I. Peretz & D. Vuvan, ‘Prevalence of congenital amusia’, European Journal of Human Genetics, vol. 25, 2017, p. 625.

Link to the story of the talking rocks in the book Anthropology: Why It Matters by Tim Ingold

.As we rode the ferry from Angoon to Sitka, they’d bring my attention to a location on a nearby island, highlighting features on the landscape, and I knew a story was about to begin.

David Kanosh reveals some of the overlap of other memory traditions with the Tlingit of Alaska

My grandmother picked up a piece of plywood that she had glued pebbles to and said simply, ‘You will remember.’ She then touched each piece as she recounted stories. To my young mind, what she was doing seemed like magic!

Cross reference: https://hypothes.is/a/uWo4NpJrEeui3Vu0XnQidA on Salish artwork

David Kanosh confirms that totem poles serve as mnemonic devices for Tlingit peoples

Kelly, Lynne. 2024. The Knowledge Gene: The Incredible Story of the Supergene That Gives Us Human Creativity. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.

Annotation link

Alternate annotation link urn:x-pdf:3031463436343238444144464241463243463944303945424439454235443934

https://hypothes.is/users/tonz

Relationship of the Fisher King to Guigemar (Lais of Marie de France) who is wounded in the leg and can only be healed by a woman.

Chrétien is the first to connect the grail to Arthurian legend, but when...

What brings you trolling back, then?<br /> by [[Colin Richardson]] in The Guardian accessed on 2025-08-15T14:24:32

archival copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20120103154030/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/jan/17/gayrights.comment

created: 2026-01-24T11:50:31 (UTC -08:00) tags: [] source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/281488/number-of-deaths-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/ author:

UK annual number of deaths 202<br /> by [[Statista]]<br /> accessed on 2026-01-24T11:50:31

reply to u/Crafty-Shape2743 at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1qjl76q/is_it_just_me_or/

Regardless of their current reaction, every single person here knows that they've done the EXACT SAME THING at least once if not hundreds of times. My bet is that most STILL do it tentatively because they can't keep their fingers off the keys.

I try to put stencil mode on for machines not actively in use to prevent ink from getting onto the platen and later smudging pages, but let's be honest that other than the ink, typing without paper isn't going to cause more damage to a machine than with it. Those who say it damages the platen will pound away with paper in and not care a whit. Those same people will also never bother to recover their platens with new material which dramatically improve the machine and the typing experience, so let's just get over ourselves on the issue of "protecting the platen"...

I'll bet dollars to donuts that none of those who are precious about not typing on paperless platens, are pulling their paper out without releasing the paper release lever thereby slowly sanding down their platens and don't bother to leave it disengaged when they're done thereby slowly damaging and flattening their rubber rollers.

In a Typewriter Repair Shop, a Reporter Finds a Familiar Hum<br /> by [[Kurt Streeter]] in The New York Times accessed on 2026-01-23T15:00:26

https://www.facebook.com/groups/721704878218903/posts/2976210269435008/

Lights, Camera and Algebraic Topology!<br /> by [[Simon W. Vozick-Levinson]] for The Harvard Crimson on 2003-10-23<br /> accessed on 2026-01-23T10:41:48

Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program<br /> https://energized.edison.com/wildfire-recovery-compensation-program

Your guide to SoCal Edison's Eaton Fire payout plan<br /> https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/edison-payout-guide

https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/la-wildfires-anniversary-events-eaton-palisades

Eaton Fire Anniversary Week: A Week of Events Marking Tragedy, Resilience and Hope<br /> https://www.pasadenanow.com/weekendr/eaton-fire-anniversary-week-a-week-of-events-marking-tragedy-resilience-and-hope/

https://bosie.co/collections/mens-sweater

Hot Honey Garlic Chicken Sandwiches<br /> https://www.hellofresh.com/recipes/market/hot-honey-garlic-chicken-sandwiches-62d736a5e50bdd37fa0a23dc

The Arabic We Never Got: Unified Arabic Script #shorts<br /> by [[Haithooomi]] on YouTube<br /> accessed on 2026-01-22T09:56:12

reply to u/aleahey at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1qjzgtq/remington_postal_telegraph_mill/

On the paper guide, it definitely looks like a bend it back into shape issue.

While your model is obviously decaled as "Postal Telegraph", it's not a traditional mill machine as those are generally marked by having no lower case characters and having uppercase only. Sometimes it was uppercase with some "filler character" (often a + on Remingtons, a ~ on Underwoods, and a double dot on Olivettis) or uppercase on both the top and bottom of the slug. Generally the zero character had a slash through it to distinguish it specifically from the letter "O".

There are only two other exemplars on the typewriter database, so please be sure to upload your photos and data when you get a chance. https://typewriterdatabase.com/Remington.10+Postal+Telegraph.42.bmys You'll notice that one of the examplars by u/jbhusker doesn't appear to be a traditional mill while the other is. Perhaps James has some unwritten research on his Remington Postal Telegraph?

If you sift through the typewriter database you'll find other examples and research (especially if you're looking at commentary under individual examples while you're logged in). As an example of mills from Underwood in their Western Union Special: https://typewriterdatabase.com/Underwood.Western+Union+Special.4.bmys

reply to u/atomicnotes at https://reddit.com/r/Zettelkasten/comments/1qjrnp8/why_dont_my_notemaking_tools_work_the_way_i_want/

In older analog offices, the office worker stored things on paper in piles, in folders, in various locations within their office. Because humans have excellent spatial memory, the worker would have an idea of what he might want and would know in which pile on their desk or which filing cabinet it might be filed in. Despite what may look like a messy office, most will know exactly where certain papers are "hiding". This overlaps with older indigenous cultures and artificial memory with structures like songlines, talking rocks, and later techniques from ars memoriae like method of loci or memory palaces. For more on this cross reference Hudson & Thames' First Knowledges series edited by Margo Neale.

Entirely digital-based methods have erased a lot of these sorts of locational affordances.

https://www.printables.com/model/753729-typewriter-carriage-release-lever-smith-corona-ele

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLw5Icbli54

disassembly of the Underwood 5

Trump Embarrasses All of America in Slurred, Disjointed Davos Speech<br /> by [[Malcolm Ferguson]] for The New Republic accessed on 2026-01-21T10:19:18

embarrassment is the word for this... he can't even distinguish Greenland and Iceland, one of which he wants to take over and which he's spoken about repeatedly in the past months.

In Memory of Professor Emeritus Benedict Gross<br /> by [[Anastasia Yefremova]] for Harvard Math<br /> accessed on 2026-01-21T10:12:59

We ran high-level US civil war simulations. Minnesota is exactly how they start<br /> by [[Claire Finkelstein]] in The Guardian<br /> accessed on 2026-01-21T10:07:26

https://www.facebook.com/groups/olympiasg1/posts/1549224696395939/

reply to zk developer at https://reddit.com/r/Zettelkasten/comments/1qiwfp0/im_researching_why_zettelkasten_fails_for_a_lot/

Before you do this sort of user research, have you done the research on the dozens and dozens of apps that are already out there (prior art)? What do you think is good about them? Bad? Why are some doing well and others not?

You realize that at once a week since 2019, at least one app a week pops up in the zettelkasten, note taking, productivity/GTD space? Very, very few pass the 6 week mark, let alone the 6 month mark. Why do you want to reinvent the wheel? What are you hoping to get out of it?

Are you self-dogfooding/eating your own cooking? If you're not using and enjoying your own app, why would others?

Simply reading through this sub will give you most of the research and friction points you could want to know about without impinging on our time for something that I'd be willing to bet won't even reach alpha.

Olympia SF Companion adjustments<br /> by [[Typewriter Justice]]

https://torontotypewriters.com/products/black-dog-typewriter-ribbon-black-cotton

Holy shit, their typewriter ribbon is expensive! $21.00?!? They are giving you what look like 3-D printed spools with it, so that's where a lot of the value proposition is hiding.

https://searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/041-002207881

https://searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/040-002046807

Their scanned version is currently unavailable in 2026-01 due to a hack from 2023/24.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lais_of_Marie_de_France

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1qhokip/some_typewriter_customization_ideas/

Besides, why go the AI route when there are so many already available custom and chromed machines out there? There is way more creativity in reality.

Examples:

• Smith-Corona 5 series: https://mrmrsvintagetypewriters.com/en-us/products/chrome-plated-smith-corona-typewriter-part-of-david-rain-collection-tom-arden
• Richard Polt has photos of his Silver Surfer Hermes 3000, a paint stripped typewriter on page 291 of his book The Typewriter Revolution. Photo here: https://www.facebook.com/TypewriterRevolution/photos/a.1563333157165476/2155401697958616/?type=3
• Polt also talks about the process on one of his Smith-Coronas at https://writingball.blogspot.com/2011/08/sterling-silver-surfer.html
• A sterling silver Smith-Corona Sterling: https://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2011/09/on-this-day-in-typewriter-history-civ.html
• Multiples here: https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1oouq6o/chrome_typewriters/
• A chromed Olympia SG1: https://www.facebook.com/groups/olympiasg1/posts/1549224696395939/
• A chrome/nickel finished Henry Dreyfuss: https://typewriterdatabase.com/1948-royal-quiet-de-luxe.25508.typewriter
• If you're really crazy, maybe a Candy Apple Green Metal Flake pin striped Hermes? https://typewriterdatabase.com/1956-hermes-2000.17456.typewriter
• A brown pin striped QDL: https://typewriterdatabase.com/1941-royal-quiet-de-luxe.19473.typewriter
• Maybe in custom "white cracked ice" https://typewriterdatabase.com/1946-royal-quiet-de-luxe.19914.typewriter
• A green hot rod? https://typewriterdatabase.com/1961-olympia-sm4.19353.typewriter

And to be honest, if you're going to lay out some money to chrome a machine, why do it with a flimsy Skyriter? Find something showy, something honest, something substantial. Why not a Royal KMG or FP, a Remington Super-Riter, or a solid Hermes Ambassador?

Nothing is more badass than Helen Gurley Brown's silver plated Royal Empress: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/hgbrownroyal.jpg

Typewriter Profile: Comparing the Olivetti Lettera 22, Lettera 32, and Studio 44<br /> by [[Damon Di Marco]] of CreateX3.com on YouTube<br /> accessed on 2026-01-19T11:32:11

Marcello Nizzoli designed the Olivetti Lettera 22, an ultra-portable, and the standard Lexicon 80. He used the automotive idea of press-forming steel to the Olivetti line.

In 1959, the Illinois Institute of Technology chose the Olivetti Lettera 22 as the best designed product of the last 100 years. It also won the Compasso D'Oro Award in 1954.

1963 Lettera 32 introduced<br /> Square keys

1965 Olivetti Studio 44 introduced<br /> Between the standard and the portable<br /> Comes with a case, but is heavier than many portables

Prefer original spools with spool nuts.

https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1qh2cl7/1915_imperial_model_c_pictures/

per u/Koponewt:

Do you have the shift keys on both sides? The model C only has them on the left.

This short has a great shot at 01:02 where they've removed the platen and rear of a typewriter and are filming the back of the typing point as the typebars fly up at the camera.

The Gospel of Wealth<br /> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gospel_of_Wealth

https://collections.library.cornell.edu/moa_new/browse.html Cornell University's Making of America Collection<br /> List of Late 1800s-early 1900s magazines and journals in America with links to resources on Hathi Trust repositories

Advise for differentiating between Brother, Nakajima, and Silver-Reed late model typewriters.

What Comes Around Goes Around: Typewriters Return to CFM<br /> by [[Robert Messenger]] on oz.Typewriter<br /> accessed on 2026-01-18T11:05:23

https://typewriterdatabase.com/1912-underwood-western-union-special.3619.typewriter

https://typewriterdatabase.com/1912-underwood-western-union-special.3619.typewriter

Backspace does not erase: What are front left foot numbers on an Underwood 5 ?<br /> by [[RobertG]]<br /> accessed on 2026-01-17T19:25:41

http://great.cwru.edu/

Carnegie, Andrew. 1889. “Wealth (aka Gospel of Wealth Part I)” ed. Allen Thorndike Rice. North American Review 148(391): 653–65. http://google.com/books/edition/The_North_American_Review/i5U2AQAAMAAJ?hl=en (January 17, 2027).

https://www.americanyawp.com/reader/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Clay_Frick

VS speed typist Albert Tangora typing on a typewriter on table..<br /> by [[Getty Images]]<br /> accessed on 2026-01-16T12:03:59

It's not just the speed at which, he's typing, but get a load of how fast he manages to change a sheet of paper!

Albert Tangora sets a new record of typing of 141 words a minute in Chicago, Ill. <br /> accessed on 2026-01-16T11:57:49

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Tangora

https://accelareader.com/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1qej21g/bulk_ribbon_source/

We are a small typewriter shop based in the Netherlands.

Usually we would order bulk ribbon from USA and pay 100+ euro for shipping costs and duties. The shipping mostly cost us more than the product itself and made it much harder for us financially.

We would even combine orders with other local typewriter shops to cut the costs down.

So we now found an alternative. Make it ourselves.

After much testing we have found the perfect ink saturation. No bleeding. No oversaturation. Plus the ribbon should last 3-5 years when properly stored.

We are happy to now offer 320m cotton reels (black) for other typewriter enthusiasts and shops based in Europe (we do ship worldwide, it is just much more affordable to buy local).

A ribbon can make or break your typing. I really dislike light print or oversaturated ribbons. So zero compromise in quality.

https://peterhotez.org/<br /> Peter Hotez

Your Resource For Better Health Communication & Messaging<br /> by [[Public Health Communications Collaborative]]<br /> accessed on 2026-01-15T11:50:55

There is an interesting example of the mnemonic use of stone here in ancient Sumer. It serves as a boundary/border marker by its physical presence, but apart from any (other local) mnemonic uses, it also carries an inscription as a secondary form of long term written memory.

Link to: https://hypothes.is/a/rpPeOl4IEeyqH1-fAP0WQw

Note the shifts in potential audience(s) of early writing.

Is there stronger evidence that this form of permanent writing to an audience of gods was being done? Sources?

the shift from proto-cuneiform to early dynastic cuneiform showed greater complexity, but was still a variation of shorthand which didn't attempt to express all parts of speech as converted from spoken language. Verbs weren't always appropriately conjugated.

What is the general history of oval-shaped architecture? Is there an explicit link between the Oval shape of the complex at Ibgal, the temple (or house) of Inanna in Lagash and the oval office at the White House?

Keep in mind that modern knowledge of large portions of the Ancient Near East only surfaced after the 1800s, so the tradition would have required intermediaries from the ANE into other cultures to be passed down to the building of the White House in 1792.

At what point in history did it seem apparent to a larger portion of the populace that "god(s) anointed the king" was no longer a presumed reality? When did it seem that way to the kings themselves? Or have they always believed the myth?

It certainly makes some sense that in a diversifying economy familial connections of passing down trades from father to son by dint of closeness, teaching, and familial connection that the job/title of king should be passed down in the same way.

Can one discern specific colonialist policies that the Uruk had as their culture spread in the Ancient Near East?

Potentially an early historic form of a receipt?

Possibility that even with proto-cuneiform (writing) evolving here that such temples were local memory palaces for the culture of the inhabitants who would have been primary orality-based?

This statement belies the power of orality and the size of built communities without literacy. It's more a question of understanding how it was done and how communities either trusted (or didn't) those who memorized the materials.

Another factor is how long one needed to remember various facts, especially if for commerce and over what spaces?

Were there stratifications of society based on the power of memory here? Compare the anthropology and archaeology with the studies by Lynne Kelly.

Find archaeological papers which described how Mesopotamians in the ANE organized their documents.

Mention via @Podany2013

Statement in support of Graeber and Wengrow's thesis in The Dawn of Everything, though predating it.

Podany, Amanda H. 2013. The Ancient Near East: A Very Short Introduction. 1st ed. New York: Oxford University Press. https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Near-East-Introduction-Introductions/dp/0195377990/ (January 1, 2026).

See also: https://www.reddit.com/r/AYearOfMythology/comments/1pe0eyv/2026_mesopotamian_egyptian_reading_schedule/

Annotations link urn:x-pdf:f8604af8f8b94ba9236cadbbcf392cf8

Alternate annotation link

via https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1qaftye/finding_the_correct_ribbon_for_a_1973_ibm_model_d/

reply to harr at https://forum.zettelkasten.de/discussion/3392/folgezettel-vs-duplex-numeric-arrangement

I'll shortly have a lot more to say on this very subtle historical subject, which I've been work at off and on over the past month or so. My analysis indicates entire lack of innovation on the fronts which you're indicating. Pages 178-180 show the period standard practice of the subject alphabetic filing you say Luhmann was innovating against, but the duplex-numeric is exactly what he was using. The method he chose had been recommended and in use since at least the 1910s—especially for law offices.

Your quotes from his 1981 paper, while interesting, create a false impression stemming from post hoc, ergo propter hoc analysis. You have to remember that by the 1980s, he's been practicing this for nearly 30 years and is providing a reflection on that practice, which is also heavily impacted by his systems theory work through those decades. I strongly suspect that his mid-century perspective didn't stray far from that Remington Rand outline or those of scores of other sources.

It bears noting that of the four potential methods suggested in the chapter, the last one is the Dewey Decimal method, which many who've been in the zettelkasten space have also very naturally tried using as a scaffolding for their filing work. Others have also reasonably suggested variations like the Universal Decimal Classification system or Wikipedia's Academic Outline of Disciplines.

One will also notice that the option of doing a "Variadex Alphabetic" arrangement hasn't ever (to my knowledge) been mentioned in the online zettelkasten space. It was given the pride of place as first in the list of options, but this stems primarily from the fact that it was a variation offered by Remington Rand as a paid product with the related accessories. Every filing cabinet company and major stationery company had variations on this theme with their own custom names and products.

How to make a Tickler File

3 Misconceptions About Using Index Cards #officesupplies #indexcards<br /> by [[Shannon Medisky]] on YouTube<br /> accessed on 2026-01-14T09:21:52

Shannon Medisky appreciates the "fidget friendl[iness]" of index cards which help her work out nervous energy and reduce her stress.

An index card masterclass to kick start your writing.<br /> by [[Justin Hill]] on YouTube<br /> accessed on 2026-01-14T09:17:56

Justin Hill, a long form writer, uses index cards in his writing for taking notes, inspiration/prompts, as well as for outlining/organizing the plot of his material.

How typewriters are making a comeback<br /> by [[CNN]] on YouTube<br /> accessed on 2026-01-14T09:01:22

Could be made by some ribbon company like Alpad who sold Olivetti compatible ribbons/spools.

6mm diameter center holes on spools are indicative of a Gr4 typewriter spool.

via u/Koponewt at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1qcocn1/does_anyone_recognise_this_spool/

via u/Koponewt at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1qbwkp4/need_help_identifying_typewriters/

Statement from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell - Federal Reserve Board<br /> by [[Jerome H. Powell]] Chairman of the Federal Reserve <br /> accessed on 2026-01-11T22:52:25

https://makerworld.com/en/models/1470635-remington-typewriter-ribbon-spools

https://www.reddit.com/r/Onyx_Boox/comments/1q42cxn/update_on_the_reading_app_i_always_wanted_recall/

'This is for the other people': Dawes hosts Eaton fire benefit with star lineup<br /> by [[Mikael Wood]] in Los Angeles Times<br /> accessed on 2026-01-09T10:18:16

via https://sophsun1.tumblr.com/post/805029439375310848/misery-1990-dir-rob-reiner

https://sophsun1.tumblr.com/post/805029439375310848/misery-1990-dir-rob-reiner

Hermes typefaces by foundry mark:<br /> S TP = Techno Pica;<br /> S TE = Techno Elite;<br /> S PP = Petit Pica;<br /> S DE = Director Elite;<br /> S NO = Epoca;<br /> S 6 = Pica;<br /> S 7 = Elite

via https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1q8dabt/what_typeface_is_this_on_my_hermes_3000/

https://www.harleyofscotland.com/

They white label to other companies.<br /> Bosie may be one of the better ones: https://bosie.co/collections/mens-shetland-sweaters-and-cardigans-1

Opinion - I’m the Mayor of Minneapolis. Trump Is Lying to You.<br /> by [[Jacob Frey]] mayor of Minneapolis in The New York Times<br /> accessed on 2026-01-08T22:05:59

u/viktor72 has new old stock of the rectangular Royal badges for the KMM, KMG, etc. from a typewriter repairman.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1q7u6n2/going_back_and_forth_as_to_whether_or_not_i/

On Typewriters: Condition is King; Context is Queen.

It bears mentioning that an expert/professional repair person can only tell very little of the condition of a typewriter by photos. Does it look generally clean? Are the decals in tact? Does the segment look clean (a vague proxy for the potential condition of the internals)? Is anything obvious missing (knobs, return lever, keys)? Does it look cared for or has it been neglected in a barn for half a century? Most modern typewriters made after 1930 in unknown condition are worth about $5-25 and they peak at about $500 when purchased from a solid repair shop unless some Herculean additional restoration has taken place, they've got a rarer typeface, or are inherently actually rare. Hint: unless it's a pro repair shop or very high end collector with lots of experience, don't trust anyone saying that a typewriter is "rare", run the other direction. Run faster if they say it "works, but just needs a new ribbon" as—even at the most expensive—new ribbon is only $15 and their "rare" $600+ machine should have fresh, wet ribbon. The rule of thumb I use is that no one online selling a typewriter knows anything about it, including if it actually works. Worse, they've probably priced it at professional repair shop prices because they don't know that condition is king.

The least experienced typist will know far more about the condition of a machine by putting their hands on it and trying it out. Does it generally work? Does the carriage move the full length of its travel? Can you set the margins at the extremes and space reliably from one end to another? Does it skip? Is the inside clean or full of decades of dried oil, dust, and eraser crumbs? Does the margin release work? Does it backspace properly? If typing HHHhhhHHH are the letters all printed well and on the same baseline?

Presumably a typewriter at an antique store will meet these minimum conditions (though be aware that many don't as their proprietors have no idea about typewriters other than that if they wait long enough, some sucker will spend $150 on almost anything). They've done the work of finding a machine that (barely) works, housing it, and presenting it to the public for sale. This time and effort is worth something to the beginning typewriter enthusiast, but worth much, much less to the longer term practiced collector.

If everything is present and at least generally limping along, you've got yourself a $30 typewriter. Most people can spend a few hours watching YouTube videos and then manage to clean and lubricate a typewriter to get it functioning reasonably. You can always learn to do the adjustments from Youtube videos. (Or just take it to a repair shop and fork over $200-400 to get things squared.)

If you're getting into collecting, you'll make some useful mistakes by overpaying in the beginning and those mistakes will teach you a lot.

Maybe you're a tinkerer and looking for a project? If so, then find the cheapest machine you can get your hands on (maybe a Royal KMM for $9 at thrift) and work your way through a home study course.

Otherwise, if you're just buying one or two machines to use—by far—the best value you'll find is to purchase a cleaned, oiled, and well-adjusted machine from a repair shop. Sure it might cost $350-600, but what you'll save in time, effort, heartache, repair, etc. will more than outweigh the difference. Additionally you'll have a range of machines to choose from aesthetically and you can test out their feel to find something that works best for you.

Or, you could buy a reasonable machine like this for $70 and find out it needs cleaning, oiling, and adjusting and potentially a few repairs. The repair tab might run you an additional $450. Is it worth it when a repair shop would have sold you the same or a very similar machine in excellent condition for $350?

Remember in asking about the cost and value of a typewriter, you're actually attempting to maximize a wide variety of variables including, but not limited to: upfront money, information about the current state of the market, information/knowledge about the machine itself, information about how to clean it, information about oiling it, information about adjusting, information about repairing it, cost and availability of tools and repair parts, and the time involved for both learning and doing all of these. The more time you've spent learning and doing all of these, the better "deals" you'll find, but gaining this expertise is going to cost you a few years of life. What is all this "worth" when you just want to type on a machine that actually works?

Most of the prognostication you'll find in fora like this will be generally useless to you because you're not readily aware of the context and background of the respondents with respect to all of the variables above. Similarly they're working with no context about you, your situation, where you live, what's available in your area, your level of typewriter knowledge, or your budget. You don't know what you don't know. At the end of the day, you're assuredly just as well off to use a bit of your intuition and putting your hands on a machine and trying it out. Then ask: "What is it worth to you?"

If you're simply asking: "Is this highway robbery?", the answer is no.

More resources (and some of my own context) if you need them: https://boffosocko.com/research/typewriter-collection/

Happy typing.

Reply to u/NeverTheNess at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1q7eho6/spotted_a_royal_at_an_antique_store_good/<br /> RE: run-of-the-mill late 70s plastic Litton/Royal typewriter

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1q71z6k/ibm_selectric_i_spotted_on_one_of_the_maps_in_the/

A pen nib found inside a typewriter.<br /> https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1q72sk7/what_is_this_piece/

Smith Corona Skyriter Typewriter Draw Band String Rope Repaired Mainspring Wound<br /> by [[Phoenix Typewriter]] on YouTube<br /> accessed on 2026-01-07T15:56:18

For the average office-type chair, the sweet spot you're looking for is a tabletop about 26 inches off of the floor.

Most modern desks have their tabletops at 28-29" off of the floor which is too high for comfortably typing on a typewriter. The larger old school typewriter desks (double and single pedestals) often had a flip top or spring loaded side compartment that brought the surface that the typewriter sat on down to a more comfortable 26" off of the floor. Similarly you'll see desk returns for these desks which are an inch or two shorter to allow for a typewriter off to the side. Many of the same tanker desks had writing drawers that pulled out to provide space over the other drawers for writing and these also make great surfaces for typewriters to be an inch or two lower than the standard height. These desks usually are heavy and take up some significant floor space.

From the 1920s, a variety of manufacturers made stand-alone typewriter stands, typically with two drop leaves on either side and wheels to give one easy space for their typewriter that didn't take up a huge footprint and could be moved around the office or home as needed. Similar to these in the modern furniture space, you might find a variety of side tables or occasional tables with tabletops at a more comfortable 26-27" for your typing.

For off-label use cases, you could try a counter-height stool (24-26") as a temporary typewriter stand to pair with most standard office chairs. Generally bar stools are much taller in the 36" range, so don't do this unless it's your intention to type standing up.

I've got a 20 drawer library card catalog with a tabletop height of 36.5" that makes an excellent height for a standing desk for typing.

reply to u/The-Wolf-Bandit at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1q6e8oo/what_do_you_guys_have_your_typewriters_on/

https://typewriterdatabase.com/1973-montgomery-ward-olivetti-escort-66.1649.typewriter

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1q54adl/how_long_does_an_electronic_typewriters_ribbon/

https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1q2dmj8/can_anyone_help_me_identify_mikes_typewriter/

Stranger Things (finale)

Corporate Personhood<br /> by [[Dan Allosso]] in MakingHistory<br /> accessed on 2026-01-05T16:51:28