Before You Buy a Typewriter … Six Top Things You Need to Know 

I get it, Frank. I’m more in the opposite direction. While I love a good-looking typewriter, the most important thing for me is that it works well and dependably. When I can get functionality and aesthetics combined, I’m a happy camper, indeed. The most important thing, I guess, is to know what you’re going for… then go for it.

I know this feeling well, @vitzbig. And I agree. If he feeling isn’t there, there’s really no reason to proceed. Ideally, the heart and the head should both be involved in the decision. Here’s hoping your machine(s) are treating you well. Thanks for watching and checking in.

That sounds exactly like Jay and Paul Schweitzer, two of the best people you’re likely to meet in one of the best businesses. I’m pleased to have helped @jimmydowns, and very pleased to accept your gift. Thank you! Wishing you all good things with your new machine!

I'm so happy to hear that you're writing, Trivistum. Keep it going and thanks for watching!

You da bomb, Trivistum. Keep up the great work!

James, this all resonates, especially the part about typewriters not feeling right for a long time then mysteriously fitting the bill. I had the exact same thing happen to me with the Hermes 3000. All I can say looking back is that it was there when I was ready for it, and I’m thankful. Also agreed that the Royal QDLs are great machines. I’ve had a few of them and they’re all just stalwart and good. Appreciate your comments and appreciate you watching.

Without question, you are correct, @SerialWheeler. But two saving graces come to mind. First, Olympias are solidly built machines. Sort of the typewriter equivalent of a Sherman tank. Your Splendid 66 will take a good beating if anything can. Second, your sons may be poised to receive the rarest form of education. A concrete example that every action (one finger to one key) creates another action (hammer snaps paper). That each action produces effect: in this case, a letter stamped on a page. That multiple actions produced in alignment create something tangible, a word. That multiple words, if we follow this path, create a sentence. That multiple sentences create paragraphs. Paragraphs, pages. Pages, chapters. Chapters, a narrative. Narratives, dreams. And dreams, a life. A life for themselves but also for others, perhaps. What a gift. Would that more people gave it and more still received it. Please give your family my best. Tell your wife to write well. And thank you for watching and commenting.

That like troll/Ogrish "Haiku" thing ya' know...

@@starlessgolightly ... yeah, no, I totally got it. Thanks. I was just thinking it's been a while since I got a strange message from someone here ... wishing you well.

Very pleased if it helped you, @MrGyges. Thanks for watching and commenting!

Thank you! Much obliged for watching and commenting!

Well, if that isn’t one of the nicest comments I’ve read all year. Thanks!

Hi VirtualGuth. Thanks for the good words on this video, I'm pleased if it helps you. To answer your question, no, I didn't discuss these steps with Jay or Paul at Gramercy Typewriter. I can't speak for them, obviously, though I have a feeling they'd agree with me in principle. Each of the six points I offer here will hopefully craft an ideal machine in the mind of the typist. Once this ideal is built in the inner world, it's usually a short step to find a machine that matches that ideal in the outer world. Or so I've always found. These days I'm particularly interested in how this mechanism works in ways beyond the typosphere. For now, it seems to work well for typewriters. I wish you the best energies possible for your life and work.

You’re very welcome, @KimberlyWenya101. I’m pleased if it helped. Thanks for watching and commenting!

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco I ended up getting an Olivetti 32 that the owner had just serviced! It was the only Olivetti he had so I’m so stoked!! Ps I was wondering if when the ribbon reverses whether you’ve noticed the ink being a little fainter than usual? My ink started to look fainter after I think the ribbon reversed but I couldn’t work out why or if it was just due to finger fatigue and not hitting the keys so well. Would love to know your thoughts!

Hi@@KimberleyWenya101 ! First of all, great choice on the Olivetti Lettera 32. I love mine. Great machine: reliable, elegant, ultra-portable, a real workhorse. But snazzy. Very snazzy. And you know ... some really cool writers have used it. John Updike, Cormac McCarthy. I just read that Francis Ford Coppola typed his script for The Godfather on a Lettera 32. So you're in good company. Now to your problem. I seriously doubt that your fainter ink is due to finger fatigue. The timing is suspect. Do you only get finger fatigue when the ribbon reverses? That doesn't sound right to me. So I have a few questions, keeping in mind that it's tough to diagnose a machine's problems unless you're examining it physically. But let's try. First, did you put a new ribbon in? I ask because an older ribbon might have dried out in certain segments, which could you give you that fading effect. While a new ribbon should be fade-neutral. If you put a new ribbon in and you're still getting this fading effect, it's not the ribbon. More probably it's something related to the mechanics. Please let me know and we'll move on from there. And wishing you well in the meantime!

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco hey Damon! Wow I had no idea Francis Ford Coppola used one to write the Godfather script! That’s awesome. (I’m looking forward to Sophia Coppola’s Priscilla showing soon!!) I thought along the same lines as you, and thought it can’t be due to finger fatigue per se … I tried a full sheet of writing today and this might sound silly but comparing todays writing with the initial day’s that I thought was bolder made me realise that I think it’s just due to the variation of finger pushing force when I’m typing. It doesn’t help I’m brand new to TWs! It sort of begs the question to me how opaque ‘should’ writing with a TW be - seeing as they are mechanical machines prone to imperfect results. (Any ideas on this?) When I zoom in on your videos with writing on the paper I feel like mine looks similar but maybe I’m subconsciously comparing it to a print out from the computer and so in my mind it seems like it’s not as opaque as it should be. As for the ribbon, the servicer told me it was a new one and he gave me a spare so I could technically change the ribbon but I’m so new to it that I haven’t dared to try change one yet. On another note - this Olivetti Lettura 32 does have a slightly musty smell that’s quite powerful and I was wondering if your typewriters do too and how you might get rid of it? At first I thought it was the smell of oil that might’ve been used in servicing but after looking into it some people have said the smell is quite normal as these machines are decades old. Would love to know your hacks on this too if possible!! 😄

@KimberleyWenya101: Musty smell is fairly easy to take care of. Mostly it takes patience. I very much recommend Richard Polt’s typewriter resources, posted online. Richard wrote The Typewriter Revolution, a book you’ll find invaluable if you haven’t already read it. His resource page can be found here: site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-restoration.html, If you feel technically capable of doing so, remove the typewriter’s housing by undoing the body screws. The entire chassis and internal machine should be swabbed with methylated spirits (lighter fluid). This will clean the metal parts of whatever detritus they’ve accumulated over the years and it’s one of the first, basic steps in good typewriter restoration. If that’s not feasible, many people have suggested bagging coffee grounds in cheesecloth or thin cotton such as pantyhose and sealing them in a container with the typewriter. Some forms of cat litter do the same thing: remove the odors gradually. You may have to change the grounds a few times to get rid of the whole smell. Sunlight and fresh air can also work wonders. If you have a terrace or backyard and you can leave the typewriter out in a place that gets a good breeze and isn’t too dusty, you’ll find that, over time, this takes away the smell. As far as the printing issue, I’m beginning to wonder if your machine might not benefit from a different service provider. The issue you’re reporting sounds mechanical, not human. It shouldn’t be happening and it might be worth it to have your machine looked at by someone else to ensure that you have the best typing experience possible. I hope all this helps and that you’re writing is going very well!

You’re very welcome @joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536. Very welcome, indeed!

My pleasure, Paul. Thanks for watching.

Always happy to share what little I know, Julian. Thanks for watching.

What he said!

I hear this is true. I have yet to try one. It's on my list. Are they really as good as they say?

I’m pleased if it helped you, @siddharthjain8300. Thanks for watching and commenting, and wishing you many happy typing sessions!

I had no idea such a thing existed, Daniel. I’ll look into it. Thanks for letting me know and thanks for watching!

You’re very welcome, Dean. Welcome!

What was it that C.S. LEWIS once wrote? “We must not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and know the place for the first time.” So long as you’re writing, Sonjam, the machine doesn’t really matter, right? Wishing you my best, Damon

i love those SCM 6x/galaxie class machines. i'd take one over many more popular typewriters.

Thanks, SK. And you’re right about that heart-head relationship. It’s a tough balancing act to pull off but when we get it right, it makes it all worth it. I’ve never used the Underwood you mention though I imagine your three-park has a satisfying clackety-clack. Here’s to that sound, and all good the things that come from it. Good to meet you here!

The Underwoods 3 banks were only produced in the 1920s up until Black Friday and have the shortest typebars of any manual typewriter I have seen. They are pretty compact and I absolutely adore them. Talk about ultra portable. Only Hermes Baby and similar designed typewriters can keep up with them it that regard. They were mostly marketed as an ‚every person machine’ and also specifically included women as their users (at home that is, and not in the office). Shame that their inventor never got to seem them built (patent was sold to Underwood by his brother).

@@GammaCorvi I knew none of this and appreciate you sharing it. As chance would have it I just shot a profile of the Underwood Universal, which may interest you. Should be out soon. Until then, be well, my friend.

I hope this video helped you, Messenger. Thanks for watching!

Merci, mademoiselle! J’adore que vous parlez français. J’étudie la langue tout les jours et je practice souvent mais c’est difficile parce que j’ai personne ici je peut parler avec. J’aime beaucoup que tu aimes les vidéos que je fais. Ça me fait grand plaisir!

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco Vôtre français est magnique Damon! Honnêtement, j'ai besoin de pratiquez plus souvent parce que je ne l'utilise pas à chaque jour maintenent LOL

@@thethriftyfawn Je comprends. J'aimerais avoir plus de gens ici avec qui m'entraîner. Tant pis. Je vais continuer à regarder des films français !

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco Mais oui, monsieur.

Minion.

You should go for it then, @widyantogunadi9593. Just know that it’s a very different writing process. No delete key, for instance. No save button. No spell check. For all these reasons and more, I prefer typewriters for raw creation.

I don’t mind at all, Douglas. I’m grateful. Thank you!

Hi Cathy (and Steve). First, congrats on your Baby. They’re excellent machines. You can buy ribbons anywhere on the Internet. Amazon and eBay have them. You might have to redpoll a universal 1/2 inch ribbon. This video I made will help, I hope.

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco Thank you So much... of course, ebay, is there anything that site can't answer... Yeah, Baby Herman is a beautiful machine. My parent found her at auction so I've been playing with her since I was around ten years old. {I just did a quick ebay search - the prices have gone... uh, up,... substantially. My guess is the parentals didn't pay more than 20$... wow...} _Follow-up question_ - is there any substantial difference in the ribbon sizing for the variations on the Herman Baby?

@@stevezytveld6585 Not that I’m aware of. They’re Swiss-made machines and the Swiss were pretty diligent about following industry compatibility. Any old 1/2 inch ribbon should do but again, you might have to respool it like I show in the video.

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco Respooling was actually one of my favorite tricks when I was a kid... lol.

David, to my mind these are some of the best finds, the "broken" typewriter that "unbreaks" with a little care and attention to detail. Wishing you the best of luck with these machines. They're both stalwarts.

I bought a royal standard 10 on impulse and it needed so much cleaning. But I don't regret it! It's been so much fun restoring it to functioning

@@daniellamills6205 my current favorite is a 1952 Royal Quiet Deluxe. First, fixed the left magic margin. Then adjusted the escapement pawl which was way off, that and setting the touch control on zero solved 99% of the skipping problem. Got it cheap off marketplace.

Much obliged, E Mc. Always good to hear from you. Hoping that you and yours are well.

Ouch, Pablo. That’s just … ouch.

Olivetti Studio 44 keeps drawing me back to it almost daily. It’s heavy, but it just “feels right” like you said. I love its output/printing, especially after honing in the alignment just right. I wish it had the “Spanish” keyboard though. My 48’ Royal Quiet De Luxe is my other machine and it’s incredibly quiet and prints out just as pleasing as the Studio 44. I use the Royal at night when the kids and the wife are sleeping. I enjoyed the video. That was fun. Subscribed.

@@downeck78 The 44 is a great machine, D, I agree. Congrats on getting the alignment to your liking, that's always a challenge, yes? I also have a '48 Royal QDL and I agree, they're great machines, too, though very different obviously. It's always good to meet a new friend here. Welcome to the community and thanks for watching!

Hi, AudioBookiseala. Yes, this is true. In other videos, I mention this, most recently in Writing 101: How to Use a Typewriter. I always roll 2 sheets through my platens, one to type on, the second to protect the platen and raise the stamp. On some models, I may increase the number of backing sheets. I find it particularly helpful to do so, for instance, on Remington “Noiseless” typewriters such as the Model 1 and Model 7 whose type hammers do not stamp the paper but tap it, more or less. I hope this helps. Good to meet you and thanks for watching.

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco Thank you so much! 🙂

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco I'm coming back with another question, it's very important for me. Do you have any experience with/ what do you think of Juwel Model 3 typewriter? I'm torn between having to choose either a Remington Noiseless 7 Deluxe with keys made of glass that works perfectly but it's kinda rusty and needs lots of cleaning and doesn't sound like a normal typewriter because of the muffled noise and a perfect functional and in a very good condition (with no rust or any other damage) Juwel Model 3 (classical noisy) I must add that the noise thing would be no problem for me. What advice would you have for me? Would Remington be a better choice because it's a more popular brand? Thank you in advance!

@@AudioBookiseala Of course!

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco Thank you for your answer! Nevertheless, what do you think of Juwel Model 3?

Or your 26th, @mitchnorville4644. But hey. Who's counting. Hope it helps and thanks for watching.

@andrebartels1690 … ah. Perhaps, Andre. Perhaps…

Hi Nameless Faceless. Good to hear from you. Check out my video comparing the Lettera 23, Lettera 32, and Studio 44. People wiser than me have said that Olivetti’s manufacturing procedures were pretty much the same in Mexico, Italy, Scotland, the former Yugoslavia, and so on. I have two Olivetti machines from Italy and one from Spain. They all work great and I bet you’ll find the same between the Spanish and Yugoslavian versions. As far as Olympias, I have a SM-3 and a Socialite. I can report that they’re both excellent machines. Does this help? I hope so.

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco good evening sir, thank you for your answer, I struggle to have your experience, your videos are a great help, I have just discovered them, I am Algerian and here it is not easy enough to find what we want , Thanks a lot

@@namelessfaceless807 My pleasure, Nameless Faceless. I'll tell you whatever I know and also tell you what I don't. The typosphere is a wide place full of awesomely cool and generous people. Whatever you need to know I'm sure you will find answers to your questions. Wishing you luck!

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco thank you very much, it's always a pleasure to learn with you 😉

@@namelessfaceless807 And you!

I can answer that for you quickly, Lance. Though please be advised it’s my personal opinion only. I generally don’t like machines from the mid-1970s onward. By that point, manufacturers had by and large succumbed to the temptation to replace metal parts with plastic. In my hands, these machines feel flimsy and unreliable. I’m also not a huge fan of machines that are older than the late 1920s. In this case, the machines were built exclusively out of metal but their mechanisms are often less refined to the point of being guttural. Almost exclusively, I prefer machines from the late 1940s to the mid-1960s. To my experience, you can’t be a good Smith-Corona, an Olivetti, a Hermes, a Royal, or an Olympia. All very different machines in their own rights, but incredibly reliable, and a pleasure to work on. I hope this helps. Thanks for watching!

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco very helpful. In general I agree, however I would like to see a video of you know, colossal failures. The kind of things that you would be throwing your money away, even if they're Mid Century Modern era.

It’s my pleasure, Douglas. And good luck with thinning the herd. Is it painful? I’ve always found it painful, though necessary at times.

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco It can be painful 😖 sold 2 of my finast machines over the summer and have sellers remorse on those. But of the 6 I just sold,I feel good about them as they went to good homes. The sellers remorse is like when you have a favorite painting and someone admires it and loves it. Because they love it you make it there's. Then when it's gone you realize how much you loved it and miss looking at it and have it move you. One of those machines was a pristine Remington Model One that I brought back to life thanks to your fine video series ❤️. But now have 2 different noiseless machines that are more... noiseless and enjoy them to fill the void😂

@@douglasjackson9058 I understand completely, and well-stated, Douglas. It's funny how the machines flow into and out of our lives. Would have loved to have seen that Model One. They're interesting machines, yes? Always good talking to you.