Of space, time, and typewriters<br /> by [[Rebecca Ritzel]] for the JHU Hub<br /> accessed on 2025-12-06T20:51:49
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- Last 7 days
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Reply to u/banksclaud at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1pf09vb/please_help_surprise_my_son/
Etsy can often have people flipping machines without having any work done, so be careful on what price you're paying for what you're getting. If it's over $350, it ought to fully serviced and have some sort of guarantee. Otherwise, find something at your local repair shop: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-repair.html
This question is asked so often, I've written up some good general advice which should apply to your child: https://boffosocko.com/2025/03/29/first-time-typewriter-purchases-with-specific-recommendations-for-writers/ For the age and your desire not to be bulky, go for a portable machine and not a larger standard or the more finnicky ultra-portables.
Some might opt for the brighter colored typewriters for kids for the "fun" factor, but I've found, having done a few type-ins with a huge variety of machines, that it's often the adults that are drawn to the colorful machines (which tend to be less well-built and plastic-y/cheaper) while kids will respond well to the older, duller vintage machines.
Here's a few 1950's advertisements directed at parents of kids just for fun: <br /> - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTrkDa-GuSI<br /> - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOIRul7pXDY
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- Nov 2025
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oztypewriter.blogspot.com oztypewriter.blogspot.com
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Collaborating with the Nazis: The Black Mark on Remington’s Typewriter History<br /> by [[Robert Messenger]]<br /> accessed on 2025-11-26T10:13:43
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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Royal KMM basic introduction
Looks like a post-war standard Royal KMM, sometimes best known as the machine used by Jessica Fletcher in the TV show Murder She Wrote (as well as the upcoming Jamie Lee Curtis reboot.)
Richard Polt has you covered for the manual and some repair manuals/information.
Some contemporaneous videos on use and maintenance may help.
As for ribbon replacement, try this video. The spools for the standard Royal typewriters (Ten, H, KH, KHM, KMM, KMG, RP, HH, FP, Empress, 440, 660, etc.) have a custom metal mechanism for their auto-reverse. The spools are known as the T1 (which is the same as General Ribbon part # T1-77B , T1-77BR, and Nu-Kote B64.) If winding on 1/2 inch wide universal ribbon onto them, remove the eyelette which isn't needed and may interfere with the auto reverse. If necessary, Ribbons Unlimited carries these spools or you can get them (and ribbon) from a local typewriter repair shop.
Ribbon purveyors: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-faq.html#q1. I prefer Baco and Fine Line for their spectacular pricing and quality.
Other known historical users of the Royal KMM:
- John Ashbery
- Russell Baker
- Ray Bradbury
- Richard Brautigan
- Richard Brooks
- Pearl S. Buck
- Johnny Carson (or possibly KMG)
- Norman Corwin
- Frank Herbert
- Helen Keller
- Murray Kempton
- Ken Kesey
- George Washington Lee
- Harper Lee
- Ursula K. LeGuin
- David McCullough
- Margaret Mead
- Dorothy Paraker
- Grantland Rice
- Georges Simenon
- Christina Stead
- Tom Wolfe
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1p42tr1/typewriter_ribbon/
It's a small metal ring/hub that fits onto the ribbon spindle. You can call around to repair shops for replacements (which may be the cheapest route) https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-repair.html. Ribbons Unlimited https://ribbonsunlimited.com also sells these hubs with ribbon attached, but it's more expensive to do this, but once you've got them, you can buy ribbon by itself for much cheaper in the future and just wind the new ribbon onto existing spool hubs.
Here's some useful videos which might help you out: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTFM54VKKc4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWQTa4b7jPs (This one has some advice about using a Remington without the spools.)
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Yes, the R.C. Allens use a proprietary spool to trigger the ribbon reversal. This spool is subtly different from the "universal" spools and the universals will not even fit, though they look like they will. (I just checked this.)
https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1p1w0vx/what_type_of_ribbon_would_this_need/
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writingball.blogspot.com writingball.blogspot.com
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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Old book typewriter Underwood Elliott-Fisher (1930), how to type on books, and why (video N°103)<br /> by [[Old Typewriters and Calculators]] on YouTube<br /> accessed on 2025-11-09T09:32:48
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You know a typewriter is being used as flimsy filler decoration when it's sitting on a shelf and simultaneously serving as a book support. [38:33]
A real writer's typewriter is free and clear so that the carriage can move its full length.
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For Susan Orlean, editing on a computer as opposed to handwritten or typewritten work, is much easier as it's not as messy and encourages experimentation. [30:45]
One suspects that the words seem less precious or permanent as well.
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mrmrsvintagetypewriters.com mrmrsvintagetypewriters.com
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https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1oouq6o/chrome_typewriters/
- Gorham silver-bodied Corona portables made for the Christmas season of 1931
Gold plated machines: - Royal Quiet De Luxes - Olympia SM3
Most of the rest of the machines out there were aftermarket cleaning and restoration related work.
Marketing:<br /> The Corona was one of a number that were plated in 24 K gold for a Luis Vuitton marketing campaign
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mrmrsvintagetypewriters.com mrmrsvintagetypewriters.com
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www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
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This is something for the category of 'most interesting things found inside of a typewiter'. As I was inspecting and preparing to test a new-to-me SC 5LE, when I opened the ribbon cover, I saw this. I wish I had taken a better picture of what i looked like after I got the shell off of the machine, but I was pretty intent on getting it outside and making sure it wasn't inhabited. I ID'd it later as a mud wasp/mud dauber nest.
via Patty Perkins at https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10162788538859678/
mud wasp/mud dauber nest in a typewriter<br />
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- Oct 2025
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Katie Nolan Destroys UNC’S Mike Lombardi Over His 'Cute' Typewriter Video<br /> by [[Stephen Douglas]] for Sports Illustrated<br /> accessed on 2025-10-30T13:53:59
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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There were at least two different mechanisms that S-C used to regulate the Power Space and I am unfamiliar with one of them. Start by taking off the bottom panel so you can see what's going on. Operate the power space while watching what is moving and then you should be able to understand what's involved. The system That i know switches out the regular escapement regulation (the dogs activated by key and spacebar linkages) for an independent one wherein the dogs are instead controlled by a fat rubber finger that gets diddled by a yoke that is powered by the otherwise free motion of the carriage. That's when it is working. Now, tho, it's not right. Most common fault is with the pivot for that linkage. See if that yoke feels sloppy. There is a white plastic screw with a divot in the inner end to hold and allow adjustment of the bearing of the yoke. That pivot screw is threaded through a hole in the frame and locked with a metal locknut and the thing loosens over the decades, allowing slop in controlling the dogs. If you're lucky the threads can be coaxed into holding a fresh adjustment. Do not force or overtighten it. Incidentally, the speed of the Power Space action can be adjusted by the position of that yoke hitting the rubber finger; that should not need adjustment, but keep it in mind. Your cause could be something else, but the normal operation of the escapement working with the keys and spacebar indicates that the escapement is basically OK. Cleaning never hurts, though.
https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1oi6808/space_runs_too_fast_with_loud_buzzing_sound_plz/ reply via u/ahelper
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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www.instructables.com www.instructables.com
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Making Tab Stops for an LC Smith Typewriter : 3 Steps - Instructables<br /> by [[Instructables]]<br /> accessed on 2025-10-30T11:30:29
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discord.com discord.com
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https://discord.com/channels/639936208734126107/639938983220215828/1131197256691875881
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel S5, E2
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typewriterdatabase.com typewriterdatabase.com
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Most of the slugs have a number 5 stamped on them
https://typewriterdatabase.com/1926-mercedes-4.19461.typewriter<br /> "Steile Sierschrift" (Steep ornamental font) <br /> RaRo foundry mark 5 circle I<br /> paired with<br /> RaRo foundry mark 57 AR
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site.xavier.edu site.xavier.edu
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Known historical users of the Royal KMM:<br /> - John Ashbery<br /> - Russell Baker - Ray Bradbury - Richard Brautigan - Richard Brooks - Pearl S. Buck<br /> - Johnny Carson (or possibly KMG) - Norman Corwin<br /> - Frank Herbert<br /> - Helen Keller<br /> - Murray Kempton<br /> - Ken Kesey<br /> - George Washington Lee - Harper Lee<br /> - Ursula K. LeGuin - David McCullough<br /> - Margaret Mead<br /> - Dorothy Paraker<br /> - Grantland Rice<br /> - Georges Simenon<br /> - Christina Stead<br /> - Tom Wolfe
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Smith-Corona Electra users:<br /> - Joyce Carol Oates - Electra 220<br /> - William Styron - Electra 210 - Robert Caro - Electra 210 (New York Times) - Allen Ginsberg - Electra - Truman Capote - Electra 110
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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The Elusive Olympia SM6? The Missing Link? Or just a regular old SM2? - YouTube<br /> by [[HotRodTypewriter]]<br /> accessed on 2025-10-26T16:16:00
Another version seen here: https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ognqwh/olympia_monica/ via u/jbhusker (who subsequently deleted his post and photos of the machine as well as the italic typeface)
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pelicram.github.io pelicram.github.io
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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Down All the Days (2013 Mix)<br /> by [[ThePoguesOfficial]] on YouTube accessed on 2025-10-23T08:36:17
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theneorenaissance.com theneorenaissance.com
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Making Custom Typewriter Rubber Stamps<br /> by Sam on Neo-Renaissance<br /> accessed on 2025-10-22T14:12:54
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“Letters by radio”, Science and Invention, (Artist Unknown) 1922<br />
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1o8lzdm/trying_to_id_a_typewriter_from_a_video_game/
Folklore (2007, PlayStation 3)
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www.newyorker.com www.newyorker.com
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New Yorker Staff. 2007. “The Typing Life: How Writers Used to Write.” The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/04/09/the-typing-life (October 22, 2025).
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the heroine of Muriel Spark’s first novel, “The Comforters” (1957). This woman, Caroline, a literary critic,
typewriter plays a central role in the story
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And, because what we write on it is so effortlessly and undetectably erasable, the final text buries the evidence of our struggle, asserting that what we said was what we thought all along.
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A page produced on a manual typewriter was like a record of the torture of thought.
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Wershler-Henry does not confine himself to human users of the typewriter. He also tells us about monkeys, as in the hypothetical question “If you put a bunch of monkeys in front of typewriters, how long would it take them to compose the works of Shakespeare?” This question originated as part of the theory of probability, and it has been tested. According to Wershler-Henry, the world record for Shakespeare-reinvention belongs to the virtual monkeys supervised by Dan Oliver, of Scottsdale, Arizona. On August 4, 2004, after the group had worked for 42,162,500,000 billion billion monkey years, one of Oliver’s monkeys typed, “VALENTINE. Cease toIdor:eFLP0FRjWK78aXzVOwm)-‘;8.t . . .,” the first nineteen characters of which can be found in “The Two Gentlemen of Verona.” Runner-up teams have produced eighteen characters from “Timon of Athens,” seventeen from “Troilus and Cressida,” and sixteen from “Richard II.” Did these monkeys get federal funding?
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As for unsexing them, the effect was the opposite. Wershler-Henry documents the entry of the “typewriter girl” into the iconography of early-twentieth-century pornography.
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By 1910, according to the Census Bureau, eighty-one per cent of professional typists were female.
Tags
- XX
- Census Bureau
- book reviews
- torture
- Muriel Spark
- The Comforters (1957)
- pornography
- writing tools
- gender
- writing practices
- typewriter history
- typewriter porn
- 1910
- typewriters
- read
- typewriter girls
- struggle
- typewriters in media
- monkeys and typewriters
- first novels
- struggling for arts' sake
Annotators
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1o8o98j/comment/njx2pgo/?context=1
Haul Out the Halloween (2025), Hallmark Movie
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www.thingiverse.com www.thingiverse.com
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via Aaron Mitchell at https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1102482705403836/
Typewriter Typebar Holding Rack by grifter7 - Thingiverse<br /> by [[grifter7]] on [[Thingiverse.com]]<br /> accessed on 2025-10-22T10:26:22
Tool: Typebar Sorting Rack
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www.showbiz411.com www.showbiz411.com
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UPDATED Watch Woody Allen's Interview with Bill Maher: "Sunset Boulevard" (the Movie) is "Fun Junk," "Streetcar" is "Perfect" - Showbiz411<br /> by [[Roger Friedman]]<br /> accessed on 2025-10-22T10:20:51
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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(Buying a Typewriter<br /> by [[Joe Van Cleave]] and [[Bob Marshall]] of Typewriter Muse on YouTube<br /> accessed on 2025-10-16T09:27:44
Bob Marshall prefers "extreme collector" to "hoarder" when it comes to typewriter collecting.
In July 20222, Bob Marshall was charging $60/hour for typewriter service.
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Annotators
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typecast.munk.org typecast.munk.org
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Montgomery Ward Typewriters 1941-1985, Signatures, Forwards and Escorts and why certain rare Royal Typefaces can be found on Brother Typewriters!<br /> by [[Ted Munk]] on 2022-011-25<br /> accessed on 2025-10-15T19:49:10
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Christmas 1959 is when Montgomery Wards gets their own “store brand” of a sort. They start offering the “Royal Heritage”, a model made specifically for MW by Royal. This is the beginning of the famous “blue badge” Royals with the sky-blue case interiors. If you see one of these, it was sold by Montgomery Wards.
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According to Ted Munk, "Spencerian Script only occurs on Montgomery Ward Brothers and not on any other Brother-manufactured machines"
Tags
- Executive typefaces
- department store catalogs
- typewriter rebranding
- Brother typewriters
- Brother typefaces
- blue badge Royal typewriters
- typewriter typefaces
- handwriting
- typewriter history
- Royal typefaces
- Royal typewriters
- Spencerian typefaces
- read
- Montgomery Ward typewriters
- Royal Heritage
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www.openculture.com www.openculture.com
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Mark Twain Wrote the First Book Ever Written With a Typewriter<br /> by [[Josh Jones]] in Open Culture<br /> accessed on 2025-10-13T23:01:35
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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Royal KMM FPE HH KH 10 T1 B64 Typewriter Ribbon Install Rewind Respool Replace by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]
The spools for the standard Royal typewriters (Ten, H, KH, KHM, KMM, KMG, RP, HH, FP, Empress, 440, 660, etc.) have a custom metal mechanism for their auto-reverse. The spools are known as the T1 (which is the same as General Ribbon part # T1-77B , T1-77BR, and Nu-Kote B64.) If winding on universal ribbon onto them, remove the eyelette which isn't needed and may interfere with the auto reverse.
The function of the mechanism is fairly similar to that of the Remington, but the mechanism is on the spool itself rather than on the spindle.
If necessary, Ribbons Unlimited carries these metal spools: https://www.ribbonsunlimited.com/6N064-Royal-Standard-Electric-Ribbon-64-p/6n064.htm
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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Ron's Reviews - YouTube<br /> by [[Parks and Recreation]] <br /> accessed on 2025-10-06T22:21:10
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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Ron's Typewriter - YouTube<br /> by [[Parks and Recreation]] <br /> accessed on 2025-10-06T22:09:41
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www.google.com www.google.com
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Why bother with dozens of big standards in your office when you can have a portable or two that you can move and which are always in demand?
100% The Practical Magazine of Efficient Management, November 1916, Volume 7, No. 45, p49. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Management/hqj2SD6khL4C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=corona&pg=RA4-PA49&printsec=frontcover
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- Sep 2025
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Wilhelmshaven: The Emperor's beloved city destroyed in the war<br /> by [[NDR.de]]<br /> accessed on 2025-09-30T15:02:51
I found a video about Wilhelmshaven in 1965 in the vintage section of a German broadcast service. The video is all German. It was made in 1965 and shows how the city developed through the decades. It is 17 minutes long, and the time from 6:30 to 8:30 is dedicated to Olympia Typewriters. You'll see a breathtaking amount of SG1s, workers correcting the letter alignment, workers taking measures on machines, and workers assembling machines in a huge workshop with a deafening typewriter rattle going on. <br /> via r/typewriters u/andrebartels1977 at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1nun0is/olympia_nerds/
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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Nakajima Daisywheel Typewriter Part 2 - YouTube<br /> by [[Joe Van Cleave]]<br /> accessed on 2025-09-27T15:15:18
The Nakamima WPT-150 is manufactured by Mitsunami Asia(S)Pte Ltd. in Indonesia and is sold in other countries as the model AX-150, which may help in finding supplies, print wheels, etc. for it.
nadist.com has repair manuals and parts lists as well as specifications
They sell six different models of which the WPT-150 is the least expensive.
Joe is a little more cognizant of the typing delay time of the Brother and it's seemingly non-existent for the Nakajima.
JVC tested the words per minute speed for the Nakajima using polar opposite characters on the daisy wheel.
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1no7d47/customizing_a_machine/
Hot Rod Typewriter has done some lovely paint jobs on typewriters. Check out Gerren's YouTube, Insta, and other socials for examples. You'll see examples of his work float by on the typewriter database from time to time as well.
Richard Polt's book Typewriter Revolution (2015) book has a whole chapter with photos on custom machines including a Twolympia which puts the internals of an SM9 into the body of an SM3.
I've seen gold, nickel, and chrome plated typewriters which are always fun. I'd love to do a nickel plate of my own one day.
Sadly, the most involved I've done so far is when my daughter loved my Clarion double gothic Royal FP, but wanted to have it in the pearlescent gray, so I swapped all the Sandstone (yellow) body panels from a another one I picked up just for the swap.
u/BlindAssassin111 had some cool custom made leather handles he showed off the other day: https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1nm8eit/made_my_own_leather_handle_for_a_carrying_case/
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typewriterdatabase.com typewriterdatabase.com
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site.xavier.edu site.xavier.edu
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Known historical users of the Remington Quiet-Riter:
- Hermann Hesse
- Halldór Laxness
- Martha Gellhorn
- Jack Lemmon's character in Bell, Book, and Candle (1958)
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mrmrsvintagetypewriters.com mrmrsvintagetypewriters.com
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Top 10 Worst typewriters<br /> by [[Walid Saad]]<br /> accessed on 2025-09-18T23:49:39
Tags
- typewriter recommendations
- Impex Maria
- Smith-Corona Corsair
- Princess 300
- Antares typewriters
- Underwood tuxedo
- Corona 4
- Underwood Golden Touch
- Blue Bird typewriter
- Princess 200
- lilliput typewriter
- Smith-Corona Calypso
- Princess 100
- read
- Groma Kolibri
- Rooy typewriters
- Shanghai Weilv Mechanism Company
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Tom Hanks delivers autographed typewriter to Portland shop<br /> by [[Devon Haskins]]<br /> accessed on 2025-09-18T20:31:03h
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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reply to u/Educational-Big-7383 at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1nkb6ga/why_olympia/
It probably doesn't hurt that Olympia was manufacturing some of the best machines at the height of typewriter manufacturing including the use of great materials (strength, durability), design, and general craftsmanship in the 20th century.
Many of these also tended to be late models which were sold in cases, so they tend to be younger, cleaner, and in much nicer condition that the majority of other typewriters out there, and condition really matters a lot when attempting to compare models. As an extreme, but illustrative comparison, a 1930s Royal portable that was pounded out and left in a barn isn't going to hold a candle to an SM3 that was lightly used and lovingly kept in a closet.
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
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https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10162194238069678/
Alice Denham, novelist and 1956 Playboy Playmate. She eventually wrote a memoir called “Sleeping With Bad Boys” about her life in the 50s/60s NYC literary scene.
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwSTSs7zLIo&t=41s James Patterson uses a Triumph Perfekt from the early 1950s
via https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10162403163204678/
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www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
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www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
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www.ctvnews.ca www.ctvnews.ca
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Toronto shop thriving amid typewriter renaissance<br /> by [[John Vennavally-Rao]] for CTV News 2025-09-01 accessed on 2025-09-13T21:43:40
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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A typewritten commonplace in a small metal tin.<br /> https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bMorWUnpYWE
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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themechanicaltype.blogspot.com themechanicaltype.blogspot.com
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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asphaltum, a component of traditional black 'japanning' is known to fluoresce
https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ncuci4/the_1920_lc_smith_no_8_glows_why_does_it/
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www.todlippy.com www.todlippy.com
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When you were under contract at MGM, were you writing longhand and then giving it to a transcriber? Yeah. My secretary. It’s almost as though I swore once I got out of the newspaper business that I’d never look at another goddam typewriter. I like writing with a pen. As a matter of fact, I think the less distance there is between you and a piece of blank paper, the better it works out.
https://www.todlippy.com/writing/interviews/bad-day-black-rock
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xoverit.blogspot.com xoverit.blogspot.com
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Olympia SM series (part 1, 1948-1964)<br /> by [[x over it]]<br /> accessed on 2025-09-05T17:14:33
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oztypewriter.blogspot.com oztypewriter.blogspot.com
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Happiness is a Warm Typewriter: 10½ Years On, the Story Stays the Same<br /> by [[Robert Messenger]]<br /> accessed on 2025-09-05T11:21:50
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oztypewriter.blogspot.com oztypewriter.blogspot.com
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Happiness is a Warm Typewriter<br /> by [[Robert Messenger]]<br /> accessed on 2025-09-05T11:13:26
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did she also recall the opening line of the novel Snoopy never did get to finish? “It was a dark and stormy night ….” Time didn’t allow me to explain that this was not actually a Snoopy original. The celebrated incipit was dognapped by Snoopy’s creator, Charles M. Schulz, from Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, a mid-19th century English novelist, poet, playwright and politician who also coined phrases such as “the great unwashed”, “pursuit of the almighty dollar” and “the pen is mightier than the sword”.
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- Aug 2025
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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Smith Corona Electric Portable Typewriter Dual Belt Replacement using O rings - YouTube<br /> by [[Phoenix Typewriter]] <br /> accessed on 2025-08-28T12:05:
o-ring replacements for Smith-Corona typewriters<br /> www.torkdistributors.com<br /> Filter O-ring replacements<br /> W34-OR 152030 <br /> 4.125" diameter
also could try Culligan OR-34 versions
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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Royal Century - Silver Seiko Typewriter Review - YouTube<br /> by [[Joe Van Cleave]]<br /> accessed on 2025-08-28T11:37:07
Broadly a review of the Royal Century made by Silver-Seiko, but he also compares the performance with the Hermes Rocket/Baby and the Smith-Corona Skyriter, which he feels aren't as solid as the Century despite their lighter weight and portability.
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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Avoiding Internal Typewriter Distractions - YouTube<br /> by [[Joe Van Cleave]] <br /> accessed on 2025-08-28T11:08:56
Typewriter distractions<br /> - troublesome mechanical issues<br /> - need for finger strength - poor imprint
Well-tuned standard typewriters are excellent for minimizing distractions, especially internal ones.
Joe Van Cleave thinks the 5TE Smith-Corona electric typewriters are the best of their class.
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Royal standards have the shift lock further away from the letter "a" which can prevent the accidental shifting of the letter "a" while typing. This distraction can be annoying when writing at speed.
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monkees.coolcherrycream.com monkees.coolcherrycream.com
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https://monkees.coolcherrycream.com/pages/the-pad
also see Peter Tork at it
<br />
via https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1myf9js/whats_he_typing_on/
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typewriterchicago.com typewriterchicago.com
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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It depends in my opinion. Many variables with this company and what you seek as well as preferences. Do you want a three bank typewriter? I would go with an Erika 2 for a three bank typewriter. Do you want a more modern typewriter? Perhaps an Erika 10 is a good choice. Do you want a certain font? Maybe Fraktur? (Good luck finding one for cheap however) Erika 5 would be a good choice for fonts maybe. Do you want a rare and collectable model? Go with an Erika 20. They have basket shift too. I would personally avoid the newer models, such as the Erika 50. They aren't great in my preference, but you decide! There are many different models for different people, but the main company that produced Erikas, which is Seidel & Naumann, also created the "Ideal" brand of typewriters. S&N is responsible for a lot of typewriters.
https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1mqcu0f/erika_typewriters_i_am_looking_to_potentially_get/<br /> via LeSwiss1886
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site.xavier.edu site.xavier.edu
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Know historical users of the Royal KHM included:<br /> - William Faulkner<br /> - David McCullough<br /> - Al Neuharth<br /> - Mickey Spillane<br /> - Dalton Trumbo<br /> - Frank Lloyd Wright<br /> - L. Ron Hubbard
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typewriterdatabase.com typewriterdatabase.com
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It came in a nice condition, black leatherette-covered hard wooden case, with the original brush, an owner's manual in French, a typing instruction booklet in English and a cardboard "instant typing chart" made to fit between the 3rd and 4th rows of keys in order to help in learning the touch-typing method.
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typecast.munk.org typecast.munk.org
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https://typecast.munk.org/2011/04/23/1964-nomda-blue-book-olympia-font-styles/
The following were the available Olympia type sizes as listed in the 1964 NOMDA Blue Book:
- 10 pitch (2.6 m/m) pica
- 11 pitch (2.3 m/m) elite
- 12 pitch (2.1 m/m) elite
- 17 pitch (1.5 m/m, calculated)
Not in the NOMDA Blue Book, but found in the wild on a 1971 Olympia SG-3: - 6 pitch (4.2 m/m) with typeface: Basic Writing No. 67
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davistypewriters.blogspot.com davistypewriters.blogspot.com
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Portable Typewriters Today - February 2015<br /> by [[Will Davis]] on 2015-02-10<br /> accessed on 2025-08-05T16:35:48
Tags
- Ningbo Duodashi Manufacturing Co.
- Zhangjiagang Feiteng Typewriter Co., Ltd.
- Ningbo Duodashi
- Marshall Sewing Machine Industrial
- Flying typewriters
- Rover 5000
- Olivetti Lettera 25
- Olivetti MS25 Premier
- Rover 8000
- Sharper Image
- Royal Epoch
- Olympia Carina
- Royal typewriters
- Olympia Traveller C
- Hammacher Schlemmer
- UNIS typewriters
- Generation 3000
- Nakajima
- Marshall MT-99
- typewriter distribution
- Silver-Seiko typewriters
- Skymall
- Carol Wright catalog
- typewriter history
- Olivetti Lettera 35I
- Generation Marketing Group
- Rover typewriters
- Rover Traveller C
- read
- mail order catalogs
- Dr. Leonard's Health Care catalog
- Ideal (Jinan) Machinery Co., Ltd.
- Chang Kong typewriters
- Shanghai Weilv Mechanism Company
- Ashok Matta
Annotators
URL
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www.businessinsider.com www.businessinsider.com
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Godrej & Boyce's Milind Dukle tells the Business Standard: "From the early 2000 onwards, computers started dominating. All the manufacturers of office typewriters stopped production, except us. Till 2009, we used to produce 10,000 to 12,000 machines a year. "We stopped production in 2009 and were the last company in the world to manufacture office typewriters. Currently, the company has only 500 machines left. The machines are of Godrej Prima, the last typewriter brand from our company, and will be sold at a maximum retail price of Rs 12,000."
The World's Last Typewriter Factory Closes in India - Business Insider<br /> by [[Gus Lubin]] for Business Insider accessed on 2025-08-01T09:26:55
Godrej & Boyce manufactured typewriters to 2009 and were selling off their final machines in 2011.
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- Jul 2025
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www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
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www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
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www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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site.xavier.edu site.xavier.edu
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https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/typers.html
Users of the Remington Super-Riter and Remington Standard:<br /> - Grace Kelly<br /> - Robby the Robot<br /> - Lina Wertmüller
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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JVC's Typing Scale<br /> by [[Joe Van Cleave]]
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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An Orga Privat and its History by [[Will Davis]]
Bing Werke was the manufacturer and Orga was the distributor.
Piece of wood used to replace the rear legs of the typewriter to set it up by whittling.
A cut-rate typewriter without all the bells and whistles.
Tags
Annotators
URL
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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Restarting the Channel!<br /> by [[Will Davis]]
Restarting his typewriter-related channel because he's seen a bunch of of older typewriter collectors passing away.
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deadline.com deadline.com
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www.amazon.com www.amazon.com
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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074SV5WTX
Drive belts u/NisKildegaard recommends for SMC electric typewriters. via https://new.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1f7mhz6/comment/llb1peu/
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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Electric Repair Tip: Drive Belt Replacements by [[Sarah Everett]] of [[Just My Typewriter]]
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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Populaire Official US Release Trailer #1 (2013) - Bérénice Bejo Movie HD
The typing technique in this movie is DREADFUL! It's obviously more about the relationships.
Tags
Annotators
URL
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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Thanks, Chris! I gotta say some of your articles and the resources you compiled deserve a LOT of credit here.
via u/ArchitectOfFate at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1m4o7uv/my_first_restoration/n4886nt/
for assistance in restoring an Olympia SM4
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przemobania.com przemobania.com
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Vintage Typewriter Office by [[Przemo Bania]]
content farm intro to typewriters for decor and use in an office... very meh.
Read it because it linked to my website
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chrisosmond.com chrisosmond.com
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Let Yourself Be Partial by [[Chris Osmond]]
On writing and first drafts... meh
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online.wsj.com online.wsj.com
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Swintec thrived on this type of government business, but sales were declining by the late 1990s. Then the company stumbled on an idea: a clear typewriter for prisons. The company's owner, Dominic Vespia, says they were inspired by other transparent products designed to prevent smuggling of contraband, from televisions to toothpaste tubes.
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Brother International Corp., a Japan-based company with U.S. headquarters in Bridgewater, N.J., still sells typewriters, although unlike Swintec its business is diverse, including everything from printers to sewing machines.
Brother was still manufacturing typewriters in 2013.
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erikwinkowski.substack.com erikwinkowski.substack.com
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The Written Image by [[Erik Winkowski]]
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www.neighborhoodarchive.com www.neighborhoodarchive.com
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Mister Rogers arrives with a card showing the word "typewriter" on one side and a picture of a typewriter on the other. In the kitchen, he has a real typewriter set up which he demonstrates for viewers. Mister Rogers talks about mothers and fathers who use typewriters before he sings I'd like to Be Just Like Mom and Dad. As he sings, a short film is shown about mothers and fathers.
https://www.neighborhoodarchive.com/mrn/episodes/1083/index.html
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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The Molle! Disassembling, Cleaning, and Aligning a Rare 106 Year Old Molle No. 3 Typewriter by [[Dynamically Typed]]
Rust removal and polishing of some of the brights on a Molle typewriter.
Molle only lasted for a few years as a brand in the early 1900s, but as a typewriter repairman, he was interested in easy access for repair for the mechanic in the overall typewriter design.
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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So I’m sitting here drinking my tea about to get dressed and go pick up my latest typewriter; already got the heads up she’s arrived. Savouring the moment a little. I paid five dollars for her, no one else bid. And she does loOk kind of rough; rust spots everywhere, perhaps a dent in the top cover, dirty and grimy and probably smells like an old basement. But you know; I felt a little sorry for her. Although not top of the line she is a reputable model, as far as british typewriters go anyway. And I was sort of impressed by her slightly more extravagant sister. Wondering how bad can it really be? Some elbow grease, isopropyl, and Fulgentin will sort her out, surely? Worrying about did she survive the journey, did they pack her properly, or will she turn out to be a mangled pile of rusty parts when I open the box? So many questions. And I am wondering is this maybe the best part? But no - the best part is opening the case for the first time and seeing her in the flesh; or steel, I suppose, for the first time. That is the a moment I cherish. Better get going. See you in a bit, little darling! <3
https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1m18qlk/anticipation/
A lovely little piece on the anticipation of a new typewriter by collector u/IrmaBecx.
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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If all the digital power that it takes to type up a book could be gathered into one blow, it would probably knock a hole through the Empire State Building
quote attributed to Patricia Highsmith by u/Suspicious-Sound7338 at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ly0fei/guess_the_quote/
It is Patricia Highsmith, she said it in her diaries/notebooks cahiers, she had been keeping them all her life since 17 years olds://myoldtypewriter.com/2025/06/16/good-enough-is-very-fine-royal-kmg-tabulator-issue/
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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reply to u/FriendlyAd4234 at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1cn004l/olympia_sg1_dust_cover/
Other than the traditional fabric-like dust covers, you might consider doing a thicker plastic/acrylic cover, particularly if you've got several machines and are using them for display purposes. I live in Los Angeles and there are half a dozen places that do this sort of custom work all the time for very reasonable rates. Searching for "plastic fabricator memoriabilia case" along with variations of plastics (acrylic, lucite, plexiglass) should get you what you want locally. (Here's a few examples I've used in Los Angeles before to give you an idea: https://solterplastics.com/, https://www.plasticfactoryinc.com/, https://www.customacrylicproducts.com/, https://plexidisplays.com/). Search for something similar in your area for easier communication and pick up/shipping.
If you search around for companies that make plastic displays, particularly for memorabilia (baseball bats, baseball cards, etc.), you can have them design and make a custom sized clear plastic box/enclosure that will keep the dust and dirt out, but still allow you to see the machine inside.
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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Near the beginning of the new Superman movie, there's a scene in Lois Lane's apartment with a typewriter in a number of shots behind her. Couldn't make out the model or make in the theatre, anyone else?
https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1lyed0l/lois_lanes_typewriter/
Lois Lane in Superman (2025) has a typewriter in her apartment.
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https://archive.org/details/typewriterephemera
Typewriter ephemera on the Internet Archive<br /> Collected by Otto aka u/Koponewt
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typecast.munk.org typecast.munk.org
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6 pitch would be 4.2 m/m
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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Reply to u/Charlea1776 at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1lx86q0/1950_smith_corona_sterling/ on how to mount a typewriter to a typing desk:
If you're a room or two away, the noise may not be too bad for sleeping children. Typing on a felted wool mat may also be helpful.
The specially made typing desks made of wood, often had holes drilled into them that allowed one to insert bolts from below that threaded into custom holes in the frame of the typewriter. Generally these only worked with standard machines which were manufactured to be used this way and it's reasonably obvious where the two holes were (usually about midway up the bottom of the frame). When not in use, the top of the desk flips over and hides the typewriter upside down near where one's legs would be positioned. When flipped in typing position, the top of the desk on which the typewriter sits is often lower (25-26" off the floor) than the rest of the desk top (28-29" off the floor).
I would suspect that your 1950 Sterling, being a portable machine, does not have the requisite mounting holes in the typewriter's chassis for allowing this to happen. Being a portable, these were designed to be put in the case and stowed into a closet or credenza when not in use.
If you have a later mid-century 20 gauge steel tanker desk, some of those were made with a cabinet section which had a springloaded metal platform which allowed the typewriter to swing up and out of the desk and into position. If this is the type you have, your typewriter might work with this sort of configuration, but these typically didn't have or require mounting hardware like the wooden versions.
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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Not clean enough. There is only one solution, you take the body panels off and clean it. The keys here need cleaned with a 50/50 mix Simple Green and water. The comb area gets cleaned and blown out with mineral spirits. The basket gets cleaned, carefully, with lacquer thinner. If the insulation is really bad, you take it out and glue in new. I like EVA foam. But I will wash the insulation with SG and water and rinse it in the sink and then let dry and retest if it is in good condition otherwise. Case insides can tolerate some water if you don't like soak it. I use a pet spray, scrub it fast, rinse and get it dried off fast Then out in the sun or a fan blowing on it. Once it is dry, if it still smells, I take a few paper towels, spray Glade air freshener in them, set it in a tin foil pan and into the case. Then out in the sun closed up. That will kill most anything.
u/jbhusker's cleaning out a typewriter
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https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1lngsj1/smelly_machine_please_help/?sort=old
De-smelling a typewriter:<br /> - sunshine<br /> - airing it out<br /> - baking soda scrub<br /> - toothpaste on the shell, esp. with baking soda<br /> - ozone<br /> - replace felt/foam<br /> - clean case<br /> - car fresheners<br /> - vodka spray and then put in freezer?!?
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it probably needs new feet too. I snagged a rubber urethane jeweler's pad off Amazon for $9 and it's enough for 4+ machines. Better than the $35 I saw online. The feet are just 1x1x1/2 in blocks. I cut them a hair big with a utility knife and many passes and sanded them to fit. Kinda messy.
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1lvzn34/say_hello_to_the_monpti/
The Montpi typewriter in 1968 presaged the Olivetti Valentine.
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www.cbs.com www.cbs.com
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https://www.cbs.com/shows/video/8CdH0yFjbLTaKXqHIh7X9UcODIFs1guk/
3:48 in, Carl Gottlieb with his Smith-Corona typewriter
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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US Navy Underwood Universal<br /> by [[Joe Van Cleave]]
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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Royal Arrow by [[Joe Van Cleave]]
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https://youtu.be/qrlt6VyC8D0?si=nqMErXlEd-rfkQL0&t=409
I love that Joe sets up a camera inside the case of the Royal Arrow to show how the metal fixtures on the case dovetail with the machine. In one instance the piece on the right has been bent while the one on the left properly tucks the carriage return arm inside.
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1lrkpuy/whats_inside_your_typewriter/
"The Hermes 3000 Mk2 I picked up last Saturday had a purple Polish pencil (still sharp), a marble, a drawing pin, and a well-mouldy green Smartie."
also: - broken glass<br /> - ball bearings<br /> - receipts<br /> - picture of a cat - typewriter servicing receipt - eraser shavings - multiple safety razor blades<br /> - paper clips - disintegrated foam
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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Reese Electronics on Westwood Blvd in Los Angeles. Helmut was a mechanical engineer for Olivetti.
https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/160pen0/typewriter_repair_shops_in_the_usa/jxryjns/
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www.honest-broker.com www.honest-broker.com
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(1) EVERYTHING WAS HANDWRITTEN—WE DIDN’T EVEN HAVE TYPEWRITERS.
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A free-form typewritten scorecard by u/joe_skidiachi_irl
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- Jun 2025
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typecast.munk.org typecast.munk.org
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typecast.munk.org typecast.munk.org
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archive.org archive.org
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1lo8jr5/asking_the_important_questions/?sort=old
Apparently the first instance of Snoopy with a typewriter on July 12, 1965.
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en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
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La Machine à écrire is a three-act play written by French dramatist Jean Cocteau, premiered on 29 April 1941 at the Théâtre Hébertot in Paris. It has been translated into English as The Typewriter by Ronald Duncan.[
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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Which keys are those? It's possible that they slow down keys which would otherwise risk penetrating the page. If they're on period, comma etc then this is likely the case.
via Koponewt:
https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ln920i/missing_springs/
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www.biedlers-belts.com www.biedlers-belts.com
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en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
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The destroyed typewriter was recovered from the Jackson Park Lagoon on June 7.
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www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
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https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1013993200919454/
Royal X typewriter in Tintin in America
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
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www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
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https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/988157953502979/
Dr. Who appearance of an Imperial typewriter
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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when 17:54 I'm looking to add to my collection now 17:56 I want something a little bit different 17:58 and this this remette is that it's not a 18:01 portable it's not an ultra portable it's 18:03 really loud it doesn't have all of its 18:06 parts the top cover doesn't belong to it 18:08 and is Rusty there's a lot not going for 18:11 this machine but that's what I like 18:13 about it
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www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
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Gerren HotRod TypewriterCoThey are tough to install. It's not the taking things apart that gets you, it's putting it back together. I recommend not pulling a Royal carriage unless it's broken to the point there is no other option. If you like the color you can buy another $25 QDL and put the body on the new one. There is almost no reason to remove the carriage on these unless you need to replace it with another or swap out the main escapement
https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1010406587944782/
Removing the carriage of the Royal Quiet De Luxe is generally not recommended.
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www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
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My filmmaking crew is working on the script for a new typewriter documentary. The most prominent so far, California typewriter, was made in 2016 and much has changed.
via Gery L. Deer at https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1010578854594222/
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www.amazon.com www.amazon.com
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https://www.amazon.com/Pattern-Thermos-Insulated-Stainless-Tumbler/dp/B0DQT9J4WM?th=1
Gift idea for typewriter restorers, repairpeople, etc. h/t Bryan of Typing Pint.
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www.cbsnews.com www.cbsnews.com
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A classroom full of typewriters gets the ultimate reward — letters from Tom Hanks by [[Lee Cowan]], [[Analisa Novak]]
Also: Students wrote letters to Tom Hanks using typewriters. He responded to each message. by [[CBS Mornings]]
Pittsburgh area school sent letters via typewriter to Tom Hanks.
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1lbsu6s/need_help_to_identify_a_typewriter/
Screencapture of a typewriter from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade<br />
My impression:<br /> The hood profile shape says Royal while a lot of the body says '49/50s Remington (maybe the All-New), but the scoop in the hood says Rheinmetall Gs all the way. For comparison: https://typewriterdatabase.com/Rheinmetall.Gs.62.bmys
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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Typewriter repair people on r/typewriters:
- Lucas Dul of Typewriter Chicago: u/Lucasdul2 #
- Kirk Jackson of Nashville Typewriter: u/NashvilleTypewriter
- Scott Connnors of Stephentown Typewriter: u/scottconnors #
- Typewriter Justice of Keller, TX: u/TypewriterJustice
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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Example of using a typewriter and a roll of cash register paper to score a baseball game.
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www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
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'Last' UK typewriter built in Wrexham
Brother manufactured 5.9 million typewriters in Wrexham, Wales from 1985-2012.
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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Typewriter Typefaces: Pica vs Elite, an explainer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwCD69jUPps
Pica machines (10 characters per inch) will usually have a scale up to about 80-84.
Elite machines (12 characters per inch) will have a scale up to 100.
On Olympia machines, script only comes in Elite sizes (scale to 100 on platen).
Edit: fixed the appropriate CPI numbers
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www.ebay.com www.ebay.com
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/336005327511
A bumper sticker that reads: "Government Can't Hack My Typewriter" with an image of a Smith-Corona flattop.
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rYHNg3pM34
Second edition of this video...
The Secretary: Transcribing (Second Edition) Coronet Instructional Films, a division of Esquire, Inc., 1966<br /> James R. Meehan, Ed.D, Dean of Administration Hunter College of the City University of New York
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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Typing Skills: Fields of Typing. 16 mm, Instructional film. Periscope Film, 1972. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvF0atKsggY.
Typing Skills: Fields of Typing <br /> Coronet Instructional Films, a division of Esquire, Inc., 1972<br /> Lawrence W. Erickson, Ed.D. Professor of Education, University of California, Los Angeles<br /> Production: Coronet Films and Creative Establishment, Inc.<br /> Director and Writer: Don B. Klugman<br /> Photography Robert Flaxman<br /> Editing: Barbara Kaplan
Periscope Film XD72104 archived at https://stock.periscopefilm.com/xd72104-typing-skills-fields-of-typing-1972-typewriter-based-careers-educational-film/
Alternate version at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMmsE6GMIR8
Warm ups of fingers
Rules of good typing - concentrate on the copy
Typewriters in the piece: <br /> - Olivett editor 5<br /> - Others...
- copy typing - types material already written or typed
- setting margins
- centering letters on page
- formatting and spacing
- double spacing with wide margins
- editor's marks
Backspace from center method for setting tab stops
Uses for typewriters:<br /> - check writing - billing - chain feeding - financial records and reports - filling in forms - carbon copies
index and file cards - inserted into a pleated page which may have lines.
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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Successful Secretary Presented by Royal Office Typewriters. A Thomas Craven Film Corporation Production, 1966. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If5b2FiDaLk.
Script: Lee Thuna<br /> Educational Consultant: Catharine Stevens<br /> Assistant Director: Willis F. Briley<br /> Design: Francisco Reynders<br /> Director & Producer: Carl A. Carbone<br /> A Thomas Craven Film Corporation Production
"Mother the mail"
gendered subservience
"coding boobytraps"
"I think you'll like the half sheet better. It is faster." —Mr. Typewriter, timestamp
A little bit of the tone of "HAL" from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). This is particularly suggestive as H.A.L. was a one letter increment from I.B.M. and the 1966 Royal 660 was designed to compete with IBM's Selectric
This calm voice makes suggestions to a secretary while H.A.L. does it for a male astronaut (a heroic figure of the time period). Suddenly the populace feels the computer might be a bad actor.
"We're living in an electric world, more speed and less effort."—Mr. Typewriter<br /> (techno-utopianism)
Tags
- typewriter ads
- Royal 660
- Mr. Typewriter
- gendered subservience
- quotes
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
- productivity
- typewriter shortcuts
- 1966
- effort
- IBM selectric
- efficiency
- artificial intelligence as overlord
- voice over
- secretaries
- power over
- Royal typewriters
- typewriters
- H.A.L.
- techno-utopianism
Annotators
URL
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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www.gettyimages.com www.gettyimages.com
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www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
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Jack Handey Is the Envy of Every Comedy Writer in America by [[Dan Kois]]
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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blog.bruchez.name blog.bruchez.name
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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If you're looking for pink, here's a shop that repairs and refinishes them (repaints) in pink: https://karlbusinessmachines.com/pink-typewriters/
As for natural pink manufactured typewriters, you're probably primarily looking at the Royal Quiet De Luxe (circa '55-58), Royal Futura 800, Royal FP (a larger heavy, standard desktop machine), the late 50's Smith-Corona 5 series (Clippers, Sterlings, Silent Supers). There were a few later in the 60s and 70s, but they're more difficult to find in the US and aren't as solid. These aren't rare typewriters, but generally because the collector's market likes color, you should expect to pay a $50-150 premium for pink in most online markets. Professional shops are much less likely to charge this sort of premium on pink unless it's for a machine they've had to strip down and repaint. (See also: https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kw5jxh/what_are_your_thoughts_on_these_and_the_prices/)
For colloquial experience from a typewriter hunter from the Los Angeles area, I'll say I've been looking for a Cameo Pink smooth Royal FP for over a year and finally found one in solid, but restorable shape for $35, but it's taken a year of searching and it'll take a half-day's labor and some parts to clean it up to what a professional shop would consider solid working condition. In that time I've seen maybe half a dozen in online shops sell them in similar rough condition going for anywhere between $100 and $300. For your budget range, getting one from a professional shop is really the best, most economical way to go.
Please note that you positively don't want any of the new pink plastic typewriters made by "Royal Classic" or "We R Memory Keepers" (etc.) which you'll find on Amazon, Michaels, Home Depot, etc. for $200-300. They are dreadful machines, and if you really want one, save the money and buy one from ShopGoodwill.com for $5-15 instead.
If you wanted to go custom in your particular budget range, you might check out Gerren's work at Hot Rod Typewriter Co. where he does some truly gorgeous paint jobs on excellent typewriters. I suspect a pink Olympia SM3 from him would be a thing to behold.
Reply to u/dtja1l at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1l0l6pi/help_finding_a_thoughtful_typewriter_as_a_gift/ with regard to buying a pink typewriter for a birthday present
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karlbusinessmachines.com karlbusinessmachines.com
- May 2025
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www.womenshealthmag.com www.womenshealthmag.com
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"I collect vintage typewriters. I like the sound and feel of the keys. There's something satisfying about having a thought, then seeing it on the page."
Keanu Reeves via Keanu Reeves: 'I Worry That People Won't Like What I Do' by [[Cathryne Keller]] for Women's Health
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parade.com parade.com
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Q: Do you use a pen to write?A: Actually, I prefer a typewriter. I enjoy the sensation of sitting down and taking time to think about what I want to say and then, typing, which has a kind of physicalness to it as the imprint goes on the paper. It's also something that doesn't take batteries.
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site.xavier.edu site.xavier.edu
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Screenwriters, Directors, Actors, and playwrights * Woody Allen Olympia SM3 * Julie Andrews IBM Selectric I * Paul Auster: Olympia SM9 * Ingrid Bergman: Smith-Corona Skyriter * Ray Bradbury: Underwood (No. 5?), Royal KMM * Marlon Brando: Royal Arrow or Aristocrat * Bertolt Brecht: Erika * Richard Brooks: Royal KMM, Royal Portable (30s or 40s) * Mikhail Bulgakov: Olympia 8 * George Burns: Royal HH * Stephen J. Cannell: IBM Selectric II or III * Johnny Carson: Royal KMM (or maybe a KMG), Olivetti Lettera 22 * Paddy Chayefsky: Underwood Standard Model 6, Royal HH, Olympia SG3 * Francis Ford Coppola: Olivetti Lettera 32 * Norman Corwin: Flattop Corona, Royal KMM * Noel Coward: Royal KH, Imperial Standard, Olivetti-Underwood Studio 44 * Michael Crichton: Olympia electric, IBM Selectric I * Bing Crosby: Corona 3, 1920s Royal portable * Bette Davis: Remington Noiseless portable * Joe Eszterhas: Olivetti Lettera 35 * Douglas Fairbanks: Underwood 5 * Federico Fellini: Olivetti Studio 44 * Jodie Foster: Olivetti Lettera 35 * Stephen Fry: Hermes 3000 * Greta Garbo: Olympia SM 7 * William Gibson: Hermes 2000 * William Goldman: Olympia SM9, Olympia SM9, Hermes Baby, Olympia Traveller<br /> Matt Groening: Hermes Rocket<br /> Oscar Hammerstein II: Royal portable * Tom Hanks: Smith-Corona Clipper, Hermes 2000, Hermes 3000<br /> Katherine Hepburn: Royal De Luxe * Alfred Hitchcock: '30s black Underwood Champion portable * John Hughes (director): Olympia SM3 * Eric Idle: Adler J3 * Elia Kazan: Royal KMG, Royal HH<br /> Buster Keaton: Blickensderfer no. 5 * Grace Kelly: Remington Super-Riter * Stanley Kubrick: IBM Model C, Adler Tippa S * Ring Lardner: L. C. Smith * Stan Lee: Remington noiseless portable, Olympia SG1 * Ernest Lehman: Royal Electress * David Letterman: Royal Empress * David Mamet: Smith-Corona portable, Olympia SM4, Olympia SM9, IBM Selectric * Terrence McNally: Olympia SG3 * Arthur Miller: Smith-Corona portable in the late '30s50s Smith; -Corona Silent Super; Royal KMG * Henry Miller: Underwood * F. W. Murnau: Remington portable no. 2 * David Niven: Royal Quiet DeLuxe, 1940s * Christopher Nolan: 1940s (?) Royal portable * Conan O'Brien: Royal 10 * Clifford Odets (1962): Royal Quiet DeLuxe, ca. 1957 * Louis Pollack (screenwriter): Royal desktop * Mario Puzo: Royal HH * Carl Reiner: Royal KMG, 1950s Smith-Corona Silent * Gene Roddenberry: IBM Selectric I, IBM Selectric II or III, Panasonic * Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers): 1930s Royal portable (Model O?), Royal KMG * Rod Serling: Royal KMG * George Bernard Shaw: Bar-Lock; Remington portable no. 1; Smith Premier (Remington); Remington Noiseless Portable * Sam Shepard: '60s Hermes 3000, Olympia SM9 * Neil Simon: Olympia SM9 * Steven Spielberg: Smith-Corona Coronamatic 2200 * John Millington Synge: Blickensderfer #5 * Shirley Temple: white Student (Bing variant), white Underwood Champion portable, white Remington portable no. 5 or similar * David Thewlis: Olympia SM9 * James Thurber: Underwood no. 5 * Dalton Trumbo: Underwood, Royal KHM, IBM A or B * John Waters: ca. 1950 Underwood, IBM A or B * Orson Welles: 1926 woodgrain Underwood portable, ’30s Underwood Noiseless Portable, Smith-Corona (?) * Tennessee Williams: Remington portable no. 2, 1936 Corona Junior, mid-1940s Corona Sterling, Royal KMM, Hermes Baby, Olivetti Studio 44, Remington portable #5 flat top, Remington Standard M, Olympia SM8
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Users of the Royal HH typewriter included: William Buckley, Charles Bukowski, George Burns, Herb Caen, Truman Capote, Bruce Catton, Patty Chayefsky, Don DeLillo, Alice Denham, James T. Farrell, Paul Fussell, Hugh Hefner, Elia Kazan, Sterling North, Robert B. Parker, Sylvia Plath, Mario Puzo, Robert Penn Warren, Eudora Welty, and William Zinsser.
including photos via https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/typers.html
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timpanogos.blog timpanogos.blog
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https://timpanogos.blog/2013/07/20/typewriter-of-the-moment-supermans-1950s-television/
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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archive.org archive.org
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The average American is seldom far removed from Henry Dreyfuss’s influence. When he picks up a Bell telephone, rides a John Deere tractor, scoots a Hoover vacuum over a rug, writes with an Eversharp pen, pounds a Royal Typewriter, awakens to a Westclox Big Ben, thumbs a Minneapolis-Honeywell thermostat, sprawls in a Statler Hotel room in Washington, yanks open the door of a GE refrigerator, focuses an Ansco camera, shoots a 105millimeter ack-ack gun, or swats a fly with a U.S. Manufacturing €orp. fly swatter, he is utilizing Henry Dreyfuss’s skill and pay-‘ing him a tribute which runs annually intoseven figures.
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DESIGN:The Dreyfuss Touch
Newsweek Staff. “Design: The Dreyfuss Touch.” Newsweek, October 4, 1948. Http://archive.org/details/sim_newsweek-us_1948-10-04_32_14. Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/sim_newsweek-us_1948-10-04_32_14/page/62/mode/2up.
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archive.org archive.org
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The Motive Puzzle: The tip which led to Bolton’s arrest had come from John Miller of Highland Park, now awaiting sentence with John Pantello for burglary. Miller told the police: “Bolton offered me and John Pantello fifteen grand to bump off Reuther.” Later, he added, Bolton hid two shotguns in Miller’s home. Several hours before the near-fatal shooting, Bolton came after the guns. “I want my two typewriters,” he said, according to Miller. “[’m going out and kill me a redheaded Communist,” Bolton was quoted as adding, with complete disregard of Reuther’s staunch anti-Communism.
p. 41 of Newsweek (US Edition) 1948-10-18: Vol 32 Iss 16
https://archive.org/details/sim_newsweek-us_1948-10-18_32_16/page/40/mode/2up?q=typewriter
Typewriters as a colloquialism for shotguns in a murder investigation in 1948 Michigan.
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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these 7:36 are the ones i picked up and these were 7:38 three and three-fourths by four by 7:40 one-eighth
Sarah Everett has used water filter o-rings of 3 3/4 x 4 1/8 to replace the drive belts of her electric typewriters.
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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Smith Corona H Electronic Typewriter Repair High Pitch Buzz Rattle Disassemble Fix by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]
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www.amazon.com www.amazon.com
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onmilwaukee.com onmilwaukee.com
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The one on the cover of your book, the Hermes 3000, is that your favorite? Absolutely. It’s a rock solid portable. I have four of them. I also like the Hermes Rocket, Olympias, Olivettis. I use them constantly.
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typecast.munk.org typecast.munk.org
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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What Did The Late Show Get Trump For His 70th Birthday? by Stephen Colbert
This office set up for Stephen Colbert includes a black Underwood portable typewriter in a black case in the background.
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www.tumblr.com www.tumblr.com
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www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
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Alton Brown Verified accountSeptember 6, 2015 · Shared with PublicBehold the sublime Hermes 3000. Still my favorite writing device.
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writingball.blogspot.com writingball.blogspot.com
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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reply to u/highspeed_steel at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1krspvh/im_totally_blind_and_new_to_typewriters_wax/
Your question is a great one, but I'll go another direction since I'd dug into some of the history and details of Helen Keller's mid-century typewriters a while back. You can find some details and descriptions here (and in the associated links which includes an accessible video of Ms. Keller using a solid and sexy black Remington Noiseless standard typewriter): https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ihot96/helen_kellers_typewriters/
She managed on both her Remington as well as her brailler as well as any sighted person, though obviously had someone to check her printed work.
I recently saw another heavily modified midcentury typewriter for someone who, if I recall correctly was not only blind, but had no arms. It was set up so that they could move a selector and type using a custom chin rest. Sadly, I didn't index it at the time, but it's interesting to know that such things existed for accessibility reasons.
As for Braillers, you might appreciate this recent article about a repairman in Britain who was retiring: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jan/02/wed-be-stuck-alarm-as-uks-last-braille-typewriter-repairer-ponders-retirement
I've got my own brailler, which is a sleek-looking art-deco industrial piece of art with the loveliest shade of dark shiny gray paint I've ever seen on a typewriter. (I'm both a mathematician and information theorist into the areas of coding and cryptography, so Morse code, Braille, etc. are professionally fascinating to me.) I still need to take it apart and repair a few portions to get it back to perfection, but it generally works well.
As for the aesthetics, I personally enjoy the solid industrial look and feel of the machines from the 1930s-1960s. The early 30s and some 40s have glossy black enamel and machines like the Corona Standard/Silent from the 30s are low slung with flat tops that sort of resemble small pianos and just scream out "I'm a writer" with a flair for dark academia and just a hint of classical Roman design. Many of these machines come with gold tinged water-slide decals which really set themselves off against the black enamel, though on the majority of machines the gold is beginning to dim from time, wear, and uncareful application of cleaning solutions.
I love the Royal KMM, KMG, and the Remington 17, Standard, and Super-Riter for their industrial chonkiness and (usually) their glass keytops. One of my favorites is the Henry Dreyfuss designed Royal Quiet De Luxe from 1948 which always gives me the feel of what it would look like if a typewriter wore a tuxedo or the 1948 gray and chrome model which is similar but has the feel of a sleek gray flannel suit on a 1950s advertising executive prone to wearing dapper hats, smoking cigarettes, and always with a cocktail in his hand. Into the 50s and 60s almost everyone had moved to plastic keytops which I don't think are as pretty as the older glass keytops with the polished metal rings around them.
At the opposite end of that spectrum are the late 50s Royal FP and Futura 800s which have some colorful roundness which evokes the aesthetic of the coming space age. They remind me of the modern curves and star shapes of the television show The Jetsons. Similarly space-aged are the sexy curves of the silver metalic spray paint on wooden cases for the Olympia SM3 from the same period. These to me are quintessential typewriter industrial design. In gray, green, maroon, brown, and sometimes yellow crinkle paint with just a hint of sparkle in their keytops I really love the combination of roundedness and slight angularity these German designed machines provide. They have a definite understated sort of elegance most other typewriters just miss. I suspect that late-in-life Steve Jobs would have had an Olympia SM3.
There's something comforting about the 40s and 50s sports-car vibe of the smaller Smith-Corona portables of the 5 series machines in the 1950s with their racing stripes on the hood. They feel like the sort of typewriter James Dean would have used as a student—just hip enough to be cool while still be solid and functional.
Sadly into the 70s, while machines typically got a broader range of colors outside of the typical black, gray, and browns things became more plastic and angular. They also begin to loose some of the industrial mid-century aesthetic that earlier machines had. They often feel very 70s in an uncomplimentary way without the fun color combinations or whimsy that art and general design of of that period may have had in the music or fashion spaces. They make me think of politics and war rather than the burgeoning sexual revolution of the time period.
Interestingly, for me, I feel like most typewriter design was often 10-20 years behind the general design aesthetic/zeitgeist for the particular decades in which they were made.
Good luck in your search for the right typewriter(s) for your own collection.
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kppij9/blue_olivetti_valentine_how_rare_is_it/
In increasing order of rarity, the Olivetti Valentine was made in red, white, green, and blue.
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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Film: Typing on Robotron by [[Joe Van Cleave]]
You've got to love the "dancing hands" portion of the film which was such a product of it's timeperiod.
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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SCM Electric Typewriters by [[Joe Van Cleave]]
Tips for cleaning the Smith-Corona 6 series electric typewriters and details about how they work.
S-C also made this series of typewriter for both Sears and Singer under their branding. (including the Singer Electric in this video.)
The belts on the electric motor and cams was originally a rubber 'V' belt which is no longer manufactured. Using 1/8" round cross-section o-rings of appropriate sizes (for water cannister applications) is the recommended replacement, however one may need to slightly move the drive motor down a bit so that the belt doesn't hit the frame of the typewriter and thereby destroying it over time.
Cleaning and lubricating the drive motors and moving pieces before using may help before trying out a typewriter which has been sitting for long periods of time.
Some later models had an electric return, which can tend to be violent. Electro 220 and Coronet Automatic 12 have an additional clutch and draw band (and lack of return lever on the carriage) for their electric returns.
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
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makerworld.com makerworld.com
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Remington Portable Typewriter replacement feet: https://makerworld.com/en/models/1397399-remington-portable-typewriter-replacement-feet#profileId-1448637
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