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Thank you for saying so, @allan2240. Much obliged for watching and checking in.

@redarrowsmk3: The Lettera 22 is justifiably famous for being stalwart, stylish, lightweight but with the full functionality of a portable machine. I'm chuffed to think you got a good one and wish you many happy typing sessions. Don't worry about the zipper. 95% of Lettera 22 and 32 cases have zippers that have gone bad. However, these can often be replaced by bringing the case to a seamstress or tailor. Thanks for watching and commenting.

⁠@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco, Thank you for a reassuring second opinion. As promised, I do have some exciting updates. A common problem with seized Olivettis is the universal bar (that barely touches the shift-depth screw) jams itself beside the screw instead. A total lack of carriage advance was resolved in 30 seconds :) The drawband string was also laid loose, so I rewound that 4-5x and easily traced it back to the carriage end. 50 brownie points to your video. The variable line spacing knob remains seized on, and I have yet to find a 4mm wrench that will turn the metal rod between the knob and the platon. Wish me luck XD The serial number dates my unit to 1954. Being a Maine resident, I am overjoyed at the complete lack of rust. A healthy dental appointment with 30 psi of air and carb/choke cleaner got the inner workings cleaner than anything. Now each lettercase faintly squeaks, so I will mix isopropyl alcohol and a tiny bit of sewing machine oil and go over the linkages, being super careful not to let any of it come into contact with the typeface or segment. The dirty paint polished up BEAUTIFULLY. Excellent quality paint used on these machines. I am delighted with the "delicate, but strong; fancy, but bold" typeface and the ribbon, which somehow has life left in it. Whoever engineered the pin set bar in back of the machine for setting tabs is an unspoken genius. I must have sat and marveled at it until my head spun with dehydration. I am still working out the sticky line-spacing toggle and all four feet/screws being missing, but for now...I am incredibly happy. I fully agree with you in the video you shared on manual creativity and the lackluster nature of laptop computer documents. This typewriter and I are experiencing a whole second lifetime of seemingly feverish impulse to create. Thanks again, and many well wishes! I would love to see how, if at all, you address rust on old typewriter innards. Restoring my machine has left me fascinated indeed.

Excellent, @jkeelsnc. I don't know the model you mention but if it's the same mechanism as the SS, it must indeed be a superb machine. Congrats on acquiring it and using it well. Thanks for watching and commenting.

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco Same. Even the TAB set and MR key are exactly the same and in the same location. If you lift the typewriter up and look underneath the escapement and the rest of the mechanism is identical to the SS. The basket (and basket shift) is exactly the same as well as the type bars. The "shell" of the typewriter is VERY similar to the SS as well.

Hi @quinishashorts73. Thanks for clarifying. A couple of things that will probably improve your experience with your machine: 1) Clean your typeface regularly with a wire brush. This removes accumulated ink. Sort of like brushing your typewriter’s teeth. It will ensure that the characters show up boldly and clearly on your pages. 2) Leave your paper release open when not using your machine. This keeps your feed rollers from flattening which makes it hard or impossible to roll paper through the platen. 3) Cover your typewriter or put it back in its case when not using it. This keeps the machine from getting dusty. Dust is not good for the typewriter’s machinery. 4) Never use WD-40 to lubricate your typewriter. It’s too thick and it resinizes, gumming up your works over time. Your typewriter requires little or no lubrication. Use gun oil or light spindle oil if anything. 5) Keep learning everything you can about typewriters. It’s a lifelong education, it’s useful, and it’s fun! Thanks again for checking in!

Hi @quinishashorts73. I'm sorry, I don't think I understand your question. If you're brining your typewriter to a repair specialist, it's usually for one of three reasons. 1) There could be a cosmetic problem with the typewriter. It needs a new paint job. The decals are smudged. The appearance is off somehow. But it works. Most repair specialists can help you with these issues. 2) You're bringing your machine in for a tune-up. Like other machines (a car, for example) regular tune-ups help keep your typewriter in good working order and can increase the pleasure and efficacy you derive from using them. 3) The machine doesn't work. This can manifest in dozens of ways. The carriage doesn't move when you press the keys. The paper doesn't feed properly. Tabulation is off. The shift lock won't hold. And so on. Let's assume you're speaking of a #3 issue. I would ask your repair person to diagnose the issue and explain it in simplest terms. Ask them if they've fixed that problem before and if they've fixed that problem particularly on the same model typewriter you have. Ask them how much the repair will cost and how long it will take. Ask them if you can bring the typewriter back to them if they fix the problem but it acts up again. I hope this helps. Please let me know if it does or doesn't. Thanks for watching and commenting!

@joerideabike, some of the best fiction comes out of character as you’ve described it. I’m thinking of Flowers for Algernon and a terrific book called Mary After All by my friend Bill Gordon. And dozens of others. Yes, you may be in for revisions, and yes it might not be a case of premise and theme first. But follow your instincts. Make your own technique. This is what craft is all about. Thanks for watching and writing in. Wishing you my best.

Hi @bartrammeloo5046. I hear you. I, too, use a hybrid workflow. Though mine typically moves from typewriter to Scrivener to Word and out the door. Bottom line: do whatever it takes to keep the work moving. This includes telling people, in my case: "No, I'm sorry. Can't do that today. I'm writing." Thanks for watching and checking in. Wishing you my best.

I never saw it that way before, @BookClubDisaster ... but now I do. You propose a vision that's one of those "once you see it, you can't unsee it, kinds of things." Thanks for that. And for watching and checking in. Well met.

My pleasure and well met @jeffreyalbertson2885!

I think Liam’s a dynamite actor and he strikes me as a good man, @hornitorrincoperezoso2189. My way of saying thanks for the compliment and thanks for watching!

Hi @3AMJH. OCR (optical character recognition) technology can be a mixed bag in general. For typewriter, haven’t found a typescript yet that scans perfectly so there’s always some work involved … though not nearly so much work as retyping a whole manuscript, to say nothing of many times as whole sections get edited. We’re it me, I’d accept this small problem as just another part of the process. Personally I feel that any chance to reread a manuscript offers possibilities to enrich it. Making sure that your 1s aren’t lowercase Ls and vice versa… just handle it and keep reading for flow, style, tone, scansion, and so on. Believe me, I get the urge to buy more than one machine. I currently have … ahem. Many. Just remember (if I may be so bold) that the tool is not the craft. The craft is the work, which must be done no matter how we prefer to do it, or whether or not we even want to. Write well, my friend.

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco Thank you for the answer, Damon. I do translation work (from English to Finnish, mostly) and I like to do the initial version on paper with a mechanical pencil, and recently I have brought mechanical typewriters into the process. I have started using them for going through the handwritten manuscript, after which the intention is to scan them and do more editing and then submit the work for proof-reading. I now have my first typewritten manuscript waiting to be scanned, uploaded and edited. I noticed quickly that this work is way more fun with typewriters involved, and somehow I concentrate better on the text itself as well; especially after I become comfortable with the machine; its operation, its particular quirks etc. I appreciate the comment about the tool not being the craft. I have acquired about 15 machines in a short time, and now that I am starting to figure out which ones are the best for doing actual work with at home, outdoors or while traveling, I will start getting rid of the extras. The Corona Four, for example, is really fun to use and very pretty to look at, but not very practical for my work for various reasons. My wide-carriage Hermes 3000 has a cute sans serif typeface called Epoca, but I prefer serifs for work. I also find that its mushy type action starts to feel heavy after a while (it sounds really cool though), so it will probably have to go as well. Getting rid of some might also convince my dear wife that I don't have a typewriter problem after all. :)

@@3AMJH Sounds to me like you have a problem ... but it can be managed, as most problems can. I love the idea of doing translation work via typewriter. Good on you for that. And I agree about the Corona Four. I have one. Lovely machine. Very steampunk. Exquisite to look at. Not really the best machine for sustained work. Well met and keep going, @3AMJH. Write on!

@rbruce63, so sorry to hear this. Though it's not unusual (sadly), and my top reason for being ultra-careful when buying machines through the Internet. Even then, you might get burned. Hoping that all works out well for you, and thanks for checking in.

Excellent, @gayatrinanda7178. Excellent!

I love this @irmabecx4758. I think that typewriters do indeed want to work. In this regard they’re sort of like our minds. They need to be de-gunked on a regular basis, cleaned, and maintained. If we don’t do this, it’s not the machine’s fault, it’s ours. Very pleased to hear this method works on your Dora. Also pleased to hear that you’re typing away. Keep going. Keep going!

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco I'm waiting for my first Lettera 32 to be delivered, so will have reason to revisit your videos. Thank you for sharing all this technical knowledge; I wasn't afraid of buying a machine sight unseen because I knew I can get it working. Real marvels of engineering, these Olivettis (although not as solid as my Facit), and they have certainly worked wonders for my creativity. :)

@@irmabecx4758 I'm so glad to hear it, @irmabecx4758. The thing about typewriters (as you point out) ... you can get them working. They're really so much simpler to operate than, say, a word processing program. And while software certainly allows for easier editing and export, to my experience, there's nothing like working analog to generate a first draft. The artisanal feel of working by pencil (or pen) and paper, or typewriter, highlights the direct connection between creator and that which is created. The lack of delete functionality means we must plough ahead, warts and all, mistakes be damned, and get things done. Funny that so many of our "mistakes" turn out to be better than what we originally conceived of. Wishing you all the best with your work. Thanks for watching and checking in.

Like everything else in life, my friend, I recommend that you try it. If it doesn't work out, at least you can say you've learned something important.

We couldn't agree more, @maxwellchallender6852. Now get back to work on your typewriter!

Hi @jdouglasj2000. Sorry to respond so late. I love m’y Olympia SM3 specifically because of its bright snappy touch and the undercarriage springs that keep all keys level and sensitive. Glad to hear that you love yours. Is there anything better out there? I can’t answer that since the criteria are so subjective. If you like the Olympia SM3, you might want to experiment with the more buttery and luxurious Hermes 3000. Or, one of my personal favorites, the Smith-Corona Silent-Super. Old Remingtons sometimes have comparable action. These are not full-sized machines but you may wish to explore them first. Of the full-sized machines I’ve used, I’m taken with my Royal KMG and highly recommend it. Hope this helps and wishing you happy typing.

I type on both sides of my pages all the time. Typescript pages are (almost always) no longer client-facing documents. Therefore do whatever you wish with your pages. I type on both sides to save paper and to be more environmentally conscious.

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco thanks for the rely! What I was asking was more about how they did it 'traditionally'-as in back in the day 100 years ago, were they always single sided or both ways? thanks

@@passiondimension​​⁠Ah. I understand now. The answer is no. In the “old days,” official documents were only typed on one side of the paper. Carbon paper was frequently used to make copies.

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco thanks!

@@passiondimension My pleasure!

Fantastic. Then write about that.

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco I’m sure this is great, valuable advice for some folks, especially the more professionally minded creatives who want to make a career out of their work. But for myself and folks like me, this mindset can be overwhelming and lead to intense burn out. When I have tried to incorporate my creative hobbies, be it art, or writing, into a daily routine, it ended up poisoning my relationship to these hobbies. It stopped being fun, and my output became quantity over quality. I convinced myself I hated it. Now I only draw or write when I want to, and when I try to push myself, I can recognize when I need a break. Daily journaling isn’t for me.

@@lort8334​​⁠It’s not my place to tell you who you are and what works best for you. I hear what you’re saying and understand. But I also feel compelled to say this: Sometimes the commitment we make to push through an obstacle is precisely what leads us to new levels of personal, professional, and artistic growth. Admittedly it’s sometimes hard to know when we’re pushing too hard or not hard enough. The very fact that we’re having this discussion is what I consider a testament to the fact that you’re developing toward something you want to be. Begin with the end in mind and dwell in the end and the path (very often) presents its own opportunities to get us there. I appreciate your feedback and this discussion. Wishing you all my best.

Yes, @johnlennon1049. Yes!

Keep it. You’re gonna need it.

Thank you @sebastianmorawiec!

Never mind. I found out my answer ..

No question, @michaelfrisbie7247. It's all about getting the job done, yes? Here's wishing you best of luck with your DIYs.

You're reminding me that there are many forms of compensation. Glad you like the content and wishing you well on your journey. Go to it!

YT didn't like my freedom of speech to say or type the real F OFF, so I had to put on the Disney Ears.

So glad you enjoyed it, @dadtype2339. Write on!

So glad if it resonated @ericaycock8728. Thanks for checking in!

Congrats on your find @wanderbolt 9498. I love the big Royals and love, too, the name you've given yours. Wishing you many happy and productive typing sessions.

Right? Thanks for watching, @rhondas9385!

Hi @ktgaming8713. I don't handle electric typewriters. I only do manuals. However, I'd call Jay or Paul at Gramercy Typewriter here in NYC and ask them to share their expertise. If any vendor can help you, those two can. gramercytypewriter.com/ Hope this helps.

Great to hear from you @Tennisfan4200. I think you'll find that giving readers less will serve both them and you in the long run. Of course, the truth is that prose can be anything, stylistically speaking ... but play with the less-is-more notion and let me know how it works for you. Wishing you all my best.

Excellent. A great find, indeed. Write well, new friend.

Sounds like you got a fine deal, @alexusrotunno1973. Congratulations! Also, with hopes that it’s helpful, please check out the typewriter profile video I did on the Silent-Super. One of my favorite machines and with good reason. It’s excellent! Cheers!

It’s a great question, @vermontmike9800. All I can say was that, in my case, the answer was yes. The feed rollers had developed flat spots. Changing the platen without changing the feed rollers would have been pointless. The paper would have continued to misfeed when rolling in.

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco flat spots! Damn fine reason to change those out then. 😊

So glad you enjoyed it, and so glad to have you aboard, Cheryl. Thanks for watching and checking in!

Could be, I don't recall reading that one. I think these days I wouldn't wait 50 pages, @anonanon7278. More like five sentences. Publishing standards seem to have shifted, as have attention spans.

I'm so glad to hear it, @jonasomland2336. And I agree: the craft of writing is there to be appreciated, just as any well-wrought craft should be (in my book). Thanks for watching and commenting!

Good. Wishing you all the best fortune with it @broomhandle3700. Thanks for watching and checking in.

Perfectly stated, @ackamack101. Internal commentary and flow are often contradictory to one another. Appreciate you sharing this. And wishing you my best.

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco Thank you for your videos. They’re great!

Congrats on your Royal KMM, @KateSparks… one of my favorite machines. Thanks for watching and the good words.

Thanks so much for saying so @ericaycock8728. Much appreciated!

If that’s Robert Sean Leonard’s character, I’ll take it as a compliment. House is too grouchy and tortured.

Much obliged for the compliment, and pleased to have you aboard!

Hi @OhHowTheTurntablesHaveTurned. I'm not quite sure what the issue is based on what you're describing. Try watching this video, please, it may help: ruclips.net/video/GBu-moPzQ9s/видео.html If it doesn't, please report back and we'll see what we can do operating over the board here. Thanks for watching and wishing you luck.

Hi @manonbaelen1554. This is a fairly common problem on machines that have fallen into disrepair. Or it might be that (I assume) you’re using one of the Olivettis mentioned in this video. Consider: Without conducting an examination of the specific machine in question, I could speculate that the linkage between your escapement and the gears that turn the ribbon spools has disconnected or otherwise been impeded. Or: If you’re using one of the Olivettis mentioned in this video, make sure that you’re using a Group 4 rather than a universally spooled ribbon. Olivetti typewriters were built to work with Group 4 spools. Therefore if you’re using a universal spool, the ribbon likely won’t advance since the ribbon spools don’t fit the machine’s sprockets snugly enough. I hope this helps. Does it? Please let me know. Thanks for watching and checking in.

Hi @RavesForDays. Thanks to the Right Reverend Ted Munk, we have this resource to draw from for Hermes typescript comparisons: munk.org/typecast/2011/04/24/1964-nomda-blue-book-hermes-font-styles/ According to the above information, my Hermes uses a common Hermes Pica typescript. For fun, I ran a type sample through myfonts.com. Unfortunately, it returned 55 possible fonts, several of which didn't (to my eye) look anything like the output of my Hermes. I hope this helps. Thanks for watching and getting in touch!

Hi @vitzbig. In my experience, yes. I have a 1952 Lettera 22 made in Ivrea, Italy. Its touch is a bit mushier (though not unpleasantly so) than the distinctive snap of my Spanish-made Lettera 32 from the mid-1960s. I like them both in their own right, just to be clear.

@@CreateX3-DamonDiMarco i used to have a 22 and one thing i didn't like was the fact you couldn't push the keys all the way down because it could jump a space. This snap you talk about, does it mean its a bit stiffer and that you can push it all the way down? I really like ramming the keys down hehe. Btw, thanks for the response!

@@vitzbig​​⁠My 32 has a distinctive snap to the action of the keys. My Studio 44 sort of regresses to the aforementioned “mushy” key action of the 22, though I’m fairly certain that was a byproduct of the merger with Underwood and the overall size of the machine. The best way to check this @vitzblg is to get your hands on a 32 and see for yourself!