Comments on: The Quick 10: 10 Authors and their Typewriters

By: Ed Darrell

Ed Darrell — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 04:31:10 +0000

I do occasional features, Typewriter of the moment. Jack Kerouac, Alfred Hitchcock, Faulkner and Hemingway, and Steve Allen have been featured.

Come over to Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub (www.timpanogos.wordpress.com), and do a search for “typewriter.”

I’ve had two IBM Correcting Selectric IIs, but you can’t get them repaired any more, in my experience. I have a manual Underwood, and have used Underwood and Royal manuals, and Olivetti and IBM electrics.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:40:00 +0000

My boyfriend gave me a 1937 Underwood Noiseless for Christmas a couple years ago (it’s how I knew he was a keeper). I found that calculator ink ribbon (I got mine for $5 at Office Max) fits it just fine, as long as you don’t mind rewinding the spools yourself. I love my typewriter…it lives in my dorm room with me and creates a lot of conversation!

By: Amanda

Amanda — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:01:00 +0000

I found a very old Royal (non-portable) to give to my boyfriend for his birthday. Great condition, despite the fact that it took a tumble down some stairs with me. (My finger broke its fall. Its fall broke my finger.)

Shockingly, I found ribbons at Staples, but they may be cheaper online.

By: Herb Behrens

Herb Behrens — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:33:00 +0000

What is your source for the John Steinbeck reference? I thought he used an Olivetti? The Martha J. Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies, San Jose State University, San Jose, Ca has one of John’s typewriters. I think he also had an early electric typewriter.

Herb Behrens

By: Sara in AL

Sara in AL — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:28:00 +0000

Old Typewriter Supplies
Stop the search, we have hard to find typewriter ribbons – In Stock.
http://www.fjaproducts.com
Would this help?

By: Valerie

Valerie — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:23:00 +0000

Yay for this post. I love typewriters. If you still have the ribbon spool that came with the typewriter, you can buy new ribbon at Office Depot and wind it yourself. The standard half red, half black kind that is 1/2 inch wide (I think) fits most typewriters. If you don’t have the spool, a generic spool might fit, but some models are tricky and require a particular spool. If that’s the case, there are specialty stores online that sell original spools or replicas.

By: EMStoveken

EMStoveken — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:25:00 +0000

My wife just got me an antique Olympia manual typewriter for an early father’s day present. It feels so good to have a big clunky manual typewriter operating again. Makes the whole act of writing a lot more kinetic and involved.

By: Alan

Alan — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:59:00 +0000

Oh! I love this post! I’m obsessed with typewriters. I went to the flea market and bought a typewriter for fifteen bucks.
And I found out it was worth like 445 bucks. They sell them everywhere in Mexico, since the country hasn’t completely moved towards newer technology.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:51:00 +0000

You can buy typewriter ribbon at Staples. If you have an old enough model, you have to use rubber gloves and wind the tape yourself, though.

I have a collection of typewriters, including a teal one, one that types in cursive, an old underwood (a nonportable with the round buttons but it doesn’t advance), a portable underwood (with the round buttons), a Quiet Deluxe, and I think one more. They are kind of a large thing to collect… The ones that work I use for craft projects.

By: dana

dana — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:15:00 +0000

Wow! I did not think that people used the old typewriters anymore. I remember having to go through the typing class in High school before i could even consider going into the computer classes. And that was over 20 yrs ago. My very first typewriter was a Brother. I don’t remember if it was a electric or a manual type but i remember that it had the case and it was red.