Thanks Joe. Twenty minutes after watching this video I went for a bicycle ride in my neighborhood. I spotted a typewriter case amongst other household goods out by the curb in front of a house. The case was a sea foam green color. I opened the case to find a, you guessed it, a Hermes 3000. I knocked on the front door of the house to confirm this was a freebie. Indeed it was. I asked the owner if I could leave it by his front door and I'd be back post haste to retrieve it with my car. All the while trying to remain calm and casually indifferent. The serial number places it as a 1960 machine. I am going through it to ring it out. The carriage seems to have issues but there are no signs of damage so it could be my ignorance of this machine and who knows how many years of dormancy. The case had the original owner's manual and two original brushes in it. I found the key to the case INSIDE the typewriter along with a jumbo paper clip. The machine is dirty with patina of a well-used machine machine but with some TLC (and maybe some expert help) I'll have it back on the road. Also I found two pieces of a rubber grommet inside. Don't know where they came from. Do these machine suffer from the same grommet issue as the Olympia SM-3s?
I sold an Underwood Typewriter over the weekend to a Vietnam Vet. His goal is to write his memories of his experience in the war before he forgets. It was a very emotional sale.
Welcome back to the analog world. I rediscovered this world four years ago with turntables and hi-fi stereo equipment. Like you I learned that the old stuff was tough and built to last. They also feel nice to use, I’m currently getting into typewriters and fountain pens. 😊
Joe, this was great, as always. I've watched it several times and can't agree with you more. I am the proud owner of 15 machines that range from a 1938 Royal KHM to a 199x's Brother GX6750 (the same one John Meyer uses in California Typewriter). I am a writer and absolutely love my machines for all my writing drafts until I have to submit electronic copies for the magazines and other publishing sources that won't accept a mailed, typewritten, manuscript. I love your channel and watch it religiously. Keep doing your great creative work and I'll look forward to the next video!
Joe, this is an absolutely outstanding overview of the typewriter landscape....whether or not the original questioner takes advantage of this information, there are untold thousands who will for years to come....
Thank you so much for responding so quickly with such a detailed video! Loved your explanation of each type of typewriter- it was super helpful :) Unfortunately, as far as getting (and maintaining) a typewriter is concerned, it's going to be more difficult than I thought because I'm based in India. Typewriter repair shops here are going to be extremely hard to find- and I'm not sure many exist. The charm of manual typewriters like the ones you showed initially is undeniable, but I would like something that is portable, electronic and easy to maintain. Another factor is the sound- I personally don't mind it but it can become an issue if I go somewhere like a library or a cafe where it can bug some people. I will keep looking, though. I'm not planning to get myself one immediately- perhaps within the next two years 🙈 If you could mention a few reliable online platforms where I can purchase well-maintained typewriters, that would be really helpful! Thanks again for your prompt response. :)
I believe India is one of the few countries with some legacy typewriter infrastructure. You were one of the last places to shut down new machine production. There is a brand, who’s name I have forgotten, that is popular there. I would recommend researching what is available locally and following the good advice given in this video.
@@saulysw I think you can find a lot of manual typewriters in India, but maintaining them is the real problem. I know somebody who owns 8-9 old typewriters that have just been rusting away for at least 20 years in his attic because he has no use for them now (he needed them for his job back in the 70's and 80's). Thing is, there is such a lack of places that can restore them. As for electric typewriters, they weren't very popular here, as far as I know. I will keep searching for a few good repair places though
Mid century portable manuals are the most trouble free in my experience and they work anywhere without power. I don’t have a standard so can’t comment. Some manuals are almost as easy to fill a page as an electric. Electrics are easier and more consistent but you have more things to go wrong and the issue with needing power at the right voltage, etc. For example, I get mis hits on my manuals, particularly ‘a’, electrics won’t have this issue. Mid century Smith Coronas while not having the best type feel are the most trouble free and easy to work on yourself. I live in a dry climate so I haven’t had any rust to deal with. Local machine in humid climates have a lot more of that. There are a number of dealers that sell fully serviced machines in North America and Europe.
One thing I didn't mention in the video are thermal typewriters. While their ribbon cartridges are no longer made, you can use them directly with thermal paper (like fax paper, also available in letter-sized sheets). Most of them are battery powered, hence portable, and very quiet in operation. My most recent is the Canon Typestar 220, it produces very nice print on thermal paper.
This raises an interesting point. Twenty years ago I would've said, forget typewriters -- you'll need to get that text into a computer and optical character reading (OCR) is not perfect. It is now. So type your manuscript, take photos of it with your phone, drag that text onto your computer's word processor. I typed for years. First on an Underwood portable, then on a Smith Corona in college, later on an IBM Selectric. Then on a Canon word processor. I could type, backspace and correct my mistakes (I make a lot) and then the memory could print out a clean copy. Made me very happy. Then I got a Mac IIci and WordPerfect. I was in heaven. (I only used Word enough to loathe it. Now I use Nisus Writer, I got it because I could write in Chinese in 2002, it wasn't Microsoft, and I got used to it. Still miss WordPerfect.) First, skip manuals unless you're a one or two finger typist. They're too slow, the keys take a lot of force. (My mom could poke holes in a Cybertruck with her fingers. You can't.) So my advice typewriter fetishists? Get an IBM Selectric. Probably the II. That correction feature is great. (If I still used Witeout (I actually do) I'd have a hairdryer on my desk.) Buy a Selectric, try it out for a few months. Like it? Buy or find a couple of back up machines (people will have them in their attics) stockpile the ribbons, cartridges.... get your brother or sister to marry a typewriter repair person. A Selectric will work well for years and then one day it'll just stop working and need servicing. (I can had have fixed almost anything. I never had a clue why the Selectric stopped working.) They have a lot of moving parts. Very reliable but it will inevitably break down. (I see that they are sold online anywhere from $200 to $1200.... Probably your best bet would be to just ask everyone you know if anyone, or their grandparents, have one in the attic. I wouldn't buy a cheap one on eBay - too many things arrive not working, the seller lies, blames you, eBay does a lot of business with them -- they keep most of your money. eBay doesn't care, won't even respond.) If you go vintage electric, always have a back up or you'll get burned at the worst possible moment. If you can do manual, and you get a good manual machine -- it'll probably last forever. For typing on a computer a lot of young people love the clicky mechanical keys. These are exactly like the Selectric. That is their 'grand daddy.' If you become a touch typist and speed up, but make a lot of errors... try a keyboard with keys that have a shorter travel distance. I prefer the MacBook Pro keyboard, actually the Magic Keyboard that's bluetooth. Being anywhere near the big track pad after 2016 causes random jumps of the cursor. (For two years I had it 'dampened' with a sheet of teflon taped over it.) Finally I had a permanent key jam and Apple Care replaced my 2016 keyboard and track pad (the whole top) with a 2018 version. Much better. I couldn't type on the 2016 without the cursor randomly jumping to another part of my text every single minute. Apple never acknowledged that this was an issue. (I tried dozens of machines in Apple Stores all over the world -- they all had that problem.) So I've been using blue tooth keyboards since then. My 2022 MacBook Pro still has some of this cursor jumping nonsense -- my 2011 never did it, not even once. (I directly compared it to the 2016 a couple times. ) Now that 2016 keyboard is well known as an utter failure. Dust got in it and it jammed. They were recalled and replaced (after Apple spent a year denying there was a problem.) What was great for me was the shorter travel distance. My fingertips still hurt a little from this.. nothing permenant. What this shorter travel did for me was to completely eliminate transposed letters (pAple, hte....). This was a happy surprise. For decades I just assumed this was all my fault. I also put big letter stickers on the keyboard. (They all have horrible sticky, slide all over the place) Even though I'm a touch typist I still glance down enough that this is an issue. (Who ever thought thin gray letters on off white was a good idea should be made to wear clown shoes.) I also put hot glue 'pips' on home keys, the odd numbers (didn't think you could touch type numbers... well, try it.) Some arcs of hot glue on some punctuation marks... My precious Apple designed Magic Keyboard looks like a ransom note with all those stickers that never stop sliding around. Even after more than 50 years of typing (I started in 7th grade) I still screw up punctuation. So long as there is a 'Caps Lock' key no one is thinking about you when they make keyboards.
I picked up a Silent from my work the other day. It looks like it was thrown down some stairs and was absolutely abused. I figured it was a good project since I can always call it a lost cause since it was free. Got into it, took a few days of careful cleaning and disassembly. I could still clean a few spots but it’s all working again. All those bent keys, broken and missing screws, slipped springs, all back to normal. I love it. It sat for a bit, but I watched a few of your videos and took the plunge to fix it. Now I have a manual! I love my electrics, but there’s something awesome about manuals.
I typed on every machine you ever mentioned above as they came into the market! Well, maybe some were there sightly before I was. But I DO recollect the trudge from the little portable Corona to the astounding Selectric Ball. But, sadly concerning the Selectric, writing at 2am in a three-flat building enraged my sleep-jdeprived neighbors. These mechines (Selectric, not neighbors) were very quiet in an office setting, but really banged the platen at 3am. But, eventually, I 'transitioned' - not surgically but to an LED scree thing with idiot tapes to the first Weird Processor. DOD word processor, green text on a black screen. Magical. No more white-out, cross out, re-typing! I rarely used a Mac but Wordperfect was the go-to. Now? Word and Dragon Naturally Speaking, various AI tools, and this little Alien Nerd from the Arcturus system who tells me what to write the prepare the Humanoids for a mass invasion and enslavement, fdefeating us with sweets, drugs, medical gurus, idiot entertainments, and deteriorating currency values. They are not here yet, he/it tells me.
Thank you, I watch all your videos, I'm from Russia, I have a "lyubava" typewriter, it's a clone of the German Eric 40, thanks to one of your videos I bought a bluetooth keyboard and type through my phone
After losing all faith in computers in recent months, I should get myself a typewriter and send a manuscript to a literary agent the old fashioned way.
Thank you so much. Just found this video since I'm looking for a good typewriter...love the IBM Selectric that I used for many years as a legal assistant. After watching this, I think I'd love to own the Underwood 5. Great, informative video.
Interesting... I wonder if anyone has ever attempted a purely manual daisy wheel typewriter? It's a silly notion for now-a-days. But it would have some interesting advantages, including being able to change the font. The mechanism would be pretty simple. I haven't fully formed it my mind yet but it doesn't seem overly complex yet. Just a weird thought.
I don't write much any more, but I used to get a lot of mileage from an Olivetti Lettera 35 - medium size portable with soild build, common, fairly cheap still - at least in the UK. I got a Lettera 22 after than and really like it, though it's a different experience. Good for short fiction though, and has a long list of reputable users if you start looking at who wrote on what! Another Lettera model I got was the 32, which I did *not* like at first - hated the teal colour, thought it looked boxy, the keys were a weird square shape, the space bar was very thin - and yet, it's somehow a great little machine to type on. It's also the case that Olympias here in the UK are cheaper and more common than the SC 5 series or Royals. The SM series are lovely things.
I love to write on my '46 Royal QDL, but also have a soft spot for my '46 Remington Deluxe Model 5. I know it might not be the very best for writers being a carriage shift, but something about it just feels good to me. I find myself missing it when I put it away.
Yeah some of these models are not really easy to come by outside of the USA. Here in Europe the Olympia and Triumph / Adler, as well as the east german Erika models, are a lot easier to come by and often pretty cheap too. I kinda feel like wanting to try a Smith Corona SCM at one point but they really tend to be a lot more expensive than other models.
As a writer I've used the Royal FP, an absolute tank of a desktop, used by writers like Herb Caen of the San Francisco Chronicle, and more recently I acquired an Olivetti Lettera 22, which I am using to write my first novel. It's worth noting that both typewriters lasted well into the careers of many authors; the Royal FP was Herb Caen's 'Loyal Royal', or the typewriter he would use to write up all of his articles, and the Lettera 22 and its sister, the Lettera 32 were used by writers like Leonard Coen, Gunter Grass, (allegedly Thomas Pynchon), and of course Cormac McCarthy used his Lettera 32 throughout his entire career with minimal maintenance besides blowing the dust out with a service station hose. Both of them fit the bill for being excellent writer's typewriters, though if I had to choose I'd say the Lettera really wins me over.
If I'm not mistaken - the Smith-Coronas daisy wheel Electronic typewriters do not have a delay that is all that noticeable as compared to the Brothers.
Way back in the 60's and 70's, I typed a whole lot! Wrote my Senators, Congressman, Governor, etc. These fools either ignored my letters OR sent me back a form lettter on a totally unrelated topic! And THAT'S when I gave up! But, when I wrote these same guys, ON AN OFFICE LETTERHEAD, indicating that I was, indeed, someone with "pull" in my community? Geeze, they wrote back (or had a staff member write) a very nice, seriously respectful letter. And when I qualified for a "Professional License" in my state? They fell all over themselves to offer "Congratulations" and "Best Wishes"! What a bunch of useless tools 🔧.
I have been missing the typewriter 40 years ago. A disadvantage of the typewriter is that it has only one typeface. Otherwise, everything else is right about that good-old machine. I learned typewriting on an antique Oliver black typewriter. Guess what? I liked it. I appreciated typewriting that I typed my own homework assignment sheets, and wanted to use typewriter more than a ball-point pen except to write my signature. The IBM Selectric was my first favorite typewriter. Its keys were very comfortable and they enhanced my accuracy. I have one at home, but have not used it since the late 1990s decade.
Best-selling author Sue Grafton typed many of the Alphabet novels on an IBM Wheelwriter. Don't be afraid of electronic machines! You can get them refurbished for a good price. You have the added benefit of many different type faces and sizes.
I have most of these machines and would not do ANY serious writing with a silent super or QDL as they require too much bearing down to type. The Hermes and Olympia are way snappier and easier to type on. For long typing sessions I prefer the royal model O or any royal from the 40s and earlier with the tombstone glass topped keys as those tend to be very responsive typers.
For writing real writing with a typewriter definitely an IBM Wheelwriter or similar... could not have the charm of a SM3 or H3K but they are the best to write... believe me I have an IBM 6474 and they are a m a z i n g ...
Bro, I thought ribbon is the issue so I bought a new ribbon and replaced it but I'm facing an issue.. when I start writing it prints dark but after a few words it gets lighter and lighter..
Sounds like the ribbon spools aren’t turning. It needs to move slightly with every key press, so fresh ribbon is available. A common cause is the ribbon drive parts need to be degreased and cleaned.
@@deadpoet9392 Remove the ribbon and spools and examine how the drive system works. Those small pivoting pieces that function to move the spool platforms need their pivot points cleaned and degreased. Use alcohol and a mascara brush.
Great vid! I remember starting college and not having enough $ to get a computer and a printer to write my essays for class... So instead I bought a used and really cheap manual typewriter in Salvation Army ($25). It was Royal Quiet Deluxe in all black with chrome keys and a nice carrying case. I took it home, cleaned it from dust, oiled it, bought a new ink ribbon and typed all my college essays on it. Still have it!
I think another good option for a writer is the sm9, or the sg3. Those are machines that do not cause problems and also those from the 70s are usually available at a low price. great video Joe! greetings from Argentina!
Thanks for all your videos Joe. I have been considering an OLYMPIA SM3 for my first typewriter in many many years. Finding a good source in the UK is difficult, but your videos are certainly helping. Do your have any sourcing tips or UK contacts you can share?
The Underwood Lettera 32 was the first typewriter I owned. I was fortunate to have it while I was a high school student in 1970. The last typewriter I owned since 1985 is the IBM Selectric typewriter. It is my favorite one. The keys have a superb touch.
I have an Olympia SG3 as my large desktop machine. I never use it, though, as despite all the wonderful things I have heard about it, it simply isn't as nice to use I as expected it would be. The most satisfying machine to use, as far a "feel" goes, would probably be my Adler Tippa. It is just so unbelievably light and crisp. It's not quite a robust, though, and seems more prone to needing little adjustments and maintenance. I've got an Olympia Traveller de Luxe that I really never planned on owning simply because I think they are ugly as sin... but I have to admit that the thing "just works" no matter how much it is neglected. I've got a Smith Corona Galaxie Twelve that took a bit to adjust to (it's the first American typewriter I have ever owned) but once I was used to the layout, I came to realize that it is just an unbelievable workhorse. Easy to type on. Crisp, clear, straight typing. Rugged and tough. If I needed a machine to take with me on a trip and I needed to know the machine would work no matter what, it would probably be that Galaxie Twelve. My favorite machine, though, when I balance build quality, styling, and usability, is my Olympia Splendid 33. It did the impossible and dethroned my 1943 Imperial Good Companion as "favorite". The honeymoon phase just never seems to end with the Splendid 33.
My daughter asked how many typewriters I have and I had to go and count them. It was *only* 7 but that's when I knew I had an issue. It's all Joe's fault. Remington 17 KMC would be my recommendation from my collection for serious writing. Feels good.
I am a writer and I have an Olympia Splendid 33, which I really enjoy but I'd love to own a SM one day. I only own 2 typewriters but I only use my Olympia because I feel it is well-built and smooth to use. While I write mostly digitally on my laptop, I use my typewriter whenever I want to work on a creative idea that needs a deep flow or deep focus. In this way, I can write from my creative voice, without it being filtered and hampered by self-criticism. I really enjoy your videos Joe, thank you for sharing your passion.
I bought a Smith Corona Galaxie II for $20 from a small thrift store in the middle of nowhere and restored her for 110. I love her like the daughter I’ll probably never have. I love typewriters.
The Olympias have a spring counterbalance for the shift, which is adjustable. So you are not pushing the whole weight of the carriage. There are two springs, one either side of the carriage at the back. Every machine I have seen is at the factory default heaviest setting. It makes some difference to increasing the spring tension - making the shift lighter. Note that you don't turn the screw to adjust, you lift it up and twist the nut - which makes more sense when you look at it. If I had to write a book and had to use just one of my machines to do it, which one would I choose? Hmmmm. A very tough question, actually. I think probably my Facit TP2, which has a super smooth return. The SC 5 series is also a totally viable choice, the return is usually a bit grindy though in comparison. The Olympia SM's are too noisy for me (sharp "thwack" that gives you a headache after a few pages) and the old standards are great too but are a bit heavy to type on and glass top keys are not so ergonomic of long sessions. I have three Facit TP1's and none of them are quite as good as my TP2, and that is just the condition of those particular machines, but it goes to show that the exact machine, rather than some generic advice, is important here. You need to feel completely comfortable on it to get a whole book out, and it needs to be reliable in terms of ribbon advance/return and no skipping. Part of why I collect is to find the right machine for the writing I want to do. The Hermes 3000 would do the job too, nicely, but I just find them a little bland in the typeface. If you go electric, may as well go all the way and just do it on a computer, you are half way there already. JMHO.
Indeed! The problem with the two Splendid I have is that these springs (they are at both sides of the basket on them instead of the back) became so weak, that It is your finger taking it on against the entire weight of their heavy carriages. I am still looking for the perfect ones. Too strong and the carriage will fall back slowly, too weak and it will be a weight lifting session for your fingers. :) But I love the feel of typing on them. It is kind of unique to Olympias.
My Olympia SM7 has the same adjustment as well and it makes a world of difference...the finger pressure is now very light and comparable to any basket shift typewriters.
Thanks for the great video! I have another question about typewriters for writers (I am currently using a Hermes Baby). I am looking for the most optimal typewriters in terms of light typing - as I suffer from occasional carpal tunnel/inflammations of sorts. Basically, I'm looking for a typewriter that needs as little pressure put in typing as possible.
An electric machine would have the lightest touch. IBM Selectric, electrified type-bar machine or electronic daisywheel machines would all have the lightest touch.
Nicely done Joe. As I've noted many times in the past, as far as writing tools go I have found the earlier Olympia SM9 models to be the best machine for me overall. But it was only through the experience of owning and trying many more brands/models (from ultraportables to standards) that I came to fully appreciate the SM9 as compared to the rest. I realize that I've been very fortunate to have experienced the large variety of typewriters that I have. But we all like different things and those who do get to experience many different typewriters are sure to develop their own favorites as far as writing tools go. For those who aren't so fortunate, your video(s) provide some great guidance.
What are your thoughts on the Adler J5 as typewriters for moderate-to-heavy use? I'm not quite the novelist type of typist, but I type personal essays/letters on a frequent basis.
23:30 - I know you are talking about hearing the sound delay may be off putting. But if anyone worry about typing fast, the delay shouldn't effect fast typing. It'll remember what you press even if its still processing the first letter of the word. Depending on the typewriter, you can also type up a document before it begins printing it. Some allows storage on the floppy drive.
This video was extremely informative and also functions as an excellent overview of typewriters in general. I use a Royal KMM from 1948 and it is my all time favorite.
Hi Joe. I was so inspired and excited watching your videos , as a budding writer that I went out and got myself an Olympia SM4. It is a stunning typewriter in incredible condition and it works brilliantly. Even when I take a break from writing , I just sit and admire what a beauty it really is . Thank you again for your excellent videos .
If you are a writer, and doesn't want to write on computer, why not choose an electronic typewriter or better a word processor like brother wp-1? I am a collector but for working really, writing, as an author, I highly recommend you an electronic typewriter or word processor typewriter
I’m a collector not a writer but I still found this thoroughly interesting. I’ve owned at one time or another all of the models you mentioned with the exception of the Selectric. I love that you started with the Underwood 5 which is so often underestimated because of its more antique appearance. I was surprised your KMM didn’t make the list, but if it was a choice between the Underwood and the Royal I’m glad you chose the Underwood.
The Belgian Georges Simenon wrote a Book The Couple from Poitiers and many others with a Typewriter in Paris France and Connecticut USA and the book The Couple from Poitiers according to Wikipedia is autobiographical.
I really enjoyed this! I bought a 1939 Royal portable from a thrift store back in 1992 for about $30, and used it throughout the 90s. It always made my fingers sore though, so I wound up not really using it much. Last summer I found an amazing typewriter store in Port Townsend, WA, and the owner agreed to trade my Royal for a big beautiful beast, an SCM electric machine circa late 60s. I love it! It's so much easier to use. Yes it's noisy and weighs a TON, but it's never a pain to operate! 😊
I found my first typewriter (a grey Olympia SM4) on Facebook Marketplace in great condition back in 2018 or 2019 for $50, which was a pretty decent score back then. Imagine my sticker shock now in 2024 after I got curious and looked up the current secondhand prices for that same machine. I'm so glad I bought it all those years ago and never traded or sold it. 🤣It's my workhorse and go-to machine anytime I have the desire to take a break from my computer and write with one of my typewriters.
Wow! That Singer was basically the SmithCorona I had in high school. It worked well, but I really found the constant whirring sound of the motor and drive belt to be really annoying. However, in a strange way, it actually kept me focused, as that noise made it hard to ignore. It actually made me feel like any time not typing was wasted time--not to mention wasting electricity!
As mentioned by someone else, an Olympia SM8 or SM9 would be a great option for a writer, and they have a segment/basket shift! (as opposed to the carriage shift from the earlier models). Very comfortable and easy to use for an extended period of time.
I don't really consider myself a "serious" writer (I'm trying to be so much less serious than I used to be), but I do consider myself definitely in the "writer" camp of typewriting rather than "collector" camp. I'm pretty much allergic to typewriter collecting, I could never imagine having anything more than three. My Royal Empress (which as far as I'm concerned is just a KMM in a fancy dress) is my buddy for life. It would be very hard to convince me to use anything else. So easy to service and lube and built like a tank. I've never seen a manual with a more powerful mechanism either; even a light touch gives a great print. KMMs are like Toyotas, they might not be fancy, they might not be sexy, but give em basic maintenance and they'll run forever.
Wish I had this when I was in the market for a typewriter! That being said, I have to put in a vote for the Hermes Standards! I use my Standard 8 every day and it’s just the best.
Most enjoyable video, Joe, thanks. However, I think you should have mentioned the difference between Pica and Elite on the manual models which, for writers such as myself, is of great importance with regards to line length and page word count.
as a writer who writes a lot, i can only recommend using a typewriter with a ink ribbon, the carbon ribbons that can be corrected just don't last long enough
I am not a collector, but I am a writer.... of my daily journals and musings about life. From my Dad (1915 - 2005), I inherited his 1926 Royal Standard #10 which he used for decades..... and the Adler J5 portable manual that I bought him new in 1975 for his 60th birthday. Unfortunately, the 1926 Royal.... although everything works.... needs a good cleaning and some tweaking and I don't know of anyone in or close to North Carolina who could fix it properly. It is too heavy for me to pack and ship. The Adler J5 works perfectly, but I wanted an older typewriter with glass keys. So I bought two. A 1947 Smith Corona Silent which is really nice and..... ta da..... my absolute favorite..... a 1948 two-toned Royal Quiet Deluxe. Bingo. I love love love my 1948 Royal Quiet Deluxe and use it every single day !!!! I debated between a Quiet Deluxe and a KMM. I'm sure that the KMM would have been equally wonderful.....
I notoced you skipped the SCM 6 series like the Galaxie ... Was that for time? I've found that the 6 series manuals will take an insane amount.of abuse and neglect and will still type acceptably.
I'm a woman. Most women have small hands and slender fingers when compared to men (whom the machines were designed for, imho). Having machine keys that I can easily hit is important. I have tired many manual machines where my finger ends up jammed between keys as I just miss hitting a small faced key, where a man with large fingers * will * hit that key because his finger is too big to slip between the keys. The other important thing, to me, is that the machine is designed in such a way that you can get a strong key strike against the paper from a short distance of the key pressed down. Iow, many machines I have tired do not strike against the paper as hard as they should because my stroke is not strong enough, the distance the key must be pushed down to get the bar to strike hard against the paper is long. Some manual machines, though, hit and and true against the paper (and ribbon) when I press down just a bit, iow, the ratio of keg strike is different. Those, for my small hands and fingers, are the deal breakers for me.
I was lucky in that my grandfather was a writer himself, and had a small collection of typewriters he ended up giving to me. Smith Corona daisy wheel typewriter ended up being the most comfortable for me, and I still use it daily for writing screenplays
Type writers are so cool. A mechanical marvel. I think theyre only going to get more and more collectable as hipsters discover them. I think they change your thinking system too as you cant count on infinite editing
@@Joe_VanCleave thinking about putting words together. I don't expect typewriters to reveal the meaning of life but you have to use your brain more to plan sentences etc perhaps. Of course I expect most writers wrote 1st drafts with pen/pencil maybe before taking it to the type writer.
Please remember that just because a typewriter is listed as "working" doesn't mean it is actually usable. There are several important things to look for when buying a typewriter. You would be well advised to look up videos on buying used typewriters and refurbishing them, not because you'll have to, but because it will teach you things to watch for. I'm told that the skipping on Royals is most commonly the result of you not following through on your stroke and you getting essentially "key bounce". So typing technique is important, particularly the desktop models like the HH/E/P Be careful of the daisy wheels. They occasionally break, especially as the plastic ages. ONE broken letter makes the whole thing useless. The type balls also didn't really catch on either because of problems unique to them. The traditional lever and type bar just works all day long and that's why it survived.
Interesting to see which typewriters I do and don't have in my collection. For years I was happy with the typewriter that hid in my basement. I bought it on a lark when I wasn't even old enough to drink, and it just hid in the basement for the past 20+ years. I even moved it from Pennsylvania to North Dakota. But I brought it out a few years ago and started using it. Use and some cleaning loosened it up. And I discovered the joy of typing on a mechanical typewriter. My ideas just started to flow. It was a Smith-Corona Silent-Super. My next one with a Smith-Corona Classic 12. It was amazing, and I really liked the features on it. Later I got an Olympia SM-7 with math and science characters. My degree is in Physics, so I naturally loved it. Unfortunately, it does lack important characters like quotes, so it gets less use than it should. I picked up an Underwood SX from 1955. Not amazing, but a good machine. And today, I picked up an Underwood 3 to 5 (need to research which). It is going to be an exciting machine once I get it cleaned. It feels really good and I love the view inside it! For now, my favorite is the Smith-Corona Silent-Super, and not just because it's my first. It really feels amazing to type on it! But I really enjoy switching around between machines. Usually one is set up in the living room, and the big typewriter is set up at one end of my kitchen table.
For anyone interested in the daisy wheel typewriters but are worried about the slight delay after each key stroke, I've found that the delay varies drastically between models and brands. For instance, my brother ax trails so far behind that I completely lose my rhythm listening to it clack over me. On the other hand, my Sharp PA 3100 is so snappy that I don't notice any delay whatsoever, unless I purposely mash keys like a mad man and force it to play catch up. Great video. I hope this helps.
By the Gods, I must have 9 or 10 typewriters; My father's IBM Selectric, Several Royal standards, standard wide. and wide carrige. A 1927 Underwood, Olympia SM3 and SM4 portables, Royal portable, Smith-Corona portable, My mother's Olivetti portable, and a Cyrillic portable !! Most were local farmers' market finds; $20 - $40.
In my younger years of life I owned several typewriters and loved them all. It would be great to own another, however, they are not easy to come by (in the UK, at least). If you are lucky enough to find one in working order it is next to impossible to find the inked ribbons for a specific model - let alone replacement ribbon cassettes. Also, typewriters of any type (sans the ribbon) are mega expensive. Do you have better luck in the US finding these beautiful machines? I wish they were still manufactured here. I’m not a collector - just a person who preferred to use a typewriter. There is something very satisfying about the sound of the keys hitting the paper in this ‘mindful’ way to write.
I’ve noticed here in the States when people “get into” typewriters that they often amass a sizable collection in short order. Yes, they are available. As for cloth ribbons, there is no shortage, people sell them on Amazon, and Etsy, and there are also several ribbon makers too.
Joe I've wat he'd many of your photography videos. I had no idea you were a typewriter guy too. This video is perfect timing for me. I will be an occasional writer typing notes to my grandchildren. I think a small portable is just right for me. Maybe a Royal Dart or Futura. Maybe once or twice a month.
Great video. Surprised that you didn't recommend the Royal KMM, as they are fantastic to write on for extended periods, and are easy to find and cheap.
Very informative vid, first time coming across your channel. :) Question for you, though - for someone like me who has a high WPM ( not bragging, I swear), I find myself struggling to adjust to my Brother Charger 11, so I wonder if I am better suited for something like the electric Singer (for example) since it doens't really require 'heavy' typing?
Yes, electric machines are very suitable for fast typists! Smith-Corona made them with manual or powered carriage returns, depending on your preference.
This advice is very practical. In my years of on-again-off-again typewriter collecting I rarely found a machine that was truly terrible to use, unless the machine didn't work properly in the first place. Finding a well maintained machine is really the key, more so than going with once specific brand, and I think the only way brand really comes in is if one is notable for breaking allot. Some of the best feeling machines I used would be machines that a collector would looks down on, like the Olivetti-Underwood 319. If you have a well maintained typewriter and don't like the way it operates, you just switch it out until you find one that works. The individual feel between brands is all subjective so that's on the end user to figure out. Just make sure it works right before you judge.
Another excellent video, Joe. I have an old Underwood from the 30s I think, gifted to me. I also own a Brother Charger 11 portable that I got for Christmas when I was a kid. Currently using it write some stuff.
Im 34. Im using an Olympia Traveller. It was a gift from my aunt, its my first typewriter and I love it. Maybe in the future I would like to buy a full metal machine, no plastic. Im in love with mine.
I own an Optima Elite 3 and a KMart branded Brother JP-1 and although the Optima is superior mechanically and aesthetically I always enjoy typing on the Brother more, it's clunkier but it just has the air of an unpretentious workhorse about it and JP-1 variants are as common/cheap as crabgrass. Thanks for shouting out ekectronic daisy wheel machines too, I have a bunch of these from both Brother and Smith Corona and they don't get enough love as writing tools imo. The ubiquitous Smith Corona 5A (a zillion variants) is cheap and plentiful and often as close as your local thrift store. I think theyre quite satisfying to type on; look for one of the larger models though with the nicer paper bail and left edge guide.
Excellent lecture on typewriters and the fun of typing. A very enjoyable tour. Thank you. I had an Imperial ( present from a girlfriend ). Alas, the relationship foundered, but the Imperial clattered on.
Thanks Joe. Twenty minutes after watching this video I went for a bicycle ride in my neighborhood. I spotted a typewriter case amongst other household goods out by the curb in front of a house. The case was a sea foam green color. I opened the case to find a, you guessed it, a Hermes 3000. I knocked on the front door of the house to confirm this was a freebie. Indeed it was. I asked the owner if I could leave it by his front door and I'd be back post haste to retrieve it with my car. All the while trying to remain calm and casually indifferent. The serial number places it as a 1960 machine. I am going through it to ring it out. The carriage seems to have issues but there are no signs of damage so it could be my ignorance of this machine and who knows how many years of dormancy. The case had the original owner's manual and two original brushes in it. I found the key to the case INSIDE the typewriter along with a jumbo paper clip. The machine is dirty with patina of a well-used machine machine but with some TLC (and maybe some expert help) I'll have it back on the road. Also I found two pieces of a rubber grommet inside. Don't know where they came from. Do these machine suffer from the same grommet issue as the Olympia SM-3s?
I doubt ur story pal, sorry!
Follow-up, I discovered I am not a fan of the Hermes 3000. I sold it yesterday. I am an Olympia typewriter fan for sure. None better for me.
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@@jesushermosillo8656 All the 🌎 too.
You could ask your queries on r/typewriters
I sold an Underwood Typewriter over the weekend to a Vietnam Vet. His goal is to write his memories of his experience in the war before he forgets. It was a very emotional sale.
Good on you!
Welcome back to the analog world. I rediscovered this world four years ago with turntables and hi-fi stereo equipment. Like you I learned that the old stuff was tough and built to last. They also feel nice to use, I’m currently getting into typewriters and fountain pens. 😊
YAY!!! My Royal Quiet De Luxe. I love it, it fits my needs perfectly!
Joe, this was great, as always. I've watched it several times and can't agree with you more. I am the proud owner of 15 machines that range from a 1938 Royal KHM to a 199x's Brother GX6750 (the same one John Meyer uses in California Typewriter). I am a writer and absolutely love my machines for all my writing drafts until I have to submit electronic copies for the magazines and other publishing sources that won't accept a mailed, typewritten, manuscript. I love your channel and watch it religiously. Keep doing your great creative work and I'll look forward to the next video!
Thank you!
Joe, this is an absolutely outstanding overview of the typewriter landscape....whether or not the original questioner takes advantage of this information, there are untold thousands who will for years to come....
Thank you so much for responding so quickly with such a detailed video! Loved your explanation of each type of typewriter- it was super helpful :)
Unfortunately, as far as getting (and maintaining) a typewriter is concerned, it's going to be more difficult than I thought because I'm based in India. Typewriter repair shops here are going to be extremely hard to find- and I'm not sure many exist.
The charm of manual typewriters like the ones you showed initially is undeniable, but I would like something that is portable, electronic and easy to maintain. Another factor is the sound- I personally don't mind it but it can become an issue if I go somewhere like a library or a cafe where it can bug some people.
I will keep looking, though. I'm not planning to get myself one immediately- perhaps within the next two years 🙈
If you could mention a few reliable online platforms where I can purchase well-maintained typewriters, that would be really helpful!
Thanks again for your prompt response. :)
I believe India is one of the few countries with some legacy typewriter infrastructure. You were one of the last places to shut down new machine production. There is a brand, who’s name I have forgotten, that is popular there. I would recommend researching what is available locally and following the good advice given in this video.
@@saulysw I think you can find a lot of manual typewriters in India, but maintaining them is the real problem. I know somebody who owns 8-9 old typewriters that have just been rusting away for at least 20 years in his attic because he has no use for them now (he needed them for his job back in the 70's and 80's). Thing is, there is such a lack of places that can restore them. As for electric typewriters, they weren't very popular here, as far as I know. I will keep searching for a few good repair places though
Mid century portable manuals are the most trouble free in my experience and they work anywhere without power. I don’t have a standard so can’t comment. Some manuals are almost as easy to fill a page as an electric. Electrics are easier and more consistent but you have more things to go wrong and the issue with needing power at the right voltage, etc. For example, I get mis hits on my manuals, particularly ‘a’, electrics won’t have this issue. Mid century Smith Coronas while not having the best type feel are the most trouble free and easy to work on yourself. I live in a dry climate so I haven’t had any rust to deal with. Local machine in humid climates have a lot more of that. There are a number of dealers that sell fully serviced machines in North America and Europe.
One thing I didn't mention in the video are thermal typewriters. While their ribbon cartridges are no longer made, you can use them directly with thermal paper (like fax paper, also available in letter-sized sheets). Most of them are battery powered, hence portable, and very quiet in operation. My most recent is the Canon Typestar 220, it produces very nice print on thermal paper.
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I am what is commonly known in some circles as first. In addition, the fantastic video is appreciated. Thank you.
If you’re gonna be that guy, at least you had the good sense to do it with style. Thanks for sparing us the mundane.
@@BooksForever Happy to add character to the comment section. Thank you for your kind words.
This raises an interesting point. Twenty years ago I would've said, forget typewriters -- you'll need to get that text into a computer and optical character reading (OCR) is not perfect. It is now. So type your manuscript, take photos of it with your phone, drag that text onto your computer's word processor.
I typed for years. First on an Underwood portable, then on a Smith Corona in college, later on an IBM Selectric. Then on a Canon word processor. I could type, backspace and correct my mistakes (I make a lot) and then the memory could print out a clean copy. Made me very happy. Then I got a Mac IIci and WordPerfect. I was in heaven. (I only used Word enough to loathe it. Now I use Nisus Writer, I got it because I could write in Chinese in 2002, it wasn't Microsoft, and I got used to it. Still miss WordPerfect.)
First, skip manuals unless you're a one or two finger typist. They're too slow, the keys take a lot of force. (My mom could poke holes in a Cybertruck with her fingers. You can't.)
So my advice typewriter fetishists? Get an IBM Selectric. Probably the II. That correction feature is great. (If I still used Witeout (I actually do) I'd have a hairdryer on my desk.) Buy a Selectric, try it out for a few months. Like it? Buy or find a couple of back up machines (people will have them in their attics) stockpile the ribbons, cartridges.... get your brother or sister to marry a typewriter repair person.
A Selectric will work well for years and then one day it'll just stop working and need servicing. (I can had have fixed almost anything. I never had a clue why the Selectric stopped working.) They have a lot of moving parts. Very reliable but it will inevitably break down. (I see that they are sold online anywhere from $200 to $1200.... Probably your best bet would be to just ask everyone you know if anyone, or their grandparents, have one in the attic. I wouldn't buy a cheap one on eBay - too many things arrive not working, the seller lies, blames you, eBay does a lot of business with them -- they keep most of your money. eBay doesn't care, won't even respond.) If you go vintage electric, always have a back up or you'll get burned at the worst possible moment. If you can do manual, and you get a good manual machine -- it'll probably last forever.
For typing on a computer a lot of young people love the clicky mechanical keys. These are exactly like the Selectric. That is their 'grand daddy.' If you become a touch typist and speed up, but make a lot of errors... try a keyboard with keys that have a shorter travel distance.
I prefer the MacBook Pro keyboard, actually the Magic Keyboard that's bluetooth. Being anywhere near the big track pad after 2016 causes random jumps of the cursor. (For two years I had it 'dampened' with a sheet of teflon taped over it.) Finally I had a permanent key jam and Apple Care replaced my 2016 keyboard and track pad (the whole top) with a 2018 version. Much better. I couldn't type on the 2016 without the cursor randomly jumping to another part of my text every single minute. Apple never acknowledged that this was an issue. (I tried dozens of machines in Apple Stores all over the world -- they all had that problem.) So I've been using blue tooth keyboards since then. My 2022 MacBook Pro still has some of this cursor jumping nonsense -- my 2011 never did it, not even once. (I directly compared it to the 2016 a couple times. )
Now that 2016 keyboard is well known as an utter failure. Dust got in it and it jammed. They were recalled and replaced (after Apple spent a year denying there was a problem.) What was great for me was the shorter travel distance. My fingertips still hurt a little from this.. nothing permenant. What this shorter travel did for me was to completely eliminate transposed letters (pAple, hte....). This was a happy surprise. For decades I just assumed this was all my fault.
I also put big letter stickers on the keyboard. (They all have horrible sticky, slide all over the place) Even though I'm a touch typist I still glance down enough that this is an issue. (Who ever thought thin gray letters on off white was a good idea should be made to wear clown shoes.) I also put hot glue 'pips' on home keys, the odd numbers (didn't think you could touch type numbers... well, try it.) Some arcs of hot glue on some punctuation marks... My precious Apple designed Magic Keyboard looks like a ransom note with all those stickers that never stop sliding around.
Even after more than 50 years of typing (I started in 7th grade) I still screw up punctuation. So long as there is a 'Caps Lock' key no one is thinking about you when they make keyboards.
Thank you, great thoughts!
Great video! Last week I found a 1969 IBM Selectric in a trash pile behind an office in town.
I picked up a Silent from my work the other day. It looks like it was thrown down some stairs and was absolutely abused. I figured it was a good project since I can always call it a lost cause since it was free. Got into it, took a few days of careful cleaning and disassembly. I could still clean a few spots but it’s all working again. All those bent keys, broken and missing screws, slipped springs, all back to normal. I love it. It sat for a bit, but I watched a few of your videos and took the plunge to fix it. Now I have a manual! I love my electrics, but there’s something awesome about manuals.
I typed on every machine you ever mentioned above as they came into the market! Well, maybe some were there sightly before I was. But I DO recollect the trudge from the little portable Corona to the astounding Selectric Ball. But, sadly concerning the Selectric, writing at 2am in a three-flat building enraged my sleep-jdeprived neighbors. These mechines (Selectric, not neighbors) were very quiet in an office setting, but really banged the platen at 3am. But, eventually, I 'transitioned' - not surgically but to an LED scree thing with idiot tapes to the first Weird Processor. DOD word processor, green text on a black screen. Magical. No more white-out, cross out, re-typing! I rarely used a Mac but Wordperfect was the go-to.
Now? Word and Dragon Naturally Speaking, various AI tools, and this little Alien Nerd from the Arcturus system who tells me what to write the prepare the Humanoids for a mass invasion and enslavement, fdefeating us with sweets, drugs, medical gurus, idiot entertainments, and deteriorating currency values.
They are not here yet, he/it tells me.
I remember those green-on-black weird processors. Good memories. And be careful with that little Alien Nerd, he isn’t what he seems to be!
Joe,what a great video of examples and history. Most excellent 👍👏
Thank you, I watch all your videos, I'm from Russia, I have a "lyubava" typewriter, it's a clone of the German Eric 40, thanks to one of your videos I bought a bluetooth keyboard and type through my phone
After losing all faith in computers in recent months, I should get myself a typewriter and send a manuscript to a literary agent the old fashioned way.
Thank you so much. Just found this video since I'm looking for a good typewriter...love the IBM Selectric that I used for many years as a legal assistant. After watching this, I think I'd love to own the Underwood 5. Great, informative video.
Interesting... I wonder if anyone has ever attempted a purely manual daisy wheel typewriter?
It's a silly notion for now-a-days. But it would have some interesting advantages, including being able to change the font.
The mechanism would be pretty simple. I haven't fully formed it my mind yet but it doesn't seem overly complex yet.
Just a weird thought.
There were manual typewriters with type cylinders that were interchangeable.
I don't write much any more, but I used to get a lot of mileage from an Olivetti Lettera 35 - medium size portable with soild build, common, fairly cheap still - at least in the UK. I got a Lettera 22 after than and really like it, though it's a different experience. Good for short fiction though, and has a long list of reputable users if you start looking at who wrote on what! Another Lettera model I got was the 32, which I did *not* like at first - hated the teal colour, thought it looked boxy, the keys were a weird square shape, the space bar was very thin - and yet, it's somehow a great little machine to type on.
It's also the case that Olympias here in the UK are cheaper and more common than the SC 5 series or Royals. The SM series are lovely things.
I love to write on my '46 Royal QDL, but also have a soft spot for my '46 Remington Deluxe Model 5. I know it might not be the very best for writers being a carriage shift, but something about it just feels good to me. I find myself missing it when I put it away.
Yeah some of these models are not really easy to come by outside of the USA. Here in Europe the Olympia and Triumph / Adler, as well as the east german Erika models, are a lot easier to come by and often pretty cheap too. I kinda feel like wanting to try a Smith Corona SCM at one point but they really tend to be a lot more expensive than other models.
As a writer I've used the Royal FP, an absolute tank of a desktop, used by writers like Herb Caen of the San Francisco Chronicle, and more recently I acquired an Olivetti Lettera 22, which I am using to write my first novel. It's worth noting that both typewriters lasted well into the careers of many authors; the Royal FP was Herb Caen's 'Loyal Royal', or the typewriter he would use to write up all of his articles, and the Lettera 22 and its sister, the Lettera 32 were used by writers like Leonard Coen, Gunter Grass, (allegedly Thomas Pynchon), and of course Cormac McCarthy used his Lettera 32 throughout his entire career with minimal maintenance besides blowing the dust out with a service station hose. Both of them fit the bill for being excellent writer's typewriters, though if I had to choose I'd say the Lettera really wins me over.
I used an Olivetti Lettera 32 through college. Sometimes wonder what happened to it after my sister was done with it after she graduated.
I dig that green front on your Underwood 5!
If I'm not mistaken - the Smith-Coronas daisy wheel Electronic typewriters do not have a delay that is all that noticeable as compared to the Brothers.
I think you're right, especially the ones without the built-in spell check dictionary.
The KMM didn't get any screen time???
Way back in the 60's and 70's, I typed a whole lot!
Wrote my Senators, Congressman, Governor, etc.
These fools either ignored my letters OR sent me back a form lettter on a totally unrelated topic!
And THAT'S when I gave up!
But, when I wrote these same guys, ON AN OFFICE LETTERHEAD, indicating that I was, indeed, someone with "pull" in my community?
Geeze, they wrote back (or had a staff member write) a very nice, seriously respectful letter.
And when I qualified for a "Professional License" in my state? They fell all over themselves to offer "Congratulations" and "Best Wishes"!
What a bunch of useless tools 🔧.
I have been missing the typewriter 40 years ago. A disadvantage of the typewriter is that it has only one typeface. Otherwise, everything else is right about that good-old machine. I learned typewriting on an antique Oliver black typewriter. Guess what? I liked it. I appreciated typewriting that I typed my own homework assignment sheets, and wanted to use typewriter more than a ball-point pen except to write my signature. The IBM Selectric was my first favorite typewriter. Its keys were very comfortable and they enhanced my accuracy. I have one at home, but have not used it since the late 1990s decade.
Best-selling author Sue Grafton typed many of the Alphabet novels on an IBM Wheelwriter. Don't be afraid of electronic machines! You can get them refurbished for a good price. You have the added benefit of many different type faces and sizes.
I have most of these machines and would not do ANY serious writing with a silent super or QDL as they require too much bearing down to type. The Hermes and Olympia are way snappier and easier to type on. For long typing sessions I prefer the royal model O or any royal from the 40s and earlier with the tombstone glass topped keys as those tend to be very responsive typers.
A writer needs an electric typewriter. Unless you want to deal with permanent blisters ...
Wimp.
For writing real writing with a typewriter definitely an IBM Wheelwriter or similar... could not have the charm of a SM3 or H3K but they are the best to write... believe me I have an IBM 6474 and they are a m a z i n g ...
I've heard wheelwriters have issues with plastic parts getting brittle over time vs. Selectrics(my personal choice)
Could you do ASMR with a typewriter on RUclips shorts?
Bro, I thought ribbon is the issue so I bought a new ribbon and replaced it but I'm facing an issue.. when I start writing it prints dark but after a few words it gets lighter and lighter..
Sounds like the ribbon spools aren’t turning. It needs to move slightly with every key press, so fresh ribbon is available. A common cause is the ribbon drive parts need to be degreased and cleaned.
@@Joe_VanCleave how can I make them turn!
@@Joe_VanCleave Brendan Raftery when I adjust one the next stops moving and when I adjust the other one then the 1st one starts moving..
@@deadpoet9392 Remove the ribbon and spools and examine how the drive system works. Those small pivoting pieces that function to move the spool platforms need their pivot points cleaned and degreased. Use alcohol and a mascara brush.
@@Joe_VanCleave thanks yeah now it's advancing... thanks alot for reply
I am so jealous of the people with typewriters.
You should get one!
Don't be jealous. Be gay.
@@Joe_VanCleave Buying. Of course.
Christmas
Great vid! I remember starting college and not having enough $ to get a computer and a printer to write my essays for class... So instead I bought a used and really cheap manual typewriter in Salvation Army ($25). It was Royal Quiet Deluxe in all black with chrome keys and a nice carrying case. I took it home, cleaned it from dust, oiled it, bought a new ink ribbon and typed all my college essays on it. Still have it!
That’s a great story!
@@Joe_VanCleave thank you! My typewriter was made in 1944 so at the end of WW2. Neat.
I think another good option for a writer is the sm9, or the sg3. Those are machines that do not cause problems and also those from the 70s are usually available at a low price. great video Joe! greetings from Argentina!
Does Argentina exist yet?
@@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536 Yes, but it will not cry for you.
I love how throughout the video he struggles with the concept of someone wanting to use a typewriter and yet not wanting to horde them.
Lmaoo
Thanks for all your videos Joe. I have been considering an OLYMPIA SM3 for my first typewriter in many many years. Finding a good source in the UK is difficult, but your videos are certainly helping. Do your have any sourcing tips or UK contacts you can share?
Try these people: www.mrmrsvintagetypewriters.com/
@@Joe_VanCleave Excellent, thank you so much. I really appreciate your reply.
Can't beat an Olivetti Lettera 32!
The Underwood Lettera 32 was the first typewriter I owned. I was fortunate to have it while I was a high school student in 1970. The last typewriter I owned since 1985 is the IBM Selectric typewriter. It is my favorite one. The keys have a superb touch.
Cormac mccarthy would agree :D
I have an Olympia SG3 as my large desktop machine. I never use it, though, as despite all the wonderful things I have heard about it, it simply isn't as nice to use I as expected it would be. The most satisfying machine to use, as far a "feel" goes, would probably be my Adler Tippa. It is just so unbelievably light and crisp. It's not quite a robust, though, and seems more prone to needing little adjustments and maintenance. I've got an Olympia Traveller de Luxe that I really never planned on owning simply because I think they are ugly as sin... but I have to admit that the thing "just works" no matter how much it is neglected. I've got a Smith Corona Galaxie Twelve that took a bit to adjust to (it's the first American typewriter I have ever owned) but once I was used to the layout, I came to realize that it is just an unbelievable workhorse. Easy to type on. Crisp, clear, straight typing. Rugged and tough. If I needed a machine to take with me on a trip and I needed to know the machine would work no matter what, it would probably be that Galaxie Twelve. My favorite machine, though, when I balance build quality, styling, and usability, is my Olympia Splendid 33. It did the impossible and dethroned my 1943 Imperial Good Companion as "favorite". The honeymoon phase just never seems to end with the Splendid 33.
I had an SG3 for a while and found the mass and weight of the carriage excessive. I agree with you about the Splendid 33, they live up to their name.
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My daughter asked how many typewriters I have and I had to go and count them. It was *only* 7 but that's when I knew I had an issue. It's all Joe's fault.
Remington 17 KMC would be my recommendation from my collection for serious writing. Feels good.
I am a writer and I have an Olympia Splendid 33, which I really enjoy but I'd love to own a SM one day. I only own 2 typewriters but I only use my Olympia because I feel it is well-built and smooth to use. While I write mostly digitally on my laptop, I use my typewriter whenever I want to work on a creative idea that needs a deep flow or deep focus. In this way, I can write from my creative voice, without it being filtered and hampered by self-criticism.
I really enjoy your videos Joe, thank you for sharing your passion.
Thank you, Jennifer, I’m always intrigued when I hear from writers about how they incorporate typewriters in their process.
Great video, very informative!
Greetings from Austria! :)
I bought a Smith Corona Galaxie II for $20 from a small thrift store in the middle of nowhere and restored her for 110. I love her like the daughter I’ll probably never have.
I love typewriters.
That’s a great story! Write on!
@@Joe_VanCleave
I love writing, it’s my passion, and writing letters on an old manual typewriter, then sealing them with wax is an amazing feeling.
I've become obsessed with typewriters... whoops 😬
There are worse problems! Actually, finding room for them while maintaining "domestic tranquility" is the challenge!
Don't be obsessed. Be gay.
The Olympias have a spring counterbalance for the shift, which is adjustable. So you are not pushing the whole weight of the carriage. There are two springs, one either side of the carriage at the back. Every machine I have seen is at the factory default heaviest setting. It makes some difference to increasing the spring tension - making the shift lighter. Note that you don't turn the screw to adjust, you lift it up and twist the nut - which makes more sense when you look at it.
If I had to write a book and had to use just one of my machines to do it, which one would I choose? Hmmmm. A very tough question, actually. I think probably my Facit TP2, which has a super smooth return. The SC 5 series is also a totally viable choice, the return is usually a bit grindy though in comparison. The Olympia SM's are too noisy for me (sharp "thwack" that gives you a headache after a few pages) and the old standards are great too but are a bit heavy to type on and glass top keys are not so ergonomic of long sessions. I have three Facit TP1's and none of them are quite as good as my TP2, and that is just the condition of those particular machines, but it goes to show that the exact machine, rather than some generic advice, is important here. You need to feel completely comfortable on it to get a whole book out, and it needs to be reliable in terms of ribbon advance/return and no skipping. Part of why I collect is to find the right machine for the writing I want to do. The Hermes 3000 would do the job too, nicely, but I just find them a little bland in the typeface. If you go electric, may as well go all the way and just do it on a computer, you are half way there already. JMHO.
Indeed! The problem with the two Splendid I have is that these springs (they are at both sides of the basket on them instead of the back) became so weak, that It is your finger taking it on against the entire weight of their heavy carriages. I am still looking for the perfect ones. Too strong and the carriage will fall back slowly, too weak and it will be a weight lifting session for your fingers. :) But I love the feel of typing on them. It is kind of unique to Olympias.
My Olympia SM7 has the same adjustment as well and it makes a world of difference...the finger pressure is now very light and comparable to any basket shift typewriters.
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Thanks for the great video! I have another question about typewriters for writers (I am currently using a Hermes Baby). I am looking for the most optimal typewriters in terms of light typing - as I suffer from occasional carpal tunnel/inflammations of sorts. Basically, I'm looking for a typewriter that needs as little pressure put in typing as possible.
An electric machine would have the lightest touch. IBM Selectric, electrified type-bar machine or electronic daisywheel machines would all have the lightest touch.
@@Joe_VanCleave thank you! Love this channel by the way. Watching it for several years now.
Nicely done Joe. As I've noted many times in the past, as far as writing tools go I have found the earlier Olympia SM9 models to be the best machine for me overall. But it was only through the experience of owning and trying many more brands/models (from ultraportables to standards) that I came to fully appreciate the SM9 as compared to the rest. I realize that I've been very fortunate to have experienced the large variety of typewriters that I have. But we all like different things and those who do get to experience many different typewriters are sure to develop their own favorites as far as writing tools go. For those who aren't so fortunate, your video(s) provide some great guidance.
The sound of typing 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
😊😊😊😊😊😊
@@Joe_VanCleave 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Typewriter ribbon? You can get them from Amazon, or contact Ribbons Unlimited.
What are your thoughts on the Adler J5 as typewriters for moderate-to-heavy use? I'm not quite the novelist type of typist, but I type personal essays/letters on a frequent basis.
Alders, like most German machines, are solidly built. If properly serviced it will give years of use.
23:30 - I know you are talking about hearing the sound delay may be off putting. But if anyone worry about typing fast, the delay shouldn't effect fast typing. It'll remember what you press even if its still processing the first letter of the word.
Depending on the typewriter, you can also type up a document before it begins printing it. Some allows storage on the floppy drive.
This video was extremely informative and also functions as an excellent overview of typewriters in general. I use a Royal KMM from 1948 and it is my all time favorite.
Hi Joe. I was so inspired and excited watching your videos , as a budding writer that I went out and got myself an Olympia SM4. It is a stunning typewriter in incredible condition and it works brilliantly. Even when I take a break from writing , I just sit and admire what a beauty it really is . Thank you again for your excellent videos .
Congrats!
If you are a writer, and doesn't want to write on computer, why not choose an electronic typewriter or better a word processor like brother wp-1?
I am a collector but for working really, writing, as an author, I highly recommend you an electronic typewriter or word processor typewriter
I’m a collector not a writer but I still found this thoroughly interesting. I’ve owned at one time or another all of the models you mentioned with the exception of the Selectric. I love that you started with the Underwood 5 which is so often underestimated because of its more antique appearance. I was surprised your KMM didn’t make the list, but if it was a choice between the Underwood and the Royal I’m glad you chose the Underwood.
Alas, my mention of the KMM got cut in the edit, but I do recommend any of the large standard Royals, they are true workhorses.
The Belgian Georges Simenon wrote a Book The Couple from Poitiers and many others with a Typewriter in Paris France and Connecticut USA and the book The Couple from Poitiers according to Wikipedia is autobiographical.
I really enjoyed this! I bought a 1939 Royal portable from a thrift store back in 1992 for about $30, and used it throughout the 90s. It always made my fingers sore though, so I wound up not really using it much. Last summer I found an amazing typewriter store in Port Townsend, WA, and the owner agreed to trade my Royal for a big beautiful beast, an SCM electric machine circa late 60s. I love it! It's so much easier to use. Yes it's noisy and weighs a TON, but it's never a pain to operate! 😊
I found my first typewriter (a grey Olympia SM4) on Facebook Marketplace in great condition back in 2018 or 2019 for $50, which was a pretty decent score back then. Imagine my sticker shock now in 2024 after I got curious and looked up the current secondhand prices for that same machine. I'm so glad I bought it all those years ago and never traded or sold it. 🤣It's my workhorse and go-to machine anytime I have the desire to take a break from my computer and write with one of my typewriters.
Wow! That Singer was basically the SmithCorona I had in high school. It worked well, but I really found the constant whirring sound of the motor and drive belt to be really annoying. However, in a strange way, it actually kept me focused, as that noise made it hard to ignore. It actually made me feel like any time not typing was wasted time--not to mention wasting electricity!
As mentioned by someone else, an Olympia SM8 or SM9 would be a great option for a writer, and they have a segment/basket shift! (as opposed to the carriage shift from the earlier models). Very comfortable and easy to use for an extended period of time.
I don't really consider myself a "serious" writer (I'm trying to be so much less serious than I used to be), but I do consider myself definitely in the "writer" camp of typewriting rather than "collector" camp. I'm pretty much allergic to typewriter collecting, I could never imagine having anything more than three.
My Royal Empress (which as far as I'm concerned is just a KMM in a fancy dress) is my buddy for life. It would be very hard to convince me to use anything else. So easy to service and lube and built like a tank. I've never seen a manual with a more powerful mechanism either; even a light touch gives a great print. KMMs are like Toyotas, they might not be fancy, they might not be sexy, but give em basic maintenance and they'll run forever.
I agree, those Royals are awesome writing tools. I’m very interested in hearing more from the “writer camp” of typewriter users, thank you!
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Wish I had this when I was in the market for a typewriter! That being said, I have to put in a vote for the Hermes Standards! I use my Standard 8 every day and it’s just the best.
Most enjoyable video, Joe, thanks. However, I think you should have mentioned the difference between Pica and Elite on the manual models which, for writers such as myself, is of great importance with regards to line length and page word count.
Yes, I should mention that … perhaps in another video!? Thank you!
as a writer who writes a lot, i can only recommend using a typewriter with a ink ribbon, the carbon ribbons that can be corrected just don't last long enough
Thank you!
I am not a collector, but I am a writer.... of my daily journals and musings about life. From my Dad (1915 - 2005), I inherited his 1926 Royal Standard #10 which he used for decades..... and the Adler J5 portable manual that I bought him new in 1975 for his 60th birthday. Unfortunately, the 1926 Royal.... although everything works.... needs a good cleaning and some tweaking and I don't know of anyone in or close to North Carolina who could fix it properly. It is too heavy for me to pack and ship. The Adler J5 works perfectly, but I wanted an older typewriter with glass keys. So I bought two. A 1947 Smith Corona Silent which is really nice and..... ta da..... my absolute favorite..... a 1948 two-toned Royal Quiet Deluxe. Bingo. I love love love my 1948 Royal Quiet Deluxe and use it every single day !!!! I debated between a Quiet Deluxe and a KMM. I'm sure that the KMM would have been equally wonderful.....
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I notoced you skipped the SCM 6 series like the Galaxie ... Was that for time? I've found that the 6 series manuals will take an insane amount.of abuse and neglect and will still type acceptably.
I wanted to cut the length. As I said, this wasn’t a thorough review of all portable typewriters either.😊
But I did mention a 6-series electric, the Singer!
@@Joe_VanCleave Yes - I did take note of that.😁 It was a well done tumble through the possibilities.
All excellent picks. Hermes typewriters are superb. My main typewriter is a Smith-Corona Silent-Super. Both can handle heavy daily use.
I'm a woman. Most women have small hands and slender fingers when compared to men (whom the machines were designed for, imho). Having machine keys that I can easily hit is important. I have tired many manual machines where my finger ends up jammed between keys as I just miss hitting a small faced key, where a man with large fingers * will * hit that key because his finger is too big to slip between the keys. The other important thing, to me, is that the machine is designed in such a way that you can get a strong key strike against the paper from a short distance of the key pressed down. Iow, many machines I have tired do not strike against the paper as hard as they should because my stroke is not strong enough, the distance the key must be pushed down to get the bar to strike hard against the paper is long. Some manual machines, though, hit and and true against the paper (and ribbon) when I press down just a bit, iow, the ratio of keg strike is different.
Those, for my small hands and fingers, are the deal breakers for me.
The IBM Selectric 1 is a work of art
Yes.👍.
I’m a multi-pubbed author and I write my rough drafts on a 1963 Olympia SM5.
I was lucky in that my grandfather was a writer himself, and had a small collection of typewriters he ended up giving to me. Smith Corona daisy wheel typewriter ended up being the most comfortable for me, and I still use it daily for writing screenplays
Type writers are so cool. A mechanical marvel. I think theyre only going to get more and more collectable as hipsters discover them. I think they change your thinking system too as you cant count on infinite editing
That is an intriguing idea, they can change your thinking. I’m gonna chew on that!
@@Joe_VanCleave thinking about putting words together. I don't expect typewriters to reveal the meaning of life but you have to use your brain more to plan sentences etc perhaps. Of course I expect most writers wrote 1st drafts with pen/pencil maybe before taking it to the type writer.
Please remember that just because a typewriter is listed as "working" doesn't mean it is actually usable. There are several important things to look for when buying a typewriter. You would be well advised to look up videos on buying used typewriters and refurbishing them, not because you'll have to, but because it will teach you things to watch for.
I'm told that the skipping on Royals is most commonly the result of you not following through on your stroke and you getting essentially "key bounce". So typing technique is important, particularly the desktop models like the HH/E/P
Be careful of the daisy wheels. They occasionally break, especially as the plastic ages. ONE broken letter makes the whole thing useless. The type balls also didn't really catch on either because of problems unique to them. The traditional lever and type bar just works all day long and that's why it survived.
Interesting to see which typewriters I do and don't have in my collection. For years I was happy with the typewriter that hid in my basement. I bought it on a lark when I wasn't even old enough to drink, and it just hid in the basement for the past 20+ years. I even moved it from Pennsylvania to North Dakota.
But I brought it out a few years ago and started using it. Use and some cleaning loosened it up. And I discovered the joy of typing on a mechanical typewriter. My ideas just started to flow. It was a Smith-Corona Silent-Super. My next one with a Smith-Corona Classic 12. It was amazing, and I really liked the features on it. Later I got an Olympia SM-7 with math and science characters. My degree is in Physics, so I naturally loved it. Unfortunately, it does lack important characters like quotes, so it gets less use than it should.
I picked up an Underwood SX from 1955. Not amazing, but a good machine.
And today, I picked up an Underwood 3 to 5 (need to research which). It is going to be an exciting machine once I get it cleaned. It feels really good and I love the view inside it!
For now, my favorite is the Smith-Corona Silent-Super, and not just because it's my first. It really feels amazing to type on it! But I really enjoy switching around between machines. Usually one is set up in the living room, and the big typewriter is set up at one end of my kitchen table.
I can relate. I always return to my Silent-Supers as being just great to use.
For anyone interested in the daisy wheel typewriters but are worried about the slight delay after each key stroke, I've found that the delay varies drastically between models and brands. For instance, my brother ax trails so far behind that I completely lose my rhythm listening to it clack over me. On the other hand, my Sharp PA 3100 is so snappy that I don't notice any delay whatsoever, unless I purposely mash keys like a mad man and force it to play catch up. Great video. I hope this helps.
Thank you!
By the Gods, I must have 9 or 10 typewriters;
My father's IBM Selectric,
Several Royal standards, standard wide. and wide carrige.
A 1927 Underwood,
Olympia SM3 and SM4 portables,
Royal portable,
Smith-Corona portable,
My mother's Olivetti portable,
and a Cyrillic portable !!
Most were local farmers' market finds; $20 - $40.
I still would like to find a military radio mill typewriter. All Caps and extra characters.
Joe I will be playing this in repeat on my typewriter showroom floor. Thanks for all you do sir.
Thank you!
In my younger years of life I owned several typewriters and loved them all. It would be great to own another, however, they are not easy to come by (in the UK, at least). If you are lucky enough to find one in working order it is next to impossible to find the inked ribbons for a specific model - let alone replacement ribbon cassettes. Also, typewriters of any type (sans the ribbon) are mega expensive. Do you have better luck in the US finding these beautiful machines? I wish they were still manufactured here. I’m not a collector - just a person who preferred to use a typewriter. There is something very satisfying about the sound of the keys hitting the paper in this ‘mindful’ way to write.
I’ve noticed here in the States when people “get into” typewriters that they often amass a sizable collection in short order. Yes, they are available. As for cloth ribbons, there is no shortage, people sell them on Amazon, and Etsy, and there are also several ribbon makers too.
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I used to have a typewriter that looked like the one on your desk.
I prefer to use stone knives and bear skins. :)
My Allah! Does it exist?
As you wish, Spock.
There are better methods to type numbers, novels, books, etc than a type writers machine😊 GUESS!
Most excellent 👌 video! Great lighting and camera angles. Thanks so much for taking the time and work to make such a good video.
Joe I've wat he'd many of your photography videos. I had no idea you were a typewriter guy too. This video is perfect timing for me. I will be an occasional writer typing notes to my grandchildren. I think a small portable is just right for me. Maybe a Royal Dart or Futura. Maybe once or twice a month.
Futura maybe a better machine than a Dart, being mechanically a Quiet De Luxe inside.
Great video. Surprised that you didn't recommend the Royal KMM, as they are fantastic to write on for extended periods, and are easy to find and cheap.
I’m hooked on the excellence of the standard Underwoods, but I, too, am surprised that Joe didn’t feature that Royal…
I think I mentioned it in some clip that eventually got cut in the edit. Definitely I recommend the KMM!
4:38 ... _Don't they make Scarves too???_
£61 for one of those bicycle cartridges lol
Very informative vid, first time coming across your channel. :)
Question for you, though - for someone like me who has a high WPM ( not bragging, I swear), I find myself struggling to adjust to my Brother Charger 11, so I wonder if I am better suited for something like the electric Singer (for example) since it doens't really require 'heavy' typing?
Yes, electric machines are very suitable for fast typists! Smith-Corona made them with manual or powered carriage returns, depending on your preference.
@@Joe_VanCleave Awesome, thanks so much Joe!! :)
Where do you get the tape that has the ink on it. ??
Where's the other Standard uprights?
Hello sir
Can you post a video on a comparison between portable manual typewriter and standard big desktop typewriter
This advice is very practical. In my years of on-again-off-again typewriter collecting I rarely found a machine that was truly terrible to use, unless the machine didn't work properly in the first place. Finding a well maintained machine is really the key, more so than going with once specific brand, and I think the only way brand really comes in is if one is notable for breaking allot. Some of the best feeling machines I used would be machines that a collector would looks down on, like the Olivetti-Underwood 319.
If you have a well maintained typewriter and don't like the way it operates, you just switch it out until you find one that works. The individual feel between brands is all subjective so that's on the end user to figure out. Just make sure it works right before you judge.
Yes!
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11:09 You don't necessarily lift the whole carriadge weight, there can be springs helping you with part of that weight.
I write essays and documents, not always as tasks assigned to me, but sometimes on my own volition.
Another excellent video, Joe. I have an old Underwood from the 30s I think, gifted to me. I also own a Brother Charger 11 portable that I got for Christmas when I was a kid. Currently using it write some stuff.
Im 34. Im using an Olympia Traveller. It was a gift from my aunt, its my first typewriter and I love it. Maybe in the future I would like to buy a full metal machine, no plastic. Im in love with mine.
I own an Optima Elite 3 and a KMart branded Brother JP-1 and although the Optima is superior mechanically and aesthetically I always enjoy typing on the Brother more, it's clunkier but it just has the air of an unpretentious workhorse about it and JP-1 variants are as common/cheap as crabgrass. Thanks for shouting out ekectronic daisy wheel machines too, I have a bunch of these from both Brother and Smith Corona and they don't get enough love as writing tools imo. The ubiquitous Smith Corona 5A (a zillion variants) is cheap and plentiful and often as close as your local thrift store. I think theyre quite satisfying to type on; look for one of the larger models though with the nicer paper bail and left edge guide.
More on desktop typers.
Excellent lecture on typewriters and the fun of typing. A very enjoyable tour. Thank you. I had an Imperial ( present from a girlfriend ). Alas, the relationship foundered, but the Imperial clattered on.
Amazing detail, thanks for the knowledge. I'm looking to buy a typewriter for writing purposes too.