A typewriter is a choice.
Your voice matters.
For many storytellers, there was a golden era of writing. Our favorite novelists pounded out their masterpieces on masterpieces of design and engineering, typewriters. These machines were designed before the rise of the throwaway society. They were meant to last a lifetime. Pick up a typewriter that is 50 or even 100 years old, and there is a good chance that it will still function exactly as it was designed to.
Some of these machines have survived wars, while soldiers or reporters cranked out words from the front. Others have survived epic journeys across deserts and oceans. These machines are survivors.
I've curated history's best typewriters; and by best I mean most useable, most beautiful, and most reliable.Â
Usually, our favorite writers stumbled upon the same typewriters, so I'll include sometimes include facts about writers and their favorite machines.
A typewriter may not instantly make you a better writer. But it can help you refine your craft over time. When I look on my shelf and see my 1937 Smith Corona, I crave the clack of the thing, hammering out words across a freshly pressed sheet of paper. I write until the writing is done, then I gather the manuscript up in a bundle, and read it later. I've learned to think more logically, and to express an argument more succinctly. I've published some of my poetry on instagram, in photographic form, still hanging out of the machine.
If you love writing, literature, and words, you're in the right place.
Welcome to the written rapture.
Steven
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In the digital age, words have taken on an ephemeral quality. Much is written and lost. I myself have lost entire novels to fried hard drives, forever lost to the ethers.
Children are the future. With my daughter, the typewriter has sparked in her a love of words. She'd never seen one until she was eight years old. Every friend that comes over is mesmerized by the machine; by the ability to create pristine letters at the touch of a key.
After I got her to accept the fact that there was no delete key, she fell in love.
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Not only historically, but some of the most acclaimed writers living still use typewriters, and not for mere novelty, but as their primary writing tool. These luminaries include Thomas Pynchon, Cormac Mcarthy (letters 32), Woody Allen (Olympia SM3).
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Olivetti Lettera 22 / 32
There are a few points in history where form meets function so deliberately; so gracefully, that a work of art is born. In fact, the Letters 22 can be found in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, it is so gorgeous. A lot of histories great writers have chosen it. It is also a great choice for contemporary writers.
It straddles the line between portable and ultra portable. It is not as durable as some of the other beasts on this site, but what it lacks in weight it gains in grace. Some of the mechanics are lighter, more delicate, so they sometimes need a little adjustment. According to Cormac Mcarthy, all he ever did to maintain his Letters 32 was take it to the gas station and blow the dust out at the air pump every once in a while. On this machine he wrote millions of words. He later auctioned it for 250,000 dollars for charity.
I list the 22 and the 32 together, because they really are so similar. The 32 is the evolution, though while some is gained, the fluidity of the curves and the round finger keys was sacrificed. Though perhaps slightly more practical in a few ways, it lacks a little of the earlier ancestor's beauty.
Either way, you're getting a writing tool that will outlive every masterpiece you pen, as long as you treat it right.
I have one of these on my desks. On the case, the ghost of an old sharpie, it still says 'Golden', obviously a relic of the former owner. I couldn't have chosen a better word.
You can really fly on these machines if they're well adjusted. There is something delicate, almost magical in the touch, in that very little effort is required to move the hammers. Perhaps this why this is a favorite model of my 11-year old daughter and those with a lighter touch.
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At first, I wasn't a fan of the Hermes 3000, because of the art-deco stylings. However, it's come to be one of my favorite typewriters. It is oft considered the cadillac of typers, and for good reason. No expense was spared in the creation of this legendary writing machine. Most writers who could afford its hefty price tag chose it. Sylvia Plath wrote her only novel, the Bell Jar, on this machine, and Jack Kerouac his final novel.
It's got stunning features that don't exist anywhere else in the world of vintage typewriters, like 4 color settings, and margin display feature that comes in handy.
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What to look for as a Writer.
Ok. The old machines from the 20's and 30's, with those glass keys, are gorgeous, I confess. Sometimes they can still pound out page after page. I myself fell in love with a Smith Corona Silent Sterling 10 years ago, and never looked back. I've owned typewriters from all over history, and this is my fastest typer. She flies.
I've written 3 novels on this machine, and a few non-fiction books. While it is still more bare-bones than some more contemporary models, it already incorporates a floating shift, which really adds speed to the motion.
Still, there are a few issues that more modern machines remedy. Occasionally, a letter or a space will skip once the speed is increased. I don't get this on more modern machines. something like an Olympia SM, Hermes 3000, or even a Lettera.
So while I appreciate the beauty of older machines, I encourage you to balance the aesthetic with the usability. Sometimes, the rubber components like platens or the rubber feet on the machines wear out, and some of these parts cannot be replaced.
What you want is something beautiful, that will write for you.
The floating shift means that the mechanism that holds the keys, the carriage, activates the shift to capital letters, instead of the x. It's an important consideration if you'll be typing quickly, because shifting takes a lot of key pressure to life the x, and sometimes, if you don't do it all the way, you'll get a letter that is lower than the others.
For plodding out poetry, or for correspondence, and shorter works, this makes little difference. I love the SM 3 and 4 for style and usability, however, the SM9, which doesn't look quite as cool, incorporated the floating carriage shift.
You can find lower cost typewriters in various places, including flea markets, online auctions, goodwill, antique stores, etc.
The problem is that most of these have issues that are not known. For instance, they'll list it is 'working', but you get it home and find that the 'U' won't work, or the carriage won't advance at certain points, are the tabulator is missing... etc. Those would be simple fixes, except for the fact that few people work on vintage typewriters anymore; it is a dying art.
Here, at Typewriter, we makes sure to test and adjust each machine, so that you can rest easy knowing that you're getting a machine that will be ready when the deluge of inspiration hits. We also guarantee you like it.
Listen, that's the clack of the typewriter you can't get out of your head. Invite it into your life already, and become what you were meant to be. Your voice matters.
Steven Budden Jr.
Classic Typewriter Co.
PS. See our intro vintage typewriter special.
