https://typewritersandbeer.wordpress.com/2020/02/24/silver-seiko-speedwriter-7200-and-stone-ruination-2-0/#comment-95

https://www.facebook.com/groups/721704878218903/posts/3068179956904705

Reddy Kilowatt as a custom slug on a Royal KHM.

https://typewriterdatabase.com/show.28476.typewriter

An Underwood Champion with a built-in typing stand and instruction manual.

Due to the nature of online communication, it may often be the case that typewriter collectors and their colloquial advice may drown out the more experienced and professional typewriter repair people.

Most typewriter shops did not use alcohol as it was ineffective and contained water. Industrial alcohols contained keytones and acetones that will melt plastic and remove paint.

Solvents for typewriters used in repair shops: - White mineral spirits with a squeeze bottle. (Sometimes also called Varsol, Stoddard's Formula, and possibly Inhibisol) - Naphtha (aka lighter fluid; used in Zippo lighters, and frequently seen in Europe). PB B'laster is essentially pressurized naphtha in a can. - Auto carb and brake cleaners, usually pressurized in a can. These usually have acetone in them and will melt plastic. Will remove WD-40 if accidentally used on a typewriter.

For cleaning typeslugs, one can use naphtha or mineral spirits with a brass bristle brush.

For platen cleaning try mineral spirits or fedron.

Only oil the carriage rails for the bearings or trucks.

(This is all colloquial advice, albeit with experience, so check specific facts about what certain products contain.)

https://www.instagram.com/p/DafbWAMx4xw/

Video of Fine Line's ribbon manufacturing machine.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1uy67c4/diy_jig_for_rejuvenating_driedout_typewriter/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1uttoqn/what_do_you_use_your_typewriter_for_read_body/ via u/TomReef_Reddit (who later deleted the body of the question)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/4252633211717813/posts/4261945794119888 via Janet Schwartz