p. 41 of Newsweek (US Edition) 1948-10-18: Vol 32 Iss 16

https://archive.org/details/sim_newsweek-us_1948-10-18_32_16/page/40/mode/2up?q=typewriter

Typewriters as a colloquialism for shotguns in a murder investigation in 1948 Michigan.

Royal Futura 800 Vintage Manual Typewriter Ribbon Change Install Magic Margin Demo by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

A quick overview of the Royal Futura 800. Duane shows the very basics here including one of the simplest ribbon changes out there. He also does a quick overview of the Magic Margins, though it's not the best demonstration.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kvufqw/repair_on_olympia_socialite_plastic_case/#lightbox

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kunlxr/the_rules_of_typewriter_club/

Just like most areas of life relating to expertise, it's nice to have a broad set of rules when you start out. Then as your knowledge of the arts and sciences grow, you can begin to "paint outside the lines."

Once you've used, tinkered on, collected, repaired, or restored more machines than there are rules, then you can consider them more like guidelines and feel free to experiment more freely. By that point you'll have enough experience to be a true typewriter artist. ⛵🧑‍🎨🎨🏴‍☠️

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/fabrikoer-glass-door-cabinet-black-blue-00363171/

$159.99 on 2025-05-25

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kvhyol/anybody_else_used_these/

NOS Scotch Typewriter Cleaner No. 575

via u/leapwolf at https://boffosocko.com/2025/05/17/acquisition-1966-underwood-touch-master-five-standard-typewriter/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1i26bu3/new_typewriter_display_case/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kukxjf/another_cotton_vs_nylon_ribbon_comparison/

cotton typewriter ribbon vs. nylon typewriter ribbon

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ktb7ty/what_are_the_rules_of_typewriter_club/?sort=new

The Rules of Typewriter Club

The first rule of Typewriter club is Do not oil the segment.

The second rule of Typewriter club is DO NOT oil the segment.

Do not ask the value of your typewriter: they are invaluable.

Always talk about typewriter club. Every chance you get: to family, friends, complete strangers...

If you only have one typewriter, you must refer to it as "my FIRST typewriter".

If you're new to typewriter club, you have to type.

A typewriter is not broken unless it is clean and broken.

Parts of a typewriter should only be removed in order to repair another typewriter.

Keychoppers shall have the extremities they used to chop keys chopped off.

More than one machine is allowed to be your "favorite".

The last typewriter you bought is the greatest one. Until the next one.

Never leave a typewriter outside, in a barn, or in a damp basement to rust.

Typewriters are to type with. They should not be "flipped".

Any reason is a good reason to buy and use a typewriter.

The hardest part of typewriter repair is believing you can do it. Everything else is just instructions plus a careful, thoughtful hand. —Rt. Rev. Theodore Munk

If you see a typewriter, you should take photos and upload the details to the TypewriterDatabase.com.

Typewriters are not mood setting decor, they are meant to be used.

Always leave a typewriter in better condition than you found it.

We form things; we do not "bend" them.

The only acceptable way to dispose of a typewriter is to find it a new home. The only exception is in dire circumstances in time of war when one should follow the guidance of the Underwood manual and "Smash typewriters and components with a sledge or other heavy instrument; burn with kerosene, gasoline, fuel oil, flame thrower, or incendiary bomb; detonate with firearms, grenades, TNT, or other explosives."

If anyone asks you about your typewriter, you must spend at least five minutes talking to them about it.

Legitimate typewriter sellers never use the phrases "it works" or "it just needs a new ribbon."

Remember that typewriters are dangerous and can be used for samizdat. As Woody Guthrie wrote: "This machine kills fascists."

Blessed are those who give typewriters to children for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

"In death, they have a name." Lenore Fenton. Lenore Fenton. Lenore Fenton!

The Typewriter Database does not list every single serial number, just ranges of numbers and years in which they were made. You are responsible for figuring out which year your number fits into.

"Working but needs new ribbon" is seller's code for "I have no idea if it really works, but I'm going to try to sell you this machine for the price of a fully functioning machine that was just serviced by a professional shop despite the fact that I just took it out of grandpa's barn and I'm not sure if the mouse inside is dead or not. Also, I can't afford $10 to replace an old ribbon to truly participate in the charade of the price I'm going to try to fleece you with."

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ksx0qy/adhesive_to_fix_peeling_covering_on_cases/

https://newenglandtypewriter.com/about-us

Sarah Everett has used water filter o-rings of 3 3/4 x 4 1/8 to replace the drive belts of her electric typewriters.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PUYEJB2/

Sarah Everett suggests using a saw to turn Phillips head screws into a flat head screw if they've been stripped.

Confidence is a (the?) key ingredient of typewriter repair.

rofl!

curious, but common phrase "needed cleaned"...

Appalachian dialect?

via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3xNRlLd1-c

Smith Corona H Electronic Typewriter Repair High Pitch Buzz Rattle Disassemble Fix by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

https://www.amazon.com/Food-Thought-Ruminations-Alton-Brown/dp/1668064219/

In 2025, Alton Brown indicated that he owned 15 typewriters.

https://typecast.munk.org/2016/06/15/stephen-colberts-typewriter-alton-brown/

What Did The Late Show Get Trump For His 70th Birthday? by Stephen Colbert

This office set up for Stephen Colbert includes a black Underwood portable typewriter in a black case in the background.

reply to u/highspeed_steel at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1krspvh/im_totally_blind_and_new_to_typewriters_wax/

Your question is a great one, but I'll go another direction since I'd dug into some of the history and details of Helen Keller's mid-century typewriters a while back. You can find some details and descriptions here (and in the associated links which includes an accessible video of Ms. Keller using a solid and sexy black Remington Noiseless standard typewriter): https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ihot96/helen_kellers_typewriters/

She managed on both her Remington as well as her brailler as well as any sighted person, though obviously had someone to check her printed work.

I recently saw another heavily modified midcentury typewriter for someone who, if I recall correctly was not only blind, but had no arms. It was set up so that they could move a selector and type using a custom chin rest. Sadly, I didn't index it at the time, but it's interesting to know that such things existed for accessibility reasons.

As for Braillers, you might appreciate this recent article about a repairman in Britain who was retiring: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jan/02/wed-be-stuck-alarm-as-uks-last-braille-typewriter-repairer-ponders-retirement

I've got my own brailler, which is a sleek-looking art-deco industrial piece of art with the loveliest shade of dark shiny gray paint I've ever seen on a typewriter. (I'm both a mathematician and information theorist into the areas of coding and cryptography, so Morse code, Braille, etc. are professionally fascinating to me.) I still need to take it apart and repair a few portions to get it back to perfection, but it generally works well.

As for the aesthetics, I personally enjoy the solid industrial look and feel of the machines from the 1930s-1960s. The early 30s and some 40s have glossy black enamel and machines like the Corona Standard/Silent from the 30s are low slung with flat tops that sort of resemble small pianos and just scream out "I'm a writer" with a flair for dark academia and just a hint of classical Roman design. Many of these machines come with gold tinged water-slide decals which really set themselves off against the black enamel, though on the majority of machines the gold is beginning to dim from time, wear, and uncareful application of cleaning solutions.

I love the Royal KMM, KMG, and the Remington 17, Standard, and Super-Riter for their industrial chonkiness and (usually) their glass keytops. One of my favorites is the Henry Dreyfuss designed Royal Quiet De Luxe from 1948 which always gives me the feel of what it would look like if a typewriter wore a tuxedo or the 1948 gray and chrome model which is similar but has the feel of a sleek gray flannel suit on a 1950s advertising executive prone to wearing dapper hats, smoking cigarettes, and always with a cocktail in his hand. Into the 50s and 60s almost everyone had moved to plastic keytops which I don't think are as pretty as the older glass keytops with the polished metal rings around them.

At the opposite end of that spectrum are the late 50s Royal FP and Futura 800s which have some colorful roundness which evokes the aesthetic of the coming space age. They remind me of the modern curves and star shapes of the television show The Jetsons. Similarly space-aged are the sexy curves of the silver metalic spray paint on wooden cases for the Olympia SM3 from the same period. These to me are quintessential typewriter industrial design. In gray, green, maroon, brown, and sometimes yellow crinkle paint with just a hint of sparkle in their keytops I really love the combination of roundedness and slight angularity these German designed machines provide. They have a definite understated sort of elegance most other typewriters just miss. I suspect that late-in-life Steve Jobs would have had an Olympia SM3.

There's something comforting about the 40s and 50s sports-car vibe of the smaller Smith-Corona portables of the 5 series machines in the 1950s with their racing stripes on the hood. They feel like the sort of typewriter James Dean would have used as a student—just hip enough to be cool while still be solid and functional.

Sadly into the 70s, while machines typically got a broader range of colors outside of the typical black, gray, and browns things became more plastic and angular. They also begin to loose some of the industrial mid-century aesthetic that earlier machines had. They often feel very 70s in an uncomplimentary way without the fun color combinations or whimsy that art and general design of of that period may have had in the music or fashion spaces. They make me think of politics and war rather than the burgeoning sexual revolution of the time period.

Interestingly, for me, I feel like most typewriter design was often 10-20 years behind the general design aesthetic/zeitgeist for the particular decades in which they were made.

Good luck in your search for the right typewriter(s) for your own collection.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kppij9/blue_olivetti_valentine_how_rare_is_it/

In increasing order of rarity, the Olivetti Valentine was made in red, white, green, and blue.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1k0q8ep/olivetti_studio_44_case_lock_mechanism/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kp9cye/any_guesses_on_how_these_springs_go_back_together/

Film: Typing on Robotron by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

You've got to love the "dancing hands" portion of the film which was such a product of it's timeperiod.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/typewritermaintenance/posts/4083165991920819/

Kenneth Alexander begins tearing down a Hermes 3000 typewriter for servicing.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ko3vju/typewriters_and_music/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1knq0b3/they_all_have_a_home/

reply to u/Omega48boar at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1knsgn8/pressure/

I was wondering what the upper limit psi would be for blowing out the gunk using an air compressor.

The highest air compressor pressures may be determined by your particular compressor's (or air canister's) maximum output as well as the maximum suggested output for any accessories you're attaching to it. Many basic air gun attachments have a max PSI of around 100 PSI even when the compressor will produce much higher outputs.

Generally I find that for most benchwork on typewriters anywhere from 50-100 PSI is generally more than sufficient.

Depending on the condition of your surroundings, I recommend putting a towel (or similar material) underneath your typewriter with a solid backstop so that if any springs, screws, or other valuable parts are blown loose, they're caught pretty quickly by the towel rather than flying across the room or down onto the floor out of sight.

Higher pressure settings may be useful in some cases. One should always take care to be wearing protective garments and eyewear to prevent being spattered with caustic chemicals. Similarly protecting plastics, paint, and decals on your typewriter with appropriate cover is advised with some solvents.

Operating the compressor, which can cause sparks as well as heat, at a reasonable distance from potential flammable vapors is also a mandatory safety precaution. Using volatile solvents frequently seen in typewriter cleaning procedures should only be done in the open in a well-ventilated area using appropriate masks to prevent inhalation of vapors. Long term exposure to vapors of substances like lacquer thinner can cause lung damage, COPD, and other adverse health effects.

For extended usage pending the sorts of air gun tips which might be used for typewriter cleaning, one is also well advised to use ear protection to prevent long term hearing damage/loss.

https://typewritermuse.com/ <br /> Bob Marshall

The Typewriter: A Graphic History of the Beloved Machine by [[Janine Vangool]]

Everyone mentioned most of the usual tricks, but one.

To get your sticky typewriter keys working again, while you're flushing out the segment with your solvent of choice (lacquer thinner, paint thinner, mineral spirits, alcohol, etc.), actually move the typebars using the keys or by other means. This will help to get them moving and allow the solvent and subsequently compressed air to help flush the oil, dust, hair, etc. out of your machine. You've already got a mechanical cleaning device of sorts (the typebar itself) inside the segment, so move it while you're flushing it out!

It may take a few repeated treatments/attempts to get it all clear for all the keys, but it's far easier than taking everything apart.

reply to u/nogaesallowed at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1cp75ln/how_do_you_clean_a_1mm_gap/

People were recommending all sorts of ideas and solvents here, including folded card stock, tooth brushes, floss, toothpicks, interdental brushes, wood cuticle sticks, Swiss Army knife tweezers, microbrushes, and even an ultrasonic cleaner.

SCM Electric Typewriters by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

Tips for cleaning the Smith-Corona 6 series electric typewriters and details about how they work.

S-C also made this series of typewriter for both Sears and Singer under their branding. (including the Singer Electric in this video.)

The belts on the electric motor and cams was originally a rubber 'V' belt which is no longer manufactured. Using 1/8" round cross-section o-rings of appropriate sizes (for water cannister applications) is the recommended replacement, however one may need to slightly move the drive motor down a bit so that the belt doesn't hit the frame of the typewriter and thereby destroying it over time.

Cleaning and lubricating the drive motors and moving pieces before using may help before trying out a typewriter which has been sitting for long periods of time.

Some later models had an electric return, which can tend to be violent. Electro 220 and Coronet Automatic 12 have an additional clutch and draw band (and lack of return lever on the carriage) for their electric returns.

Users of the Royal HH typewriter included: William Buckley, Charles Bukowski, George Burns, Herb Caen, Truman Capote, Bruce Catton, Patty Chayefsky, Don DeLillo, Alice Denham, James T. Farrell, Paul Fussell, Hugh Hefner, Elia Kazan, Sterling North, Robert B. Parker, Sylvia Plath, Mario Puzo, Robert Penn Warren, Eudora Welty, and William Zinsser.

including photos via https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/typers.html

reply to u/letsjustwrite and u/CowCommercial1992 at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1iilo0f/re_inking_ribbons/

None of these are really prohibitively expensive, especially when purchased in bulk. Both Baco Ribbon and Fine Line offer black/red bichrome ribbon in most of these materials for a very reasonable price:

• nylon ribbon $0.10 - $0.15/yard
• silk ribobn $0.33 to $0.40/yard
• cotton ribbon $0.25/yard

If you're going to buy even 3-6 spools of ribbon at individual prices of $9-20 per spool, you may as well make the investment in a half or full reel of inked typewriter ribbon and save yourself a lot of hassle. My guess is that if you're buying your own ribbon in small quantities, you're going to pay even more than these prices to have uninked ribbon. Unless you have some serious equipment and technique, you're highly unlikely to be able to ink your own bichrome ribbon, so you're stuck with monochrome.

While using ink stamp pads is "doable", it's a lot of work for a very poor result.

I've yet to hear of more than a very tiny handful of people who are interested in the art or process of this to bother with attempting to re-ink typewriter ribbon, silk or otherwise. Generally, if they do it for any reason (other than the one time "fun of it"), it's for environmental reasons rather than pricing ones.

As an inveterate tinkerer, I've tried some of my own re-inking experiments to very mixed results. I've given up bespoke ribbon for bulk purchases.

Testing Cotton Ribbons- Typewriter Ribbon Test!! by [[Just My Typewriter]]

Via https://typewriterchicago.com/ribbons

nylon versus cotton

https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kiqk82/optima_typewriter_with_cyrillic_and_german/

There are generally only a few configurations for ribbon vibrators with respect to ribbon threading, look at a few manuals here and surely yours will be covered by one: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-manuals.html

Typically the rule is that the ribbon sits closer to the paper at the typing point than any piece of the vibrator and is then threaded through the arms of the vibrator. From there it often goes through holders at the ribbon cup and then into the spool.

via u/Koponewt

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kinttg/can_someone_please_help_me_determine_the_exact/

u/antiphony has a Flying Fish 200 typewriter

The Screenless Writer by [[Steven Budden Jr.]] (aka Classic Typewriter)

"My screenless computer, which is a box of these [handmade] cards. The NEXUS which stands for Network of EXperiences Synchronicities and UnderStanding." —Steven Budden, Jr.

follow up reply:

After some additional research on the typewriter database, the YY = 92 (where the serial number is of the form: FP[P,E,S]-XX-YY-#######, where XX is the platen length and YY is for other special features) indicates that the machine has 46 character keys (and thus 46*2=96 glyphs on the slugs). There are also examples of YY=88 with 44 keys versus the standard 42 or 43 keys.

This means that your machine has a few extra keys not found on their standard keyboards at the time.

https://amsterdamassassin.wordpress.com/2018/12/16/typecast-my-royal-fp-steampunk/

reply:

I've been looking at the typewriter database and have been able to discern the fact that the designator YY=88 seems to indicate that an FP had a Royal HH-like palm tabulator, where the serial number is of the form: FP[P,E,S]-XX-YY-#######, where XX is the platen length and YY is for other special features.

I can't help but wonder what the YY = 92 indicates on Martyn's machine.

After some continued research on the TWdB, I've come to realize that the "88" in the serial number has likely nothing to do with the palm tabulator.

The 88 is for an extra character count due to more keys (44) versus the more standard 42 or 43 keys and similarly some examples with a 92 in the serial number corresponds to 46 characters. So there isn't a designator in the serial number for a palm tabulator.

See: <br /> - https://typewriterdatabase.com/1961-royal-fp.22586.typewriter<br /> - https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kg820b/just_bought_this_typewriter_for_10_at_a_charity/<br /> - https://amsterdamassassin.wordpress.com/2018/12/16/typecast-my-royal-fp-steampunk/

Oxidized Metal on Typewriters, White Powder Substance Removed Cleaned by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

Royal Futura 800 Typewriter Plastic Key Top White Crud Removal Cleaning Servicing by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

For the white, crusty out gassing (or off gassing) on plastic typewriter keys, Duane recommends a round or two of Simple Green with a stiff bristle brush. Follow this up with a scrub down using WD-40 to displace the water from the Simple Green and then follow up with denatured alcohol, which is safe on plastics, and a wipe down with a rag to dry.

https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kianra/not_an_ad_please_dont_hang_me_just_shock_i_suppose/

Cross reference: https://syracuse.craigslist.org/atq/d/syracuse-the-smith-corona-typewriter/7841959463.html

For the collectors out there, this is an excellent caveat/warning: What will you do with your collection when you're gone? Where will it go? What will happen to the work you've put in?

On longevity of collections: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJC9BwUvA8T/

Remington Portable Typewriter replacement feet: https://makerworld.com/en/models/1397399-remington-portable-typewriter-replacement-feet#profileId-1448637

via https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1khvzqb/3d_printed_replacement_feet_for_remington_portable/

https://www.ebay.com/itm/334520792780

The Ultimate HOMEMADE Rust Remover (Better than EvapoRust) by [[Beyond Ballistics]]

recommended by u/guneeyoufix at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kgf6hm/help_am_i_crazy_olympia_sm3/?sort=new

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7028076

via https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1ke4xfw/3d_printed_underwood_standard_portable_4bank/

https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kg820b/just_bought_this_typewriter_for_10_at_a_charity/

For a second, I thought perhaps the "88" in the serial number was a designator for the palm tabulator, but one of the other two in the database doesn't have that option (visually), though the single picture (of 5853) looks like it may have broken off or been removed on that example: - https://typewriterdatabase.com/1960-royal-fp.1241.typewriter - https://typewriterdatabase.com/1961-royal-fp.5853.typewriter

If you upload some additional photos of yours to the database, perhaps we can puzzle out what the "88" designator means if it's not the palm tabulator functionality?

The E on FPE means "elite" or 12 characters per inch. The "13" indicates a 13 inch wide platen. The raw serial number seems to indicate it was made in 1960: https://typewriterdatabase.com/royal.72.typewriter-serial-number-database

For those who have an Underwood 5 typewriter as featured in the movie Finding Forrester (Columbia Pictures, 2000), it bears saying that Forrester (Sean Connery) would admonish you to:

Punch the keys, for God's sake!

https://www.atticpaper.com/proddetail.php?prod=1958-royal-future-typewriter-ad-two-pages

The Olivetti Valentine is one of Pete Doherty's favorites.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/usjqn3/does_anybody_know_what_typrewirter_that_is/

Library Typewriter Display Case Project by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kdjy9u/anyone_have_internal_pictures_of_the_hermes_3000/

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kbp3bb/corona_3_with_case_key/

Corona 3 cases had very straightforward keys with a simple 1-2mm numb at the far end.

The character Radar O'Reilly apparently had an early model Royal standard typewriter in MAS*H.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kb71ni/fixed_typewriter_plus_a_new_one/

Found a silver plate with a black letter "G" inside a Royal H.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1hnsfhn/i_bought_some_trash_off_amazon/

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/pete-doherty-to-anyone-struggling-with-addiction-just-hang-on-for-more-than-ten-years-i-ve-been-powerless-but-there-s-a-way-out-9876331.html

Peter Doherty: “I have 40 typewriters and I’m not ashamed of it”<br><br>LISTEN @maryannehobbs : https://t.co/0Z9fvAYCM9 pic.twitter.com/OCaHtPqJ1N

— BBC Radio 6 Music (@BBC6Music) May 22, 2016

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03vxbqj

Peter Doherty: “I have 40 typewriters and I’m not ashamed of it”

https://www.printables.com/model/1277687-underwood-portable-4-bank-typewriter-replacement-f

Found via https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1k8lh2v/i_designed_a_3dprintable_replacement_spool_cap/

https://www.printables.com/model/1277700-underwood-portable-typewriter-ribbon-spool-cap-thi

Found via https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1k8lh2v/i_designed_a_3dprintable_replacement_spool_cap/

Rubber feet recommended via u/scottconnors at https://reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1k93kbs/1938_royal_model_o_odette/

http://mytypewriter.com/index.aspx<br /> MyTypewriter.com

https://thepresshotel.com/

Found via https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1k92kuy/press_hotel_portland_maine_usa/

Schreibmaschinen Farbband wiederbeleben / "nachfüllen" by [[Badulai]]

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/15x4fy1/as_requested_by_someone_tutorial_on_how_to_wd40/

https://www.flitz.com/

William Ebbink, Tom Hansen, Wayne Bouchard, and Blake Banner swear by this. All seem to like it for metal and plastic, and all seem to like it for paint on typewriters as well.

via https://www.facebook.com/groups/705152958470148/posts/956242590027849

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1k6zfvl/help_with_id_i_cant_find_anything_online/

via u/Pinkbumblebee-666

Peter V. Tytell, a Typewriter Whisperer, Is Dead at 74 by [[Richard Sandomir]]

Smith Corona Typewriter Type Bar Link Clevis Repair Broken Key by [[Phoenix Typewriter]]

LaPierre, Suzanne S. “BiblioTech: Typewriters in Libraries.” Computers in Libraries 45, no. 2 (March 2025): 24–26. https://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/mar25/index.shtml.

https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/okjtab/typewriter_pad_recs/?sort=old

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C3DFX8U/

Stay-in-Place Machine Mat - 11" x 14" - Calms Vibration and Dampens Noise. Great for Sergers. Made in USA. for $13.99

https://www.antikeychop.com/mostwantedtypewriters

Turboplaten Type by [[Daniel Marleau]]

Nashville Typewriter tells the story of almost taking over the concept of Turboplaten.

https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1k0p2ha/turboplaten/ on 2025-04-16.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1k0p2ha/turboplaten/

Nashville Typewriter tells the story of almost taking over the concept of Turboplaten.

https://akblongs.nl/

Per Pelicram, AKB Longs does platen recovering for typewriters in Europe: Send an email to rollen@akblongs.nl Prices are about 40€ + VAT for portable platens + shipping both ways

reply to u/No-Entertainer-7217 at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1k45o89/typewriters_needing_new_ribbons/

"Working but needs new ribbon" is almost always seller's code for I have no idea if it really works, but I'm going to try to sell you this machine for the price of a fully functioning machine that was just serviced by a professional shop despite the fact that I just took it out of grandpa's barn and I'm not sure if the mouse inside is dead or not. Also, I can't afford $10 to replace an old ribbon to truly participate in the charade of the price I'm going to try to fleece you with.

Educate yourself a bit: <br /> - https://boffosocko.com/2025/03/29/first-time-typewriter-purchases-with-specific-recommendations-for-writers/ - buying typewriter ribbon: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-faq.html#q1 and https://boffosocko.com/research/typewriter-collection/#Typewriter%20Ribbon - typewriter 101: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJtHauPh529XYHI5QNj5w9PUdi89pOXsS

If you want to tell people Tom Hanks taught you to change a typewriter ribbon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBbsNKaVAB0. There are lots of other YouTube videos out there for specific machines as well as reviews of them.

You can definitely test out a machine without ribbon, but if they're trying to charge you over $100 for a machine, it really should have fresh ribbon.

https://www.recordholders.org/en/records/typing.html

19,890 pages/1000 ribbons is approximately 19 pages per ribbon.

Olympia Typewriter Spacers 3D printed with TPU Filament by [[Subham Kumar]]

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7009800

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1k3jhx1/storage_hunter_simulator_overwood/

"Overwood" typewriter in Storage Hunter Simulator. (An obvious take on an Underwood typewriter, specifically an Underwood Champion.)

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1k2rus1/typewriter_in_singularity/

Dirty/rusted typewriter seen in the video game Singularity

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1k322dc/mafia_2002/

Typewriter in video game Mafia (2002).

https://typecast.munk.org/2023/04/24/how-to-properly-describe-the-condition-of-a-typewriter/

Typewriter expert shares 8 helpful advice to take care of your typewriter. by [[Mr. & Mrs. Vintage Typewriters]]

Tipp-Ex correction paper

Don't bathe your typewriter

Leave oil to the professionals. "Never oil it." (Wow!) - I get why he says this, but...

via u/scmowner

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1jyr2hc/the_best_way_to_get_rid_of_all_this_gunk/

Colloquial advice to use 4" mascara brushes as a replacement for a segment pick for cleaning out typewriters.

https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1jyu00h/whats_the_manual_typewriter_market_like_in_your/