Category: Social Stream

Happy International Typewriter Day!  Today commemorates the date in 1868 when Christopher Latham Sholes was granted a patent for the first commercially successful typewriter.

What are you doing to celebrate? I’m writing about the typewriter market to help out beginning collectors.

Acquired 1961 Royal FP standard typewriter with a special Clarion Gothic typeface (Royal McBee Corporation)
Serial number: FPS-16-7133632
Sandstone (yellow) panels on a gray frame with cream colored plastic keys and platen knobs
Clarion (Double) Gothic typeface in elite (12CPI), 6 lines/inch; US keyboard with 43 keys/86 characters
Manufactured in U.S.A.
Acquired in April 2025 from a bank in Idaho Falls. I spent way more on shipping than the pittance I spent on the machine itself. I had modest hopes that purchasing it as an ex-bank machine that it would have a non-standard typeface and my bet paid off. It was all bonus points that it came in the Sandstone colorway.

It doesn’t have a “1” key and the traditional use of the lower case “L” as a substitute fails. Here one has to use the uppercase “I” to make a 1 to match the rest of the numerals.

Hero shot of a yellow 1961 Royal FP typewriter sitting on a libarary card catalog

Close up of the type slugs of a 1961 Royal FP typewriter with Clarion Gothic typeface. The center of the san serif faced slugs reads "CG".

A library card catalog card with a san serif typesample of a 1961 Royal FP typewriter with a Clarion Gothic typeface.

Oblique view onto the right side of a yellow and gray bodied 1961 Royal FP typewriter on a wooden surface

View of a silver property tag found underneath the hood of a 1961 Royal FP typewriter indicating it's property of the Bank of Commerce in Idaho Falls.

The serial number of this typewriter is on the left side under the hood and next to the ribbon cup.

Oblique angle from the left side of a yellow 1961 Royal FP typewriter sitting on a library card catalog. The large silver carriage return arm juts out at the viewer.

Vintage Typewriters Take Center Stage at Type-In Celebration in Pasadena

Read Vintage Typewriters Take Center Stage at Type-In Celebration in Pasadena by John Boucher (ColoradoBoulevard.net)
A nostalgic celebration of analog creativity brought together writers, artists, and creatives from all walks of life Saturday, May 10, at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena.
The local newspaper covered our recent type-in at Vroman’s Bookstore.  I hear that we made the cover of the monthly print edition.
Acquired Steel Desk Drawer Paper Organizer (Hunt Manufacturing Co. (Fresno, CA), Lit-Ning Products Division)
Six slots for organizing your typing papers and envelopes as well as space for your stapler, tape dispenser, and various other desk drawer implements.
In an effort to slowly improve my analog office proficiency and productivity, I have heeded Lenore Fenton’s advice to have all my supplies organized at my fingertips. Toward that end I’ve picked up this excellent paper organizer for the top desk drawer of my executive tanker desk. This mid-century marvel is perfect for storing a variety of paper types and envelopes to have them easily to hand.  (For ease of viewing and use, you’ll see photos of it sitting on my desktop right next to my typewriter.) 

In the 1943 film Basic Typing Methods, in the very opening seconds of the film, you’ll see the woman in the foreground pulling paper quickly from her desk drawer for typing. While it’s not immediately visible, she’s surely got a similar paper organizer in her drawer. (Pardon the heavily gendered references in the film.)

Photo Gallery

Oblique view of a Hunt Manufacturing paper organizer in 20 gauge steel next to a Gray Royal KMG typewriter. The drawer organizer has six angled slots for storing and organizing 8.5 x 11" pieces of paper. In the front of the organizer is a 4.5 x 11.5 inch section for various office and typing supplies. In this section we see a stapler and a rubber date stamp.

Analog office set up featuring a stick leg metal desk, a Royal KMG typewriter, a few card index filing cabinets, a typing copy stand, and a paper supply organizer.

Gold manufacturer's sticker for Hunt Manufacturing Co. of Fresno, California

Ultimately, the paper organizer came to live in the top drawer of my executive tanker desk. 

Executive tanker desk with the top right hand drawer opened to reveal a letter organizer hiding inside of it with a variety of papers and envelopes easily at hand for clerical work. On top of the desk are to different typewriters and other office paraphernalia

Acquired at the local Acts Thrift shop for about $2.00, this organizer was a no-brainer purchase.

What are the “Rules of Typewriter Club”?

In the vein of Fight Club, what would the rules of Typewriter Club be? What are the commonly known rules that typewriter users and collectors know that the uninitiated should be aware of?

I’ll kick things off with a frequent admonishment:

The first rule of Typewriter Club: Don’t “lubricate” the segment with WD-40.
The second rule of Typewriter Club: DO NOT lubricate the segment with WD-40!

Feel free to follow this post and upvote your favorites so we can rank a potential final list.

Acquired 1966 Underwood Touch-Master Five Standard Typewriter (Olivetti-Underwood)
Serial Number: 13-9707863
Distinctive elite typeface, 12 CPI, 6 lines/inch, standard, bichrome, segment shift, tabulator, American keyboard, 44 keys
Body: light gray in steel; Keys: dark gray with white letters in plastic
Manufactured in the U.S.A
Acquired used at a second hand store for the As-Seen-On-TV price of $19.99 and in stunning condition. It’ll need a clean, but this is in almost perfect cosmetic condition. It’s my first Underwood and technically also my first Olivetti as it was manufactured after the merger. The touch and speed are truly stunning and may be the best in my collection even before being cleaned, oiled, and adjusted.

As William Forrester admonished Jamal to do on his Touch-Master Five, I’ll “Punch the keys, for God’s sake!”

A 1966 Underwood Touch-Master Five standard typewriter sits at an angle on an oak library card catalog.

View onto the keyboard of a 1966 Underwood Touch-Master Five standard typewriter featuring dirty, dark gray plastic keys with white lettering. At the top is a long tab key flanked by "CL" and "SET" keys. There are shift lock keys on both sides along with a "BK S" key on the left top and a "M-R" key on the right.

A close up of the hood and carriage of a 1966 Underwood Touch-Master Five standard typewriter. It has a massive chonky feel.

Angle on the left side of a 1966 Underwood Touch-Master Five standard typewriter.

Angle from the right hand side of a 1966 Underwood Touch-Master Five standard typewriter sitting on a library card catalog.

Close up of the typing point of a 1966 Underwood Touch-Master Five standard typewriter spooled up with a black and red bichrome tatty ribbon. The basket is a bit on the dusty and dirty side.

View into the typebasket of a 1966 Underwood Touch-Master Five standard typewriter from the rear. We also see the ribbon spools on either side.

Rear of a 1966 Underwood Touch-Master Five standard typewriter with a sticker on the rear of the carriage with a "U" logo and the words: underwood touch-master 5 U.S.A

Type sample of a distinctive elite typeface on a 1966 Underwood Touch-Master Five standard typewriter typed on a yellow library card catalog index card.

Acquired 196X Remington Streamliner Portable Typewriter (Remington-Rand, Inc.)
Serial number: AX-168959
Pica typeface, 10 characters per inch, monochrome, carriage shift
Acquired 2024-09-04. In generally good shape.

The case is in exceptional shape given that these usually aren’t extant or have been shattered into pieces. There is one piece broken off, but it came with the machine and should be able to be fused back onto the case. Came without the hubs or covers. It’s slightly more mint green than the mint blue of the other Streamliner I’ve got which has a somewhat smaller serial number.

I’ve cleaned it up a tad this week to take to the type-in at Vroman’s Bookstore this weekend. It still needs a tweak to the line selector, but isn’t terrifically noticeable and I might be able to fix it before then.

A mint green 196X Remington Streamliner typewriter sitting at an angle on a library card catalog. View of a mint green 196X Remington Streamliner typewriter from the right hand side. One can appreciate the cream-colored chicklet-like keys on the keyboard. Oblique view of a 196X Remington Streamliner typewriter from the left hand side. A view of the basket, typebars, and slugs of a 196X Remington Streamliner typewriter with the hood removedl Gleaming typing point of a 196X Remington Streamliner typewriter View of the rear of the carriage and into the type basket of a naked 196X Remington Streamliner typewriter.Close up view of the typebars in the basket of a 196X Remington Streamliner typewriterClose up of the typebasket of a 196X Remington Streamliner typewriter featuring the ribbon vibrator which is a bar coming from the left hand side. View from the rear down onto the right side of the carriage of a 196X Remington Streamliner typewriter Angle on the right platen knob of a 196X Remington Streamliner typewriter View of left rear corner of a 196X Remington Streamliner typewriter peering across the carriage and into the naked type basket

My current collection of 9 standard typewriters clocks in at 289.6 pounds (131.6 kg). Which one(s) should I take to the type-in at Vromans Bookstore this Saturday, May 10th at 1:00pm?

Which machines are you bringing?

Front row (left to right): ’51 Remington Super-Riter, ’56 Remington Standard, ’55 Royal HH, ’58 Royal FP (gray, 16″ carriage), ’57 Royal FP (gray)
Back row (left to right): ’45 Remington 17, ’50 Royal KMG, ’61 Royal FP (yellow), ’77 Olympia SG3

Acquired 1960 Smith-Corona Skyriter ultraportable typewriter (Smith-Corona)
Serial Number: 3Y 2279770
Brown crinkle paint; white plastic keys; SCM Elite No. 66 typeface; US keyboard
Acquired for a song and a dance on 2025-04-14; Seems to be in relatively solid shape; nothing huge out of place; need a full COA, but seems fully restorable; the case is a bit dirty and has a light smell, but should be cleanable; came with the original manual and warranty card stub. The dried out 18 feet of black ribbon was replaced on 2025-04-30.

A brown crinkle painted 1960 Smith-Corona Skyriter typewriter sitting at an angle on a wooden card catalog Close up angle on 1960 Smith-Corona Skyriter typewriter with the front right corner facing us. Side view of a 1960 Smith-Corona Skyriter typewriter. In the foreground we see a gleaming chromed return lever on the left. Angle onto the left rear corner of a 1960 Smith-Corona Skyriter typewriter with a view into the typebasket An opened soft typewriter case with a manual for a 1960 Smith-Corona Skyriter typewriter and the original warranty card sitting on them. View into the basket of a 1960 Smith-Corona Skyriter typewriter from the back. We clearly see all the silver slugs featuring a standard elite typeface Angle on a brown leather soft case for a 1960 Smith-Corona Skyriter typewriter. It's obviously dirty and grimy and sitting on a wooden table top. View down onto the right hand side of the carriage section of a 1960 Smith-Corona Skyriter typewriter. On the side of the chassis inside of it we see the serial number scratched into the frame. The left 1 5/8" diameter spool of a typewriter sitting next to a friction fit "C"-shaped clamp that is meant to hold the ribbon onto the spools hub. Side view of a 1 5/8 inch black metal typewriter spool. On the left side of the hub in the middle is a hinged curved piece of metal that when opened will allow one to lock the end of a 1/2 inch wide typewriter ribbon in