Acquisitions

Purchases, gifts, found things, or objects donated to me
Acquired 1957 Royal FP Standard Typewriter (Royal-McBee Corporation)
Serial number: FPP-6164099
Standard platen, pica typeface, in Royaltone or Pearl Light Gray smooth
Received in generally workable shape, though without ribbon; definitely dirty; internal foam disintegrating; brights are going to need a load of polish; temporary photos to provide some idea of condition until I get the chance to clean it up.

My wide carriage 1958 FPE was so nice I thought I’d try out the larger face in a more traditional carriage.

Close up of the US style cream colored keys on a 1957 Royal FP standard typewriter

The hood and carriage of a 1957 Royal FP standard typewriter

Dirty typebasket and filthy slugs of a 1957 Royal FP standard typewriter.

Left ribbon cup and serial number of a 1957 Royal FP standard typewriter

Side view of a pearl gray 1957 Royal FP standard typewriter with a cream colored carriage knob.

The dirty undercarriage of a 1957 Royal FP standard typewriter

Acquired 1964 Olympia SM9 Portable Typewriter by Olympia Werke AG, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Serial number: 2613754
Congress Elite No. 84 typeface, 11 CPI (2.3 m/m)
In what I may call the Academy 97 typewriter because I received it on the day of the 97th Annual Academy Awards on March 2nd, I’ve acquired my first SM9.

It’s a solid looking machine aside from some small damage to the rivets at the back of the case, some paint wear on the hood from a too-low carriage return arm, and some dried out and cracked rubber feet. Even the ribbon seems usable. It’s hiding a Congress Elite No. 84 font at 11 CPI (2.3 m/m). Someone both used and loved this machine and even put it away last with clean slugs. This should be imminently restorable to it’s former glory.

Given how sought after these are as one of the best portables ever made and the generally excellent condition, I can’t bring myself to tell the pittance I found it for, particularly when I see ones in mediocre or unknown shape going for over $100 on many of the auction sites lately. Given how 2025 has been going so far, I’ll gratefully take the win. Naturally it’ll be a minute before I can clean it up properly, but I can already tell this will be a fun little machine. I can’t wait to do a direct comparison with it’s carriage shifted SM3 “little brother”.

I’ve uploaded some preliminary photos of it in its received condition including one of the bottom to show the “furriness” of the pre-serviced condition.

Oblique angle on the left side of a 1964 Olympia SM9 typewriter which has some carriage return handle wear on the cream colored hood.

Close up of the steel slugs of a 1964 Olympia SM9 typewriter which are marked in a 2x2 grid with 84 in the bottom left corner and 6,6 in the bottom right

Dusty bottom of a 1964 Olympia SM9 typewriter which has a worn and cracked light green foot and the serial number 2613754

Type sample of a 1964 Olympia SM9 typewriter with Congress Elite No. 84 typeface in 11 pitch. The usual Quick Brown Fox sentence and lower case and upper case layouts of the US standard keyboard

Sitting on a wooden card catalog is a 1964 Olympia SM9 typewriter with cream hood and keys and gray body. The shift keys and carriage knobs have the same green highlight color as the Olympia badge on the hood of the typewriter.

Acquired 1945 Remington 17 Standard Typewriter (Remington Rand, Inc.)
Serial Number: J732492 from October 1945
Pica typeface
When I was interested in getting my first standard typewriter last year, Ruben Flores immediately recommended I get a Remington 17. While I’ve picked up a handful of other standards in the meanwhile, I’ve kept my eyes peeled. I just couldn’t let this $21 beauty slip by. If my 1956 Remington Standard is any indication, this should be a fun machine to play with.

This got delivered on the 21st, but I hadn’t had a chance to take a look at it until today. It’s not in terrible cosmetic shape, but has definitely been collecting dust and cob webs for a few decades. It seems to be in reasonable mechanical shape. There is a sticky key or two that will need either some cleaning and/or forming. The carriage is going to need some serious cleaning and possible adjustment to slide cleanly. The mainspring probably needs some tightening, but I won’t be able to tell properly until the machine is cleaned up. Some of the internal felt portions will also need some re-gluing. Beyond this, this 80 year old typewriter should come roaring back to life sometime soon. (The recent Eaton Fire means it may take a bit longer to address the underlying issues as my tools and “shop” are quarantined / uninhabitable.)

I’ve uploaded a few “before” photos for general identification, but will update in the near future with some better ones post-cleaning and adjustment.

Angles view of the right side of a 1945 Remington 17 typewriter which has a kidney shaped hole in the hood

The dirty typebasket and slugs of a Remington 17 typewriter

View of the rear of a Remington 17 typewriter with the back panel opened up and hanging from two hinges at the bottom. We can see the dirty internals of the machine along with lots of dust and cobwebs.

View of the undercarriage of a Remington 17 typewriter covered in cobwebs and dirt.

The Serial number J732492 is stamped into grooved steel on the frame of a Remington 17 typewriter

Acquired 1958 Royal FP typewriter
Serial Number: FPE-16-66444461
16" platen, elite typeface, in Royaltone or Pearl Light Gray smooth
I’ve been wanting to score an FP for a long time. Well shipped and in generally functional shape. My first typewriter of 2025 and the first since the Eaton Fire. 

 

Acquired 1954 Smith-Corona Silent Typewriter by Smith Corona, Inc. (Goodwill)
Serial Number: 5A 458864
Pica No. 1 typeface; 6 lines/vertical inch
American No. 20A keyboard
Fifteen minutes of tinkering and this machine is imminently usable. It’ll take about a half day to clean up properly, but this is well on its way to its former glory. I should be able to turn this $25 find into a proper $350 work-a-day typewriter.
Acquired Solari #606 elite typewriter erasing shield, letter counter, line counter, 8 inch ruler by Solari Manufacturing Co., Los Angeles, California
A curved metal typing ruler for a variety of purposes including:
* curved erasing shield (especially useful for carbon copy packs to prevent carbon transfer)
* elite spacing letter counter
* line counter
* 8 inch ruler
Amidst all the typewriter paraphernalia I come across, the curved typing shield doesn’t get enough of its due. While it has some useful measurement functions, its primary functionality is as an eraser shield for erasing errors in carbon copy packs. You would move the carriage to the far right or left (to keep eraser crumbs out of your segment and machine), place the shield behind the first page and then behind each subsequent page to erase the errors from each one at a time. The smooth, curved aluminum would allow you to erase without causing the carbon papers to transfer smudges to the pages behind the shield. 

The curved ruler comes with a convenient tab (here labeled “Elite”) for grabbing with one’s thumb and forefinger for placement into as well as removal from a carbon pack. They obviously came in both Pica and Elite versions to cover various typewriter typefaces. 

Our friend Joe Van Cleave cleverly uses one to cleanly tear off paper from his Kerouac-like rolls of typing paper. 

A thin curved aluminum Solari eraser shield placed between two pages in a Royal HH typewriter for making corrections. Sitting on the hood of the typewriter is a blue tape-based correction ribbon.

A typed index card with a Solari eraser shield sitting on top of it horizontally to measure the number of characters in a typed line of text. The numbers on the ruler correspond to the letters of text.

A Solari erasing shield sitting vertically on a typed index card to count the number of typed lines of text on it. Each numbered mark on the side of the ruler counts the corresponding number of lines of text on the page.

Label from a Solari Eraser Shield listing its uses and features

Acquired 1939 Royal Aristocrat portable typewriter by Royal Typewriter Co. Inc. (ShopGoodwill.com)
Serial Number: B-884712
Black crinkle paint, glass keys, with case.
Definitely needs a cleaning, but this may be the second or third most solid typewriter I’ve ever received right out of the box. It will be the third oldest exemplar of an Aristocrat on the Typewriter Database. This will clean up exceptionally well.

Unpacked and sitting on the floor we see an oblique view of the left side of a 1939 Royal Aristocrat typewriter

Close up on the glass keys and keyboard of a 1939 Royal Aristocrat typewriter. The paper legends are black backgrounds with yellow letters.

1939 Royal Aristocrat typewriter with hood open and featuring a close up of the basket

Focusing on the hood and carriage of a 1939 Royal Aristocrat typewriter from above. A bit dusty and dirty with flecks of correction ribbon around the typing point.

Angle down on a black dusty typewriter case for a 1939 Royal Aristocrat typewriter

1939 Royal Aristocrat typewriter black, dusty case featuring a black plastic handle and a metal clasp and lock.

View into the left rear corner of a 1939 Royal Aristocrat typewriter with the carriage moved to the right. We see the serial number in the leftmost corner.

Close up of the typing point of a 1939 Royal Aristocrat typewriter featuring lots of white speckles from a correction ribbon.

Angle down on the rear of a 1939 Royal Aristocrat typewriter. We can see a metal bar across the back which has 5 manually moveable tab stops.

White index card with simple typesample of a pica typefaced 1939 Royal Aristocrat typewriter

Acquired 1941 Smith-Corona Standard typewriter by Smith-Corona (ShopGoodwill.com)
S/N: 1C188190
Manufactured between December 1940 and December 1941. Portable typewriter with black wooden case.
This looks to be the latest of the 1C series Corona Standard flattops in the Typewriter Database. Dirty and needs restoration, but looks imminently salvageable. Can’t wait to polish this beauty!

A 1941 Smith-Corona Standard typewriter at an angle sitting on a carved wooden chest

Focus on the rear portion of a dirty 1941 Smith-Corona Standard typewriter

Focus onto the keyboard of a 1941 Smith-Corona Standard typewriter with several drunk key legends.

Acquired 1980 Brother Charger 11 Correction Typewriter by Brother (Nagoya, Japan) (ShopGoodwill.com)
A blue metal portable typewriter with black plastic keys and a black plastic case/cover.
JP-1 model, 3rd Variation.
Serial Number: C03184679 (March 1980).
It needs a serious clean out from the flecks of white out from a prior user’s use of the black and white correction ribbon that originally came with these machines. Generally in good condition given it’s age. It’ll need some work on the ribbon advance set up in both directions and is missing a shift key cap. Other than a few small niggling issues that will get fixed in the clean, oil, and adjustment process, this will be an easy machine to resurrect to like new condition.

It’ll also give me a sample machine so that I know what’s wrong with my other Brother Charger 11’s backspace mechanics, for which I think a piece is physically missing.

When I’m done cleaning it up, either this one or my other will be re-homed to someone who needs to have a typewriter.

Long view of a blue Brother Charger 11 typewriter with its black plastic case/cover standing behind it. To the left side are some gold glitter Christmas tree ornaments.

Front view down onto a Brother Charger 11 featuring a keyboard with white letters on black plastic keys.

Black plastic case on a Brother Charger 11 typewriter.

Acquired 100% New Zealand Felted Wool Typewriter Mat by ZOMONETI (Amazon)
MOHOM 17" x 13.5" Wool Pressing Mat 100% New Zealand Felted Wool Ironing Mat Pad Blanket for Quilter, Sewing, Quilting Supplies and Notions
I’ve been looking for a reasonable and inexpensive typewriter mat for a while. There are lots of wool options out there and even some with thin rubber layers to prevent your typewriter from walking across your desk. 

I had appreciated the ones I’ve seen in Gerren Balch’s YouTube repair videos for The HotRod Typewriter Co. which he also uses on his workbench, so I asked him his preference. His reply was these 100% wool ironing pads in 17 x 13.5 x 1/2″ form factor for about $15 on Amazon. He said “it’s soaked up 5 years of everything I do and it still looks like the day I bought it.”

The company has some square 13.5 x 13.5 options, which might be better for smaller portables, but I figured that the slightly larger version for both my workbench as well as for my larger standards would be more flexible. Since the price was half of what I’d seen from other vendors, I jumped on it and bought two: one for my workbench and another for my typing desk.

They’re definitely thick and high-quality. On my noisiest table, they definitely make a difference. They prevent some of the typewriter walking my worst rubber-footed typewriters have, but I’ve also got thin sheets of rug pad gripper that I’ve used before if things get out of hand. 

Brown frieze Royal HH standard typewriter on a gray wool typewriter mat sitting on a wooden table.

Acquired The Manual Typewriter Repair Bible by Ted MunkTed Munk (Lulu)

462 Pages, Professionally printed and coil bound to lay flat on your work table.

Includes:

  • Basic Mechanical Theory and Indoctrination on how mid-20th Century manual typewriters work.
  • Step-By-Step Typewriter Symptom Troubleshooting Guide.
  • Complete 1946 OAMI Service and Adjustment Manual Covering:
    • Standard Manual Typewriters: Remington * Royal * Underwood * Woodstock * L.C. Smith,
    • Portable Manual Typewriters: Remington * Royal * Corona * Underwood.
  • Typewriter Tools, Ribbon Spools, Ribbons, Platens, Springs and Ball Bearings Reference.
  • Typewriter Typeface and Keyboard Reference.
An early birthday present has arrived! 
Acquired Shift Happens: A Book About Keyboards by Marcin Wichary (Kickstarter)
Shift Happens tells the story of keyboards like no book ever before, covering 150 years from the early typewriters to the pixellated keyboards in our pockets.
It’s a book about typists competing during the Shift Wars of the 1880s; Nobel-prize winner Arthur Schawlow using a laser to build the best typo eraser; August Dvorak – and many others – trying to dethrone QWERTY; Margaret Longley and Lenore Fenton perfecting touch typing; Soviet agents listening to American keystrokes; women pouring into offices, eager to do more than typing and re-typing; people aspiring to make the best mechanical keyboard today by blending the past and the future.
This is the only book that connects the world of typewriters to the universe of computers. Whether you’re into vintage typewriters, classic clicky IBM keyboards, or modern mechanical wonders, it will have something for you. None of the above? Get ready to become a keyboard nerd anyway, and look at an everyday boring QWERTY slab with newfound respect.
You’ve never seen a book on technology like this. Shift Happens is full of stories – some never before told – interleaved with 1,000+ beautiful full-color photos across two volumes. This edition features an extra volume of additional illustrations and “making of” material, and everything comes wrapped in a slipcase. It’s a great gift for keyboard or typewriter aficionados, but also suits everyone who cares about design, the stories of everyday objects, or tech history.
This is easily worth thrice the price. So glad I managed to snag this.

A copy of Shift Happens by Marcin Wichary sits on a library card catalog next to a 1948 Smith-Corona typewriter. The three books with orange spines sit in a handsome black leather case.

Acquired Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word by Walter J. Ong (Methuen & Co.)
Analyzes the differences in consciousness between oral and literate societies and points out the intellectual, literary, and social effects of writing
It’s been on my list for a while now, and I have newer digital editions, but today I acquired a first edition hardcover of Walter J. Ong’s text Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word (1982). Something about it cries out to be read in its original print incarnation.

It is in excellent shape, though missing a dust jacket and has the attendant portions of an ex-library copy (Widener University). The ex-library features bring me great joy though because its got some reasonable evidence of prior readers in the form of marginalia in at least six different hands as well as two different languages (English and Chinese). I can’t wait to add my own to the growing list.