https://raymondsofficemachinesandsupplies.com/<br /> Darwin Raymond, Raymond's Office Machines, 927 Grand Ave., Glenwood Springs, CO 81601. (970) 945-5872.
See also:<br /> - https://coloradosun.com/2019/04/24/vintage-typewriters-glenwood/ - https://gazette.com/life/from-underground-typewriters-rise-thanks-to-man-and-bird-colorful/article_c9bfab92-3ed1-11ea-8113-77af98cc4fa2.html
https://www.si.edu/object/archives/sova-nmah-ac-0260<br /> Railway Express Agency Records<br /> American History Museum
Celebrating Typewriter Day 2026 on a WORKING 1887 Hall (Salem) Typewriter <br /> by Dynamically Typed (aka Joel Berger)<br /> via https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1udalhf/comment/otd01ki/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ5Wv2kFGu7/
Portland Stamp Company perforated the typewriter stamps that Lou Spirito designed.
A 1950s Smith-Corona “Eighty-Eight” Secretarial model, this typewriter was purchased at Byers Office Equipment Co. in Ames.In 1955, Mer Byers established Byers Office Equipment at 126 Main Street in Ames. Art Taylor purchased the company in 1957 and operated it with his son Paul. Around 1963, the business moved to 417 Main Street.By the 1960s, the company offered machine rentals and repair along with new and used models of typewriters, calculators, and adding machines. The showroom also featured office drapery options and furniture. At its peak, Byers Office Equipment Co. served a seven county area with 65% of sales taking place outside of Ames.In 1973, the name changed to Taylor Office Equipment Inc., and operations moved to a new, larger space at 705 East Lincoln Way. The business continued to serve Ames and surrounding area through the early 1990s.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DLS_eretU9c/<br /> via Ames Museum
Tom Hanks' love of typewriters by [[CBS Sunday Morning]] by Lee Cowan
https://gramercytypewriter.com/<br /> Gramercy Typewriter Co.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-rea-03a67a6/
Northeast Typewriter Exchange is opening 2026-07-18
Gisela Fieber Obituary - Hemet/San Jacinto, CA<br /> by [[Press Enterprise]]<br /> accessed on 2026-06-22T11:45:56
Arthur Fontaine Obituary (2018) - Riverside, CA - The Press-Enterprise<br /> by [[Legacy]]<br /> accessed on 2026-06-22T11:43:09
Arcade Typewriter Co. Riverside, CA
According to Bob Marshall, Mr. Fontaine owned and operated Arcade Typewriter Co. until around 2014.
@argusc3310 suspects that Gisela Fieber and her husband Fritz may have had a shop prior to that in the area.
Typewriter Muse Shop Tour<br /> [[Joe Van Cleave]]
Bob Marshall has an assembly line set up in his typewriter repair shop that consists of four people: - Bob: intake/quotes/repair/adjustment/platens - Jonny: front desk, showroom, QC - Grace: wash station, cleaning (alcohol)<br /> - Abraham: Repair/adjustments/oiling; rubberwork, rollers
Machines usually sit for a few days to a week in QC to ensure there are no issues.
Typewriter Muse offers 3-way shipping.
Typewriter Muse is moving through about 12 typewriters per week between repairs and sales.
Bob told me in person that the mix is about 2/3rds repair and 1/3 sales.
reply to u/patsy_dragon at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ucl6lx/is_this_typewriter_seller_legit_plz_help/ re: classictypewriter.com
It's Steven Budden, Jr. out of North Carolina who has been in the space for several years. I suspect that his prices are higher than most because it looks like he's offering a higher level of (bespoke) service than the blow and go C/O/A that many repair shops are offering in the $350-550 range. It looks more like he's doing actual restorations rather than simpler refurbishments with a clean, oil, and adjust. Prior to buying, I'd want to have a direct conversation about what level of service he's offering to these machines? Is it a full restoration? Or just refurbishing with all new rubber? The metal work and brights on his machines seem to indicate he's doing way more work than one typically sees in the overall space. (See: https://typecast.munk.org/2023/04/24/how-to-properly-describe-the-condition-of-a-typewriter/)
I'm vaguely concerned that he's not got himself listed on Polt's repair list at https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-repair.html, but as he looks like he's mostly doing higher end custom work, he may be trying to avoid the drive by day-to-day repair work and ribbon swaps that is the bread and butter of most shops. His socials seem to indicate this is a side job and he has another career(s).
If you're concerned, call him up and see what's going on beyond the website. You can also comparison shop using Richard Polt's repair list as well.
https://boffosocko.com/research/typewriter-collection/#Typewriter%20Market
reply to u/pricklypearssoda at https://reddit.com/r/Screenwriting/comments/1u3hp5q/should_i_drop_99_on_student_discounted_access_to/
Should I drop $99 on student discounted access to Final Draft for industry standard formatting?
Why buy into a "system", much less one with recurring costs? Formatting a script is the lowest bar in the space. A third grader could easily do this.
Even a vintage typewriter with a pica typeface will allow you to set margins, a few tabs, and you're on your way. It's the writing that's the tough part. Spend your time and energy on this part where it really belongs. Software isn't going to suddenly add creativity, emotion, or verve to your work. The "industry standard" of unsold and unproduced screenplays is the one you really want to worry about.
Preston Sturges, Billy Wilder, Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles, William Golding, Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, Paddy Chayefsky, Robert Towne, Frank Pierson, and Steve Tesich all have something in common: they won Academy Awards for best original screenplay without using screenplay software. Why couldn't you? Why shouldn't you?!?
LIVE: Joe Van Cleave at Typewriter Muse
Attended in person 2026-06-13 at Typewriter Muse in Riverside, CA
reply to u/someblokeonhere at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1u4ftix/which_typewriter_had_the_best_font/
The vast majority of typewriters were sold with a traditional mono-spaced Courier-like face in either pica or elite pitch (often with incredibly generic names like "Royal Pica" or "Royal Elite". Usually for about $5 (on what was often a $100 purchase which is about $1,000 in today's money), you could custom select an alternate face which was often marketed as a way to make your correspondence more personalized. They tried to make it a selling point, but I suspect it wasn't much of one in actual practice, particularly at that mark up. Many companies sold an "Executive" typeface that was often in italic as a means of differentiating typewriters meant for executives rather than the standard faces secretaries used.
Lots of alternate faces were manufactured for specific purposes like banking, accounting, speechwriting, and schools and those were sold as selling points for those markets. Other related features like keysets and special characters were marketed at pharmacists, doctors, engineers/mathematicians/scientists, and libraries.
If you create an account on the typewriter database you'll see options in the main menu for downloading full versions of a variety of typographical catalogs. Ted Munk also has (lesser) photo scans of some of these on his blog.
For the Sears Holiday Petite Child’s toy typewriter. Spools are 4cm in diameter, and 1 cm width. Uses a fabric 0.6mm ribbon.
https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1u4gbul/its_working/
I suspect they meant 6mm width on the fabric ribbon?
https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1u4gbul/its_working/
To create an account on the typewriter database, visit https://typewriterdatabase.com/register-today.php (Ted Munk manually approves new accounts within a day or two.)
Joe Van Cleave has a good intro video on using the database: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K5m1W7KNW8
And you'll find some notes on photos for the TWdB here: https://boffosocko.com/2024/10/24/photos-of-typewriters-for-the-typewriter-database/
https://youtu.be/ZXlYNEej9t0?si=gDN_6cDPn2N7fVB6&t=211
Ben Kingsley used a Continental typewriter in Schindler's List. It's housed at the Amblin Film Archive.
Typewriter repair people on r/typewriters:
An Archive of a Different Type<br /> by [[Jason Scott]] on Internet Archive Blogs accessed on 2026-06-11T10:58:48
Hanging from a wall near Martin and his bowtie and lab coat was a sign reading “Psychoanalysis For Your Typewriter.”
Imagine being so well-known for your craft that letters addressed to “Mr. Typewriter, New York” would get delivered by the Post Office to your door.
Ron's Typewriter - YouTube<br /> by [[Parks and Recreation]] <br /> accessed on 2025-10-06T22:09:41
Parks and Recreation S3, E5 "Media Blitz" aired 2011-02-17<br /> https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1636241/
https://typecast.munk.org/2011/04/24/1964-nomda-blue-book-olivetti-font-styles/
Olivetti type styles from the 1964 NOMDA Blue Book<br /> - Olivetti Bulletin (5 pitch, 3 lines/inch)<br /> - Olivetti Giant Primer (alternate) (5 pitch)<br /> - Olivetti Comet (10 pitch)<br /> - Olivetti Distinctive Pica<br /> - Olivetti Distinctive Pica Heavy Face<br /> - Olivetti Elite Gothic Heavy Face (10 pitch)<br /> - Olivetti Elite Correspondence Gothic (10 pitch)<br /> - Olivetti Esquire (10 pitch, 5.4 lines/inch)<br /> - Olivetti Pica Gothic Shiftless Alphabet<br /> - Olivetti Pica Victoria<br /> - Olivetti Stymie<br /> - Olivetti Wide Elite Victoria (10 pitch, 5.4 lines/inch)<br /> - Olivetti Distinctive Elite<br /> - Olivetti Distinctive Elite Heavy Face<br /> - Olivetti Elite Stymie<br /> - Olivetti Elite Italic<br /> - Olivetti Elite Stymie Heavy Face<br /> - Olivetti Stymie Heavy Face<br /> - Olivetti Stymie Gothic<br /> - Olivetti Universal Pica<br /> - Olivetti Monza (10 pitch), script<br /> - Olivetti Esteem Pica<br /> - Olivetti Pica Gothic<br /> - Olivetti Elite Victoria<br /> - Olivetti Esteem Elite<br /> - Olivetti Financial Gothic<br /> - Olivetti Financial Gothic Heavy Face<br /> - Olivetti San Serif Elite<br /> - Olivetti Universal Elite #468
The Elite 3 is the exact same machine as your Super. Just not the other Optima Super which is an Erika 10 rebrand.
via u/BlindAssassin111 at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1u19nbi/1960_optima_super/
Royal Futura 800 Case Handles<br /> https://www.tbwritersplus.com/product-page/royal-futura-800-case-handles
via https://www.reddit.com/r/Typewriter_parts/comments/1t1y9a2/royal_futura_800_case_handles/<br /> Originally offered on May 2, 2026
The plastic handles on Royal Futura Cases are almost always broken and/or missing. TB Writers Plus began offering a plastic replacement handle in May 2026 for $35.00.
https://www.reddit.com/user/Dangerous-Ratio6448/<br /> TB Writers plus LLC is u/Dangerous-Ratio6448
giving the keys a rinse cycle with a water and rubbing alcohol mixture. Did not anticipate the keys melting, but dish soap didnt do much.
Someone destroyed their plastic keys by soaking them in a water/rubbing alcohol mixture.
Tom Hanks visited 90-year-old Berkeley Typewriter on Thursday<br /> by [[Kasia Pawlowska]] for San Francisco Gate<br /> accessed on 2026-06-05T16:30:33
“He tried pretty much everything in the store here, and actually walked away with a 1930s Royal standard typewriter,” Alexander said. “He really liked the touch on it.”
reply to u/Solid-Theme-6653 at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1txfdst/is_this_lc_smith_typewriter_the_real_deal/
Rebuilt was a legal term back in the day to mean that a typewriter's condition was equivalent to that of a brand new machine: https://typecast.munk.org/2023/04/24/how-to-properly-describe-the-condition-of-a-typewriter/
Typewriters from that era will have wildly different conditions, and often be in very poor condition. https://boffosocko.com/2026/01/08/on-purchasing-typewriters-condition-is-king-context-is-queen/ Usually they start in the $20 range and often, but not always top, out in the $500 range. With only the pictures to compare these, I might place the first at $25 and the second at $120. (Putting my hands on the machine and inspecting it would obviously dramatically change my evaluation.)
Pretty much no one rebuilds machines anymore, they either service and/or refurbish them (relatively inexpensive $200-400) or they restore them ($500-2000+). I could imagine a well restored version of one of these machines selling for over $2,000, but it would have to be truly stunning and this would be tremendously rare.
More examples to look at and compare: https://typewriterdatabase.com/L.C.+Smith.8.143.bmys
Remington Rand Portable 5 typewriter spool covers<br /> https://makerworld.com/en/models/762248-remington-rand-portable-5-typewriter-spool-covers#profileId-697034
via https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1tvv2md/3d_printed_spool_covers/
Paul Varjak’s typewriter in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is a 1960 Smith-Corona Galaxie with 10″ Carriage, 12CPI Elite typeface, in “Hunter Red” and carried in a deluxe blue Holiday Case.
Breakfast At Tiffany’s: Paul Varjak’s Typewriter<br /> by [[Ted Munk]]<br /> accessed on 2026-06-02T16:11:00
“Paris When It Sizzles (Richard Quine, 1964). There’s an Olympia SM7 in it that should have gotten equal billing alongside William Holden and Audrey Hepburn.
Get things covered up. Gloves on and fan cranking. Pre wipe as much as you can off the top. You want to keep gunk out of the segment. This one is not going to be too hard, as the typebars don't run downhill. Brush, blow, repeat. Swap out for clean brushes often. Time for the brass, And save the "you're going to damage the slugs" bs. A brass wheel will do nothing to the slugs except make your life easier. Inspect and time for the pick. Use your phone and take a pic. Inspect the vowels closely. Brush, blow and repeat. Are they clean? If you are looking at a FBM "professionally serviced machine," look those slugs over. If they can't clean the slugs, what can they do? Now you are ready to wipe each typebar with the solvent rag. Cleaning the slug under the typeface is the worst part of it. People will clean the typeface and let years of junk build up underneath. Now you are ready to tackle the segment.
via James Grooms at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1tsct5a/lets_clean_some_slugs/
SerialNumber
Serial Number<br /> Each typewriter carries its own serial number. Lift the cover plate, and looking at the machine from the right side, you will note the serial number stamped directly behind the touch Selector on the left side of the machine. Record this number for use in ordering supplies and accessories or as identification in case of theft.
http://mytypewriter.com/hello-qwerty-typewriter-keyring-pliers-kit
Charles Gu at MyTypewriter.com is selling new typewriter keyring plie0rs!
URL changed to https://mytypewriter.com/products/hello-qwerty-typewriter-keyring-pliers-kit
ᔥ[[Typewriter Chicago]] in Type Shop, Ep. 15: The Ultimate Keyring Toolset Guide at 2022-12-29<br /> (accessed:: 2024-07-08 08:23:36)
I have chronic pain issues and I discovered that fixing and fiddling with typewriters helped me focus on other tasks and ignore the pain. So I ended up with about 150 typewriters. I sold about a hundred now and still wants to pare down my 'collection' to 20-25 machines.
via u/AmsterdamAssassin at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1tq3nub/i_woke_up_one_day_looked_at_my_machines_and/
https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1tq3nub/i_woke_up_one_day_looked_at_my_machines_and/
https://www.typewritersanonymous.com/about<br /> Typewriters Anonymous
McCafferty, Phil. Typewriter Carries Office Supplies. Popular Science, April 1954. https://books.google.to/books?id=xyADAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=typewriter&f=false
Tuning a typewriter
reply to u/solestal801 at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1tp6xh5/tuning_a_typewriter/
Most will call it "adjusting" in the literature (eg. clean, oil, adjust). That's the sort of thing that's hiding deep within a lot of the repair manuals and found by closely watching lots of YouTube repair videos (and taking notes for when you need them). It's the art hiding within the practice and probably takes the longest to acquire.
This will give you a start for some resources: https://boffosocko.com/2024/10/24/learning-typewriter-maintenance-and-repair/
Some examples of the tidbits include:
By the sound of where you're at, I might suggest buying a Royal KMM for $20 and methodically working your way through this:
Felt fabric for typewriter restoration<br /> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DBHH8YKN
Janet Schwartz likes this brand/type
Like most Hermes Rocket/Baby typewriters, mine no longer had feet on the bottom. You can purchase 3D-printed feet at various places, but I went with the silicone grommet/cap route and found a perfect fit. These are rubber caps meant to replace the cushion on the bottom of certain furniture. The holes on the bottom of the typewriter are 6mm in diameter. These plugs fit tight, provide a slight lift, and a slip-free typing experience. I did have to trim off the tops a bit to fit the body back in, but that's all inside the typewriter when put together. These were a pack of ten for $6 USD (or .60 each).
via u/ksigler at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1t5resr/replacement_feet_for_a_hermes_rocketbaby/
Maxim Suravegin is working on a Ph.D. thesis relating to typewriters.<br /> https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10163573420424678/
Jennifer Dunn: Typewriter mechanic<br /> by [[Annie Todd]] in Cascadia Daily News<br /> accessed on 2026-05-25T16:35:17
El Granero Typewriter Company<br /> https://typewriter.company/
They seems to specialize in Olivetti, Hermes, Olympia and Erika machines. They do a fair amount of repainting and chroming.
https://typewriter.company/collections/ribbons
Tom Hanks Sends Vintage Typewriter and Personal Letter to Rolla Missouri Shop Owners (LISTEN) - Missourinet<br /> by [[Cameron Conner]]<br /> accessed on 2026-05-22T17:32:01
Rebecca Kuether Bealmear is r****8 on ShopGoodwill
Matching it with her statement on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1274589671526471/ saying that she bought the same machine at https://shopgoodwill.com/item/264079893
My typewriter and typeface swatch cards are complete. I used Col-O-Dex cards from Tge swell Appointed Desk paired with a Canon Ivy printer. These will end up along my fountain pen ink swatches in my double Rolodex.
Via Derek De Weese at https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1274772944841477/
reply to u/deleted at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1te4u1i/state_of_the_typosphere/
Two or three typewriter repair shops have opened up in the past couple of years, though probably not enough to offset the retirements or deaths which include Tom Furrier (Cambridge Typewriter) and Duane Jensen (Phoenix Typewriter) respectively. Lucas Dul opened up a brick-and-mortar typewriter shop in Chicago.
Philly Typewriter and Bremerton Typewriter Company have started up typewriter repair schools/apprenticeships to expand on the trade.
Tom Hanks has continued donating typewriters to typewriter repair shops over the past few years, ostensibly to encourage the space as well as to slim down his own collection.
Richard Polt recently downsized his collection significantly. (His blog is generally a good source of the news of what's new in the past few years.)
Prices are up somewhat in general, but especially for Hermes 3000s, Olympias, Smith-Corona Silent Supers, and Olivetti Letteras even in poor condition.
Historical updates: https://typewriterdatabase.com/twdb.0.news-media
Type Pals has started up monthly meetups again: https://www.typepals.com/events
Lou Spirito designed a baseball scorecard for typewriters which was unveiled by Tom Hanks on March 29, 2025.
Qwertyfest seems to be going strong: https://www.qwertyfest.com/
Atlanta, Albuquerque, and Los Angeles have bee hosting type-ins a few times a year.
I've fleshed out some details and examples on typecasting for those interested in trying it out: https://indieweb.org/typecast
Tom Hanks delivers autographed typewriter to Portland shop<br /> by [[Devon Haskins]]<br /> accessed on 2025-09-18T20:31:03h
autographed Corona Junior that Hanks gifted to Vale this past March.
Tom Hanks Typewriter Collection #329<br /> Corona Junior donated to Vale Typewriter in March 2023
Downers Grove 23-year-old repairs typewriters for a living<br /> by [[Stefano Esposito]] in Chicago Sun-Times<br /> accessed on 2026-05-22T11:04:25
Typewriter Doctor<br /> by [[By Kathleen Rooney]] in Chicago Magazine<br /> accessed on 2026-05-22T11:03:18
typewriter repairman Lucas Dul opened up a brick-and-mortar shop in 2024.
You might try slowly pressing a key. Does it reach the platen? Or do you need to strike it normally, as during typing, for it to hit the platen under its own momentum?
The Royal 10 QX (aka Quiet Model) (1921-1923) has a special mechanism in the segment which allows the slugs to hit the platen when struck, but pressing the keys slowly doesn't allow them to reach.
Via commentary by Brian Decker, Ted Muk, and James Grooms at https://typewriterdatabase.com/1927-royal-10.16643.typewriter
Thermal Typewriter Comparison<br /> by [[Joe Van Cleave]]
Ranked:<br /> 1. Sharp PA-1050<br /> 2. Brother EP-43<br /> 3. Brother EP-20 v 4. Casiowriter CW-10<br /> 5. Canon Typestar 4<br /> 6. Canon Typestar 5
Typewriter Video Series - Episode 207: Canon Typestar 5<br /> by [[Joe Van Cleave]]
Instruction manual shows use of the typewriter in someone's lap.
Doesn't have clean plastic at the top for ripping off pages cleanly.
The 5 is missing a few features that were found on the 4.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/721704878218903/posts/3096582727397761/
Maxim Suravegin has a fantastic little collection here.
reply to u/Novembree at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1hfncyz/had_a_typewriter_for_awhile_could_use_help/
Welcome to the Royal KMM club! Seems like lots of these have been posted in the last day including one by u/betternatured and another by u/the-other-gusta along with a very similar Royal KMG by u/Jacki-san.
The serial number puts yours down as a KMM with an 11 inch platen manufactured in 1945. Cross reference: https://typewriterdatabase.com/royal.72.typewriter-serial-number-database
Manual: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/RoyalKMM.pdf
These were really popular and ubiquitous, standard (large desktop) typewriters in the mid-century that were the workhorse of many offices. Because they were so common and so heavy, they only go for $5-25 in the used market in either unknown or marginal condition. If they're cleaned up and well-serviced they can go for more with a cap of around $300-400 depending on the level of restoration. Some with special features (like special typefaces) or provenance may go for more.
The Royal KMM was known to have been used by writers including: John Ashberry, Harry Ashmore, Russell Baker, Ray Bradbury, Richard Bratigan, Richard Brooks, Pearl S. Buck, Johnny Carson, Norman Corwin, Frank Herbert, Ken Kesey, G.W. Lee, Harper Lee, Ursula K. LeGuin, David McCullough, Margaret Mead, Grangland Rice, and Dorothy Parker. This was also the model famously used by Angela Landsbury's character on the TV show Murder, She Wrote.
Depending on your level of typewriter knowledge try out some of the following short films which will also provide some tips, tricks, and maintenance advice common in the era of your machine:
Happy Typing!
reply to u/No-Rain-4114 and tk at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ti2zu2/imperial_model_50_vs_royal_10_which_is_better/
You're likely to get more opinions than there are people who have actually used both and their opinions are going to vary wildly based on the conditions of the machines they've encountered. They're both solid machines, but generally also so old that you'd need two well-restored versions to get a serious apples to apples comparison. Even if you get 10 people with immaculate exemplars to weigh in, it's honestly not going to be helpful for determining which you ought to hunt for and purchase.
You're also going to find them with a very specific geographic distribution based on manufacturing and sales at the time. The Imperial bigger in the UK and Royal bigger in the US.
If you've got two to choose from, pick the one in the best condition and proceed from there. Otherwise choose based on aesthetics as all the other factors are so confounding as to mean little in making an informed choice here.
See also: https://boffosocko.com/2026/01/08/on-purchasing-typewriters-condition-is-king-context-is-queen/
Reply to u/Wooden-Lifeguard-636
Chris, which one do YOU prefer?
Like all serious typewriter collectors, I prefer both! 😜
Refurbished with a clean, oil, and adjust out of a typewriter repair shop, you really can't go wrong with either of these if this is the era and aesthetic you're after.
If OP gave us a ton of additional information on their context: Are they collecting? What sort of collection are they starting? Is this the one and only typewriter they're ever going to buy? Are they going to display it as decor? Use it (8 hours a day 365, once a day for a few hours, once a week, once a month)? Tinker on it to restore it themself? What's their budget? Where are they going to source it (shop, yard sale, estate sale, online auction untested)? Do they prefer the polished enamel or the crinkle paint? Are they a hunt-and-peck typist, a touch-typist, or even a speed champion? Etc., etc., etc.
With this, we might provide some semblance of advice, but honestly, even then, it's largely a coin toss. The ultimate choice will be biased and come down to the purchaser's gut reaction with a specific machine(s) in its condition in front of them to purchase.
And even then, after all this, it's worth considering the quote from Carroll Shelby in Ford v Ferrari (20th Century Fox, 2019) about the test driver at the end: "You drove it for less than an hour... ‘don’t know shit after an hour."
Repyy to u/bluestemgrass at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1thup7q/reink_ribbon/ RE: Ribbon for a toy Sears Holiday typewriter.
Before you go too deeply here, is the ribbon made of cloth material (nylon, silk, or cotton) or is it a plastic film/carbon type?
If it's the latter, is it a proprietary cartridge or typewriter spools? What width is the ribbon? Cartridges with carbon can be difficult if not impossible to find for these models.
It looks like it may be a Sears rebranded version of some of the Byron Jardine/PETITE toy typewriters. https://typewriterdatabase.com/no_info.525.typewriter-serial-number-database There may be an imprint of the manufacturer on the bottom which would help to identify the original manufacturer.
Most Petite typewriters use T4430 or T4431 ribbon (1/4" wide or 6.50mm) which can sometimes be found on eBay and other sites. It generally requires original spools. These were generally carbon/plastic based ribbon.
If you have the original spools, you might find someone who still manufactures carbon-based ribbon and you can cannibalize it to spool onto your Sears Holiday. Look around for some of the 80s/90s film-based cartridges meant for word processors.
If it did originally have cloth ribbon you might be able to re-ink it, but the process typically tends to be very messy. Generally some glycerine and ink meant for metal stamps (not rubber) will get you where you'd like to go. Some have also soaked their old ribbon in WD-40 as a means of rejuvenation, but this is also time consuming and messy.
More detail/photos of the manufacturing details on the bottom and photos and measurements of the spools and the original type of "ribbon" will help immensely.
If you get the chance, add your example to the typewriter database and include photos of the spools as well as measurements of their width and diameter to help others with these questions/problems in the future.
In 1994, Smith Corona moved manufacturing from the Route 13 plant to Tijuana, Mexico, leaving some supplementary operations at the South Cortland facility. In 1988, the company left the sprawling, largely vacant complex to the Bennie Road site.
Smith Corona closes shop after nearly a century<br /> by [[Kelly Palmer]]<br /> accessed on 2026-05-16T13:06:28
As the last Smith Corona workers drove away, they took the local bits and pieces of the last U.S. typewriter manufacturer with them.
Last typewriter manufacturer in the U.S. was Smith-Corona
2001-05-03
Typesapce reputation being chipped away at by AI slop accusations...
Congratulations and welcome to the club! Definitely the machine of a serious writer or novelist. These were the workhorses of newspapers and magazines through the 70s and 80s. In my mind, it's the last truly great manual typewriter ever manufactured.
Well known users of the Olympia SG3 included: Ingeborg Bachmann, Jimmy Breslin, Paddy Chayefsky, Philip K. Dick, Harlan Ellison, Michael Ende, Howard Fast, Jim Lehrer, Elmore Leonard, William E. Leuchtenburg, Terrence McNally, James Michener, Dudley Randall, and Wallace Stegner
Robert Redford used one in the movie ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN.
If you need a manual: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-manuals.html
Ribbon is still easily found: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-faq.html#q1
The Olympia SG3 uses 1/2" wide (12.7mm) typewriter ribbon, which has been standardized as DIN2103, in combination with the Group 1 spool, designated as DIN 32755. (Doesn't need eyelets.)
Other useful resources available at: https://boffosocko.com/research/typewriter-collection/
reply to u/Prudent_Highway_1855 at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1tdy2eu/my_first_typewriter/
You could sew two different ribbons together and set a grommet in the seam. That's basically how the original 4-color ribbon is. Even with the original ribbon you had to wind the ribbon to the middle and undo the ribbon from the vibrator and swap the side the middle grommet is on to change the color.
Via Ted Munk at https://typewriterdatabase.com/1969-sears-medalist-power-12.24661.typewriter
This was an easy service with the ribbon drive belt being the only issue. I used a 2 1/2 in O ring (link). The original V-belts are ok, so I am living with a little bit of hop in the motor belt.
reply to u/Personman444 at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1tcuxxu/how_to_restore_case/
RE: 1950s Royal typewriter case
Typically these were fabric glued onto fiberglass, so you can do fairly well with soap and water with a scrub brush and then letting it air dry. This should help to remove the staining. You can use more aggressive cleaners as long as they don't dissolve the glue. I've used a Green Bissel wet vac on these with some reasonable success in the past.
0000 steel wool will often help clean off/clean up the metal parts, though you should test an inconspicuous part first. Following up with metal polish can give you some shine.
The handle is plastic and a gentle clean followed by a coat of car wax will do wonders.
In the final weeks of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Tom Hanks gifts Stephen Colbert with a box of computer paper and an Underwood Ace typewriter (circa 1955-57).
James, thanks for the research and advertisements. Having just picked up one of these in lovely condition, I would generally agree with your assessment on the delineation of the two models: a "Report Electric" and a "Report de Luxe (SKE)".
Currently the TWdB has three different pages for what one might call the Olympia Report de Luxe (SKE) and which could be concatenated into a single model on one page:
"Olympia Report" https://typewriterdatabase.com/Olympia.Report.61.bmys with two exemplars from '75 and '78 which are explicitly badged as "Olympia Report de Luxe" on the hood
"Olympia Report deLuxe" https://typewriterdatabase.com/Olympia.Report+deLuxe.61.bmys which are all the badged the same, but somehow seem to have left the space between the "de" and "Luxe" out.
"Olympia SKE Report de Luxe" https://typewriterdatabase.com/Olympia.SKE+Report+de+Luxe.61.bmys which are all badged as "Report de Luxe" on the hood, but which include the SKE in the name because of the sticker on the side.
Personally, for ease of internet search most are likely to search for "Olympia Report de Luxe" though some may see the sticker near the power cord that reads "Typewriter Model SKE" (either on their physical machine or photos on eBay, Goodwill, etc.), so listing it in the database as "Olympia Report de Luxe (SKE)" may make the search most fruitful.
If the renaming of these three pages, which seem to be for a single model, does occur it would be useful to do a 403 redirect from the original pages to the final page so that the search engine optimization for these pages isn't lost. Adding a note to the model on the main Olympia page will help to clear up the details for future typewriter hunters as well.
Reply to https://typewriterdatabase.com/1973-olympia-report-electric.27118.typewriter
If we're going to do history, let's get it right. The Royal HH and REs offered color in the '52-54 range, but they were the exception rather than the rule. These are very difficult to find now. The Quiet De Luxes didn't get color until into 1956 and continued until 1958 when they were replaced by the (also) colorful Royal Futuras.
There were pockets of the late 20s and early 30s when Royal and Underwood among others experimented with color on portables as well, but these tended to be more basic reds, blues, and greens. The Corona 4s models were finished in DuPont DUCO® from 1927 to 1939. In a similar time period the Royal P also came in a small variety of colors.
https://americanwritersmuseum.org/<br /> American Writers Museum<br /> Chicago, IL
The Royal KHM (1938)<br /> by [[Erik Bruchez]]<br /> accessed on 2026-05-13T21:06:46
the common wisdom about carriages is “Don’t remove the carriage unless absolutely necessary.”
Based on my smooth experience removing the carriage of the Underwood 6 for cleaning, I tried doing this with the Royal. But I learned that not all typewriters have a carriage that comes out easily. I persisted and managed to get it out and back in, with difficulty. It did make cleaning much easier, but I wouldn’t recommend going through this unless really necessary.
Restoring a Yost 20 Typewriter<br /> by [[Erik Bruchez]]<br /> accessed on 2026-05-13T20:59:04
The result is quite shiny. There is no visible yellow grain. The slightly silvery spots that I damaged are almost not visible anymore, thanks to the added yellow color of the shellac. There are a couple dust spots visible, if you look: perfection is not of this world. But the good thing about shellac is that you could sand the top again a little, and apply more shellac - or just do that without sanding. The alcohol dissolves the shellac, so you can always add new coats.
Erik Bruchez describes how he used shellac and denatured alcohol to re-shellac his Yost 20 followed up with 600 grit sandpaper to smooth things back out as necessary.
the front panel’s paint and decal were very matte, and had signs of yellowing outside the decal. Everyone who has dealt with a Royal 5 (in particular) might know a case of this illness: the paint appears dirty and uneven with some yellow, grainy stuff around the decals. You cannot clean over decals too much: the golden color will go away to reveal silver, and eventually you will destroy the decals completely.But I had heard that that yellow stuff, on some machines at least, was shellac: that the decals were originally applied and then shellacked. For some reason, on the Royal 5 in particular, the shellac had a tendency over time to dry and become apparent and grainy.
there is a lever to raise all typebars. At first I didn’t find it, as the lever was recessed, on the right-side of the machine, but eventually I did! Using this lever is necessary to properly re-ink the pad without making a total mess.
Sewing machines and typewriters from this era use shellac, which is a natural ish material. If improperly cared for in the past that’s what happens. One thing to check how the shellac is, is to shine a bright light on the black area. If it has a green tint, then shellac is there, if it’s black it is not. But that yellowing is the shellac. Normally I would gently clean with water and a soft rag. Then a light car polish and then a good wax to seal it.
via Tyler Alan Macek at https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1255908216727950/
A black light is potentially better, but a bright light should work too.
It is shellac (from the bugs). Some people use denatured alcohol on a cotton ball to lightly dab it off; I use sewing machine oil on a microfiber, and that helps the yellowing, but does not get rid of the change in texture between shellac and no shellac.
via Leighton Jeffy at https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1255908216727950/
Sounds roughly similar to
Use kerosene or mineral spirits to clean the machine. I wouod go with kerosene to be honest. Then redo the shellac finish with french polishing. This is heavy documented with old sewing machines as they use these gold decals that f becomes silvered when water or cleaning solvents touch them.
via Luke Fuji at https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1255908216727950/
Courtesy of @Pelicram ❤ : Peli's Shellac Rescue Formula aka The Cowboy's Delight. This will help bring back a deeper black color shellaced panels which have been yellowed and damaged by UV over the years. With enough elbow grease it will remove the old shellac completely but it takes a very long time and you're likely to damage any decals present on the panel. In most cases the procedure described below will be sufficient to restore the appearance to an acceptable level. The recipe: 70% Light machine oil. 30% IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) or White/Mineral Spirits. Ideally use an oil that is dissolved into the IPA/Mineral Spirits, if they settle into separate layers make sure you shake the mixture thoroughly before applying. Mix the oil and solvent in something like a dropper bottle or similar vessel for convenient application. Clean part with Fulgentin (Or general purpose cleaner of your choice) and wipe dry.,Apply oil/ipa mix to part and rub in lightly with clean microfiber cloth or shop towel. Use plenty of the mix, it should not feel dry.,Wipe with microfiber cloth after 15 minutes to get rid of any excess.,Do not apply any kind of wax (like Renessaince Wax) afterwards, from my testing it will bring back the haziness.
https://discord.com/channels/639936208734126107/639938269030907914/1302694827682697330
Pelicram's Shellac Rescue Formula aka The Cowboy's Delight.
This will help bring back a deeper black color shellaced panels which have been yellowed and damaged by UV over the years. With enough elbow grease it will remove the old shellac completely but it takes a very long time and you're likely to damage any decals present on the panel. In most cases the procedure described below will be sufficient to restore the appearance to an acceptable level.
The recipe: - 70% Light machine oil. - 30% IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) or White/Mineral Spirits.
Ideally use an oil that is dissolved into the IPA/Mineral Spirits, if they settle into separate layers make sure you shake the mixture thoroughly before applying.
Mix the oil and solvent in something like a dropper bottle or similar vessel for convenient application.
- Clean part with Fulgentin (Or general purpose cleaner of your choice) and wipe dry.
- Apply oil/ipa mix to part and rub in lightly with clean microfiber cloth or shop towel. Use plenty of the mix, it should not feel dry.
- Wipe with microfiber cloth after 15 minutes to get rid of any excess.
- Do not apply any kind of wax (like Renessaince Wax) afterwards, from my testing it will bring back the haziness.
Tap Tap Art<br /> https://taptapart.com/about.html
You’re correct it’s a typewriter table. The 28 inch height is called clerical height, which is 2 inches lower than desk height, which is 30 inches. The drawer is to hold typing paper, carbon paper and second sheets because copy machines have not been invented you always need a copy of whatever you typed for your own personal records. those tables were usually made out of red oak, which was adorable and not expensive. Pittsburgh Office Equipment, as I remember, was located on Carson St. in Pittsburgh.
comment via Joe Eisaman at https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10163611818554678/
in relation to a table of dimensions 32 x17 x28".
No ! they were differnt hardnes for doing stencils, for memeograph machines.Like
Mitch Fixit has some repair chops, so this is believe-able: Some of the colored platens were meant to have different harnesses for doing stencils.
via https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10163612704804678/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/4770669677/user/1183632210/
Janet Schwartz's boyfriend.
The typewriter of Hollywood writer Carl Foreman and later Milton Sperling, it's encased in plexi with the titles of the films that were written on it.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10163613988099678/
It turns out our friend Tom has been scoring games with a typewriter since at least 2013!
Keeping score at a baseball game with a typewriter is not only possible but is also a much more detailed record of the match. (ORTEGA. Full count! Fouled back three in a row ... OH, THAT BALL’S LANDIN’ WHERE THE FANS ARE STANDIN’!!! Walk. Off. Home. Run. Thanks for your attendance and drive safely.) —Tom Hanks in "I Am TOM. I Like to TYPE. Hear That?" on Aug. 3, 2013 in the New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/04/opinion/sunday/i-am-tom-i-like-to-type-hear-that.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
cc: u/lou_spirito<br /> u/Informal-Writer-1140<br /> u/oogieball<br /> u/joe_skidiachi_irl
Other examples of his scoring efforts: - https://www.reddit.com/r/BaseballScorecards/comments/1jn2475/yes_tom_hanks_does_schlep_a_typewriter_to_ball/ - https://www.reddit.com/r/BaseballScorecards/comments/1jm0l8k/tom_hanks_keeps_score/ - https://www.reddit.com/r/BaseballScorecards/comments/1jm4pie/tom_hanks_scorecard/
Hanks, Tom. 2013. “I Am TOM. I Like to TYPE. Hear That?” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/04/opinion/sunday/i-am-tom-i-like-to-type-hear-that.html (May 12, 2026).
There is no reason to own hundreds of old typewriters other than the sin of misguided avarice (guilty!).
He gave me a deal on a Hermes 2000 (“The Cadillac of typewriters!”), which featured a knob that adjusted the tension on the keys and the crispest, straightest line of type possible. I’ve since added the 3000, the Baby and the gloriously named Hermes Rocket to my shelves.
My dad’s Underwood, bought used just after the war for his single year at U.S.C., had some keys so worn out by his punishing fingers that they were misshapen and blank. The S key was a mere nib. I sent it to a shop for what was meant to be only a cleaning, but it came back with all the keys replaced. So long, Dad, and curse you, industrious typewriter serviceperson.
a collection that started when, in 1978, the proprietor of a Cleveland business machine shop refused to service my mostly plastic typewriter. “A worthless toy!” the man yelled. Yes, yelled. He pointed to shelves full of his refurbished typewriters — already decades old yet all in perfect working order.
Tom Hanks outlines three reasons to use a typewriter:<br /> 1. sound<br /> 2. sheer physical pleasure of typing<br /> 3. permanence of words
The sound of typing is one reason to own a vintage manual typewriter — alas, there are only three reasons, and none of them are ease or speed. In addition to sound, there is the sheer physical pleasure of typing; it feels just as good as it sounds, the muscles in your hands control the volume and cadence of the aural assault so that the room echoes with the staccato beat of your synapses.
You can choose the typewriter to match your sound signature.Remingtons from the 1930s go THICK THICK. Midcentury Royals sound like a voice repeating the word CHALK. CHALK. CHALK CHALK. Even the typewriters made for the dawning jet age (small enough to fit on the fold-down trays of the first 707s), like the Smith Corona Skyriter and the design masterpieces by Olivetti, go FITT FITT FITT like bullets from James Bond’s silenced Walther PPK. Composing on a Groma, exported to the West from a Communist country that no longer exists, is the sound of work, hard work. Close your eyes as you touch-type and you are a blacksmith shaping sentences hot out of the forge of your mind.
Everything you type on a typewriter sounds grand, the words forming in mini-explosions of SHOOK SHOOK SHOOK. A thank-you note resonates with the same heft as a literary masterpiece.
Keeping score at a baseball game with a typewriter is not only possible but is also a much more detailed record of the match. (ORTEGA. Full count! Fouled back three in a row ... OH, THAT BALL’S LANDIN’ WHERE THE FANS ARE STANDIN’!!! Walk. Off. Home. Run. Thanks for your attendance and drive safely.)
Tom Hanks was using typewriters to score baseball games since at least 2013!
reply to u/LillieLogang at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1tacody/light_touch_jcpenney/
Before you go too deeply here, is the ribbon made of cloth material (nylon, silk, or cotton) or is it a plastic film/carbon type? And if the latter, is it a proprietary cartridge or typewriter spools? Cartridges with carbon can be difficult if not impossible to find.
There's only one Penny's toy typewriter in the database currently which may give you some idea: https://typewriterdatabase.com/1970-jc-penney-j6772-toy-typewriter.11484.typewriter I don't see these pop up often, but there is a related one listed on SGW right now: https://shopgoodwill.com/item/263548866 which may have some unused "ribbon" you might cannibalize if necessary.
It looks like it may have been a rebranded version of some of the PETITE toy typewriters. https://typewriterdatabase.com/no_info.525.typewriter-serial-number-database
Many of these toys are difficult to adjust or fix (if at all), but they tend to be very simple in terms of the mechanics, so you might be able to puzzle out what isn't working and why by looking at it with the hood removed.
What Makes the Hanx Writer Click?<br /> by [[Silvia Killingsworth]] in The New Yorker<br /> accessed on 2026-05-11T14:49:13
One editor recalls that you could tell whether your neighbor was being productive that day just by the typewriter sounds coming out of his office (thus pressuring you to get down to work).
The thing that always used to get to me was the way a certain kind of arrogant but aggressively mediocre writer would harangue me about how I had to get a computer because ever since he got one, “I’ve been able to turn out so much more,” as if this were an unmixed blessing the world would welcome.
Actually, that typewriter, my Olympia Report Deluxe, or rather Deluxes (I have three of them because they’re no longer manufactured, and I need one for backup and one to cannibalize for parts) are the real reason I’ve rejected switching to a computer for so long.
Olympia Electric Typewriter - May 17 2008.wav<br /> by [[lonemonk]] on Freesound<br /> accessed on 2026-05-11T14:04:41
The Quiet Cult of the Olympia Report deLuxe Electric Typewriter<br /> by [[Wilson Rothman]] and [[Steven Levy]]<br /> accessed on 2026-05-11T13:13:15
Oral history questions for Richard Polt on typewriter collecting:
Over the years Joe Van Cleave has done a handful of videos on selectivity and downsizing of one's typewriter collection including: <br /> - The Minimal Complete Typewriter Collection https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ej6kd1FsnE <br /> - Culling the Herd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_ueHE3Whjk <br /> - Downsizing Your Typewriter Collection https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eic4lNE0l3Y
And Sarah Everett has one "what's your deserted island typewriter?" (if I had to pick 5 typewriters....) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFqJa9kD-v0
All this to ask Richard: what your downsizing experience has been? What were the criteria by which you chose what to keep? Did you more closely focus your collection into an area, era, style, other? Are you primarily keeping the things you tend to use more frequently? Things in better condition? You started out with how many to end up with how many? If you could start your collecting over from scratch what would you change? Are there things you wouldn't get the second time around? Things you would have spent more time focusing on? What will you continue to collect and at what rate? Naturally, collecting is a very personal thing with respect to individual's specific tastes and experiences (and frequently space!), but I suspect answers to some of these may help others, especially those who are just starting into collecting, or who have a dozen or two machines but who might find value on where and how to potentially focus their efforts. It may also help other collectors and their families who are dealing with appropriately disposing of significant collections, especially in cases where a deceased collector was very passionate and the family just wants to be rid of them quickly (i.e. ideas like Swedish death cleaning and related).
I'm sure reflections on these would be an interesting typecast, but if it's easier to do something like an oral history interview, I'm happy to collect these and a few dozen more questions into an interview format if you've got 30-60 minutes in the coming months to devote to a remote audio/video interviews/mini-podcast or YouTube episode or something similar?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10163593836864678/
If typists were Robots
Resemblance to disaster girl?
Lego Typewriters<br /> by [[Herman Price]]<br /> accessed on 2026-05-09T17:29:08
A fake Lego fake typewriter?<br /> by [[Richard Polt]] on The Typewriter Revolution blog<br /> accessed on 2026-05-09T17:27:34
The ROKR wooden typewriter: a closer look<br /> by [[Richard Polt]] in The Typewriter Revolution blog<br /> accessed on 2026-05-09T17:04:35
Richard Polt reports that the ROKR typewriter can actually be used to type, making it one of the very few currently manufactured typewriters on the planet.
from my experience working on other products, I found that older designs are easier to work with and have a more classic aesthetic.
The entire design process took about a year and a half
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10163594865434678/
Green 1958 Olympia SM3 with custom math keyboard:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/1264728369179268/
Custom gothic typeface on a Royal 10 made for supply/hardware settings. Uppercase is primarily fractions and abbreviations including: Dz, Gr, Bx, Bl, lb, In, Ft, Pr, Cs, Pc, Yd, and GL.
Fractions include odd numbers for the halfs, thirds, fourths, sixths, eighths, twelfths, and sixteenths,
The Mystery of Patrick Moore's Woodstock Typewriter<br /> by [[Robert Messenger]] for oz.Typewriter<br /> accessed on 2026-05-08T13:19:49
https://typewriterdatabase.com/1914-woodstock-4.20964.typewriter
The Woodstock No. 4 had a custom typewriter eraser holder mounted on top of the typewriter.
reply to https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10161712887224678/
to Steve Clancy Zach Hubbird Jean Brunet
I'm curious what the sourcing is on your differentiation of the two models? Are there manuals, advertising, or other details to back up the differences? From what I can see, the phrase "Rhythm Touch" seems to have been an advertising tag for the Underwood SS which started a few months after production of the SS began and there wasn't any difference in them other than the advertising tag.
Robert Messenger has some scant history on the machine and the differences, primarily due to a redesign at the time, at https://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2012/11/on-this-day-in-typewriter-history_25.html. The primary change from the S to the SS seems to have been a move from a carriage shift to a basket shift and so it seems somewhat fitting that Underwood uses the phrase "Rhythm Touch" as an advertising gimmick much like Smith-Corona were doing with their "Floating Shift" marketing.
Generally standards at the time were not differentiated by different trim lines as standards had all the bells and whistles for office use (potentially aside from custom use cases like decimal tabulators or extra wide carriage). Meanwhile all the trim variations were generally seen in the portable market geared toward home use rather than office. This would seem to support the idea that there's only the SS and "Rhythm Touch" is only an advertising tag line as the SS was newly introduced in January of '46 and "Rhythm Touch" appears around July '46.
There's also some discussion on the TWdB in the commentary at https://typewriterdatabase.com/1950-underwood-ss.23202.typewriter which may add to the question.
I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on the idea/thesis that the only model is the Underwood SS which is being marketed as the "Rhythm Touch" or evidence to the contrary to refute the claim.
1940s advertisement with Underwood Standard that uses the phrase "Rhythm Touch", but which features a short armed carriage return lever.
On This Day in Typewriter History: Underwood and the Emperor’s New Old Clothes<br /> by [[Robert Messenger]] for Oz Typewriter Blog<br /> accessed on 2026-05-06T12:33:38
A patent application for Willie Dobson’s radical re-design for the Rhythm Touch was filed on this day (November 24) in 1948 and issued at the end of May 1950.
https://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2012/11/on-this-day-in-typewriter-history_25.html
Then came Willie Dobson’s Rhythm Touch in 1948, which did away with the small carriage return lever which had served Underwood so well for more than half a century and introduced the long, drooping carriage lever.
Another significant change occurred in 1947, with the Rhythm Shift model, which marked the Underwood Standard’s conversion to basket shift, but which retained the original carriage return lever set-up.
via Robert Messenger at https://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2012/11/on-this-day-in-typewriter-history_25.html
Differentiating between an Underwood SS and the Underwood Rhythm Touch:
comment to James Grooms at https://typewriterdatabase.com/show.23202.typewriter
James, perhaps it's hiding somewhere else in the comments on the database, but I'm curious if you've come across definitive differences between the Underwood SS and the Underwood Rhythm Touch models which have separate pages within the database:<br /> - SS https://typewriterdatabase.com/Underwood.SS.4.bmys - Rhythm Touch https://typewriterdatabase.com/Underwood.Rhythm+Touch.4.bmys
Most of my Google searches don't return anything definitive or with actual sourcing of any sort.
The main page has the SS starting in May 1946 and the Rhythm Touch beginning in July of that year, but doesn't seem to specify between the two in any substantive way. Neither of the two models seems to have had a name printed on it.
Your description here uses both designators, but knowing your penchant for newspaper and magazine advertisements, I would suspect you may have seen specific differentiators.
This Facebook post has some handwaving differentiators: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10161712887224678/ but none seem definitive or sourced. It also uses the phrase carriage shift, though presumably with these models Underwood had moved to a segment/basket shift on their standards.
Other than the chrome side detailing moving from 3 strips to 5 as you've noted, one of the few differentiators I can see in this era is the shift from the shorter carriage return lever to the longer armed version around 1948 which Robert Messenger notes in https://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2012/11/on-this-day-in-typewriter-history_25.html. However that same page also has an advertisement on it with the words Rhythm Touch featuring a short armed (older style) carriage return.
Is there really a difference between the SS and the Rhythm Touch or are they the same model with the phrase "Rhythm Touch" used as a marketing tag to compete potentially with Smith-Corona's "Floating Shift"?
Thanks!
Spotting tips. There is an early and late version of the SS. The first ones still used the smaller old style return lever and had chrome strips with three ribs. In around 48 they went to this return lever and the chrome is 5 ribs wide.
For differentiating between the early and later model Underwood SS pre-1948 and after.
via James Grooms at https://typewriterdatabase.com/1950-underwood-ss.23202.typewriter
I also replaced all the soundproofing material inside. I even had the old material tested for asbestos, and luckily there was no trace of that.
via Erik Bruchez at https://typewriterdatabase.com/1949-underwood-rhythm-touch.10882.typewriter
The Repair Shop, Season 4 Episode 21<br /> Ventriloquist's Dummy & Running Trophy <br /> and a Corona 3 typewriter
There are some hints about how to recreate the gold leaf lettering on vintage typewriters here.
The Repair Shop, Season 3, Episode 11<br /> Meissen Clock, Typewriter & Bomber Jacket
https://discord.com/channels/639936208734126107/639938269030907914/1246180147791532196
Typewriter Report Card v1.8 via Pelicram
SIMPLEX MACHINE RESTORATION CHECKLISTQuick guide for inspection, cleaning, and maintenance 1. MODEL IDENTIFICATIONCheck what applies:• ☐ Baby Simplex• ☐ Simplex Toy Typewriter• ☐ Practical Simplex (100 / 160 / 240 / 400)• ☐ Simplex Model A• ☐ Simplex Model B• ☐ Simplex Model C• ☐ Simplex Model D• ☐ Simplex Model E• ☐ Simplex Model 300• ☐ Simplex Model 2 ½• ☐ Simplex Model 3 (Large Size)• ☐ Simplex No. 2• ☐ Simplex No. 3• ☐ Improved Simplex Typewriter• ☐ Practical Typewriter No. 2• ☐ Practical Typewriter No. 3• ☐ Simplex Typewriter – 36 characters• ☐ Simplex Typewriter – 72 characters• ☐ Simplex Typewriter – Uppercase (Note Size)• ☐ Simplex Typewriter – Upper + Lowercase (Note Size)• ☐ Simplex Portable Typewriter• ☐ Simplex No. 8other model________________________________________ 2. INITIAL DIAGNOSISGeneral condition:• ☐ Complete• ☐ Missing parts• ☐ Visible damage• ☐ Rust• ☐ Dry wood• ☐ Dial blocked• ☐ Carriage stuck________________________________________ 3. DIAL / CHARACTER WHEEL• ☐ Turns freely• ☐ Turns with resistance• ☐ Blocked• ☐ Letters readable• ☐ Letters worn• ☐ Visible dirt• ☐ Shaft lubricated________________________________________ 4. CARRIAGE AND ROLLER• ☐ Carriage advances• ☐ Carriage does not advance• ☐ Soft roller• ☐ Hardened roller• ☐ Clean guides• ☐ Dirty guides• ☐ Functional spring• ☐ Loose spring________________________________________ 5. CLEANINGSurfaces:• ☐ Dust removed• ☐ Gentle damp cleaning• ☐ Fully driedDial:• ☐ Cleaned with cotton swab• ☐ Avoided touching letters• ☐ Shaft lubricatedCarriage:• ☐ Roller cleaned• ☐ Guides lubricatedMetal base:• ☐ Surface rust treated• ☐ Deep rust stabilizedWood base:• ☐ Hydrated• ☐ Waxed________________________________________ 6. LUBRICATION• ☐ Dial shaft• ☐ Carriage guides• ☐ Advance mechanism• ☐ No excess oil________________________________________ 7. INKING SYSTEM• ☐ Soft pads• ☐ Hardened pads• ☐ Replacement needed• ☐ Re-inking done• ☐ Proper ink (oil-based)________________________________________ 8. REPAIRS PERFORMED• ☐ Dial unblocked• ☐ Carriage adjusted• ☐ Spring tightened• ☐ Gears cleaned• ☐ Screws replaced• ☐ Base stabilized________________________________________ 9. FINAL TESTS• ☐ Dial rotates 360° without sticking• ☐ Carriage advances several lines• ☐ Clear printing• ☐ No metallic noises• ☐ No excess lubricant• ☐ Paper feeds correctly________________________________________ 10. STORAGE• ☐ Stored in breathable box or cover• ☐ Moisture-absorbing packet included• ☐ Away from direct light• ☐ In a dry, stable environment________________________________________ FINAL RESULT• ☐ Full restoration• ☐ Partial restoration• ☐ Pending parts• ☐ Preventive conservation only• ☐ Full restoration• ☐ Partial restoration• ☐ Pending parts• ☐ Preventive conservation only
https://www.acmetypemachines.com/restoration-process<br /> archive copy
a reasonably nice list of typewriter adjustments for a restored machine
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TypewriterCollectors/posts/10163573521899678/
<br />
Photo of instructions and ideas for a community typewriter.
Hunter S.Thompson's Smith-Corona Series 5 Portable Typewriter<br /> by [[Robert Messenger]] oz.Typewriter <br /> accessed on 2026-05-03T11:59:08
Welcome to the typewriter club, and congratulations on your Royal HH.
Preceded by the Royal KMM and the Royal KMG, the Royal HH was manufactured from 1952 to 1957 when it was replaced by the Royal FP, though it continued to sell well, even on the used market with newspaper advertising until the early 1980s.
Here's a copy of the original manual from 1952: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/royalhh.pdf
The Royal HH was offered in Charcoal Grey smooth, Nile Green smooth, Horizon Blue smooth, Coral Rose, Gray Frieze, Royaltone Dark Gray wrinkle, Royaltone Light Gray wrinkle but far and away, the standard brown with green plastic keys was the most ubiquitous.
Well known users of the Royal HH typewriter included: William F. Buckley, Jr., 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. You can find photos of most of these writers with their machines at https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/typers.html.
The Royal HH has appeared in movies including:
These typewriters were especially appreciated by journalists:
Newsroom at The Masters featuring dozens of Royal HH typewriters.
Spools and Ribbon:<br /> 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.
If you're missing the original spools, Ribbons Unlimited carries them: https://www.ribbonsunlimited.com/6N064-Royal-Standard-Electric-Ribbon-64-p/6n064.htm or you might source an original metal pair from a local repair shop.
Duane of Phoenix Typewriter has a video about how to change and spool up your Royal standard.
Collector Sarah Everett can show you most of the functions on her YouTube Channel for Just My Typewriter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0Zvc1m-8aI.
Some additional history can be found here: https://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2012/11/on-this-day-in-typewriter-history_9.html.
For additional resources on typewriters, collecting, repairing, and using them see: https://boffosocko.com/research/typewriter-collection/.
Happy typing!
Reply to u/MertwithYert at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1swf5pn/ive_got_two_type_writers_id_greatly_appreciate/
Verlon H. Pridgen Obituary It is with profound sadness and heartbreak that our family announces the passing of Verlon “Bill” Huey Pridgen on October 28th, 2024, at the age of 87 while surrounded by loved ones. Bill was born on February 1, 1937, to Morgan and Annie Pridgen in Samson, Alabama. He moved to Florida when he was young, where he lived out the rest of his life. While in high school in South Florida, Bill met the love of his life, Barbara Pridgen. Bill and Barbara married in 1957 and completed their family with their two children, Marc and Lesli. From 1959 to 1961, Bill proudly served in the United States Army. He was stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington and spent time serving in Germany. After retiring from the Army, Bill continued his lifelong career of working on typewriters. He eventually became the owner of McDavid Typewriter Service from 1970 to 2024. His love for all typewriters and his passion for repairing and restoring the machines earned him the endearing title of “Typewriter Genius”. As a devoted follower of Christ, Bill raised his family wrapped up in the love of God. He was an amazing role model and continually showed the love of God to those he encountered through his actions and words. He gave glory to God in all things. Bill was exceptionally committed to his church family at Trinity Baptist Church where he served in the choir and Cubbies. He also volunteered as a coach for their youth sports program. Exemplifying God always, Bill made the world a brighter place for 87 years. Bill is survived by a son, Marc (Donna) Pridgen; a daughter, Lesli (Greg) Wheeler; grandchildren, Ashley (John Robert) Pridgen-Blake, Gregory Wheeler Jr., Samantha (Curtis) Burkhardt, Alison (Garrett) Pridgen, Cindy Pridgen, Hannah Wheeler, Luke Wheeler, and Simon Wheeler; great-grandchildren, Skarlette Blake, Jackson Blake, and Lena Wheeler; and brothers, Donald (Sheila) Pridgen and Jerry (Marion) Pridgen. Bill was a cherished husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend. He was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Barbara Pridgen; father, Morgan Pridgen; his mother, Annie Pridgen; and brothers, Gary Pridgen, and Robert Pridgen.Visitation will be held at 10am on Saturday, November 2nd, 2024, followed by the funeral service at 11am at Trinity Baptist Church at 3716 State Rd 21, Keystone Heights, FL, 32656. Interment will follow at Eliam Cemetery at 821 State Rd 21, Melrose, FL, 32666.In lieu of flowers, we ask that you donate to Haven Hospice to help their mission of honoring life by providing comfort, care, and compassion to individuals and families they serve. You can donate online at https://beyourhaven.org/donate or by mail to 4200 NW 90th Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32606. Cemetery Eliam Cemetery 821 State Road 21 Melrose FL 32666
https://www.forestmeadowsfh.com/obituaries/Verlon-H-Pridgen?obId=42124630
TOUR AN OLD TYPEWRITER SHOP<br /> by Vintage & Vinyl
McDavid Typewriter Service (1968-2024) Address: 4304 Plymouth St, Jacksonville, FL 32205 <br /> Phone: (904) 384-3461
Run by Verlon H. "Bill" Pridgen
His family closed the shop on 2024-11-19 following his death in October 2024. (Reference: https://www.facebook.com/Mcdavidtypewriterservice/posts/pfbid0PvC9MTeJ1pGVRCQZJ38DdDCeRHo52zBmQXXrsBHd9NVb4Dvv9QhrNpta8LxXRk9dl)
Verlon H. Pridgen (February 1, 1937 - October 28, 2024) <br /> Obituary: https://www.forestmeadowsfh.com/obituaries/Verlon-H-Pridgen?obId=42124630
https://www.facebook.com/groups/721704878218903/posts/3078967149159319/
TB Writers Plus sells new plastic handles for Royal Futura 800 and related cases for $35.00 as of 2026-05-02.
https://www.barnwelltypewriter.com/home<br /> Barnwell Typewriter, Inc.<br /> Run by Conner Morris via crosspost at https://www.facebook.com/groups/721704878218903/posts/3078137909242243/
Begun in September 2025 according to https://www.barnwelltypewriter.com/about-barnwell-typewriter
"I would have everyone have a typewriter so they could feel the spirit of this"<br /> by [[Dippold Ádám]], [[Kun Zsuzsi]] for Qubit<br /> accessed on 2026-05-02T20:27:58
acetone does not dissolve plastic
colloquial?
Gothic Fraktur, but it's hard to find a typewriter that uses it, especially since Adolf Hitler banned its use in the Bormann Decree in 1941, branded them "Jewish letters" and ordered a switch to antiqua types.
Both have the same serial again. Resellers like this are not doing any favours for the community. Brooksaw: https://www.ebay.com/itm/318227695061 Kyle’sLost&Found: https://www.ebay.com/itm/157839087546
The typewriter community not appreciating Brooksaw Antiques buying a typewriter for $200 and then, upon receipt, posting it for $2,800 as "near mint" without any servicing beyond cleaning the slugs.
The collector in me says you ought to get a Royal 10 as your 10th machine. But what do I know? I bought a Remington 17 as my 17th and I'm looking forward to the days I'll buy the milestone Remington Ten Forty or the eventual Hermes 3000! 😁
If it helps, at Virtual Hermans 2022, Richard Polt recommended someone justify their continued typewriter collecting to their skeptical wife as an "investment" because typewriters are holding their value well.
I personally don't have a typewriter collecting problem, I have a typewriter ribbon collecting problem that's compounded by need to both store and use them in their original historical context.
Stage 1: Owner Stage 2: Collector Stage 3: Horder
Four stages of typewriter ownership: <br /> Stage 1: Owner<br /> Stage 2: Collector<br /> Stage 3: Horder<br /> Stage 4: Divorce when your significant other is tired of reminding you that you've got too many typewriters.
1-3 via u/vega480, 4 by me at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1t1bvhi/im_finally_an_owner/
The American Writer's Museum in Chicago, IL has John Hughes 1927 Corona 4 typewriter (burgundy).
Cross reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIU1X7xPIUN/
https://typecast.munk.org/2023/02/18/1967-womda-typewriter-typefaces-smith-corona-scm-fonts/
An example of the Elite Gothic No. 16 can be found on Reddit which has a "cross" foundry mark with 1, 6, S, empty in the four quadrants from top to bottom and left to right.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=26964309966542201&set=p.26964309966542201&type=3
Print at 1:1. Via Everett E. Henderson Jr. of Austin Typewriter Ink.
