The joy of a typewriter

By: Lucas R. Watson, Contributor

A typewriter: that loud, antiquated thing that goes clickity-clack and has a bell ring when you finish a line. The thing that seemingly weighs half a ton whenever you try to move it is, in fact, a complex piece of intricate machinery with potential for tons of creativity. To get this out of the way, it is a more difficult way to write. I have to say this, and I speak from a wealth of experience, as I own a number of these fascinating things (at least, I think) and I type on them quite often, even for assignments.

There are several difficulties associated with typewriters. For example, you can’t press two keys at once, or it’ll get jammed up, and you’ll have to clear it. The ink ribbon can dry out or break if it’s too old, and it needs to be replaced periodically. You have to feed the paper by hand, make sure your margins are set up and manually shift the keys up and down, which can be a bit of a struggle on the hands. Many of the benefits of word processors like Word, Google Docs or other applications are no longer available.

It’s antiquated; but that is where the charm lies. When typing out a word, you have to commit to it, or have a sentence in your mind beforehand. It leads to an entirely different thought process about typing; you don’t have the luxury of backspacing and deleting a word to insert a different one. What is on the page is permanent. You have to be precise and careful about the message you want to convey, the order of paragraphs and even setting the spacing and the margins properly. You do every single thing. There is no easier way to do it on a typewriter. Sure, there are electric typewriters, which started to come out in the 1950s, and over time, made some aspects a little easier. Still, something as rudimentary as a manual typewriter that sits on a desk and necessitates pressing letters and characters onto a page of paper can be incredibly fun. You have to keep in mind how long the page is, where to cut off, and even, when that bell rings, where to end that line as you slide the carriage of the typewriter back to the start.

However, the charm lies in how simple it can all be. For Google Docs, for example, it’s saved automatically, and you can export it in a number of file types and have a lot of opportunities. With a typewriter, what you typed on that page is the only copy of that in existence. There isn’t a backup (which does stink at times, believe me), but it also means that what you have written is entirely unique.

If you’re into antiques or period pieces, or even interested in how people lived, typewriters were first produced in the 1870s and they are still being made today. There are tons of different kinds too, including Standards (the largest ones), Portables, Ultra-Portables, Electric Typewriters and many more! If you like ones that are red, green or all sorts of colors, they have them. If you prefer a different font, such as a script font or something sans serif, they even make those available as well. If you like ones that are in different languages and alphabets, you know the rest. If you have a genuine interest in maybe writing someone a letter, a typewriter is a lovely piece of fine machinery that can do just that, and it’s more personal, too. It is unique; it is the only copy of that letter that will ever be made. You’d be surprised how fun a typewriter can be.

Now, if you’re still here and you are interested in owning one, there are a few things to keep in mind. They’re loud. There are a few older models, like Remington Noiseless typewriters which are pretty quiet, but as a rule, they’re loud things. They’re a little tricky to transport; even the noted Portable models of many brands can be pretty bulky and heavy. I recommend an ultra-portable or one that looks very small if you’re interested in traveling with one. Also, buy an old one. Some brand-new ones are being made, but in my experience, these are not of good quality. If you buy one from 1960 or before, you’ll most likely find a machine that has seen the test of time and can tell your stories for as long as you maintain it. That being said, they can be expensive. You can find cheap ones, but you typically get what you pay for. Look around, try to find ones without rust and with seemingly minimal wear, and always ask questions. The great thing about typewriters is that all of the manuals are online; even if you think it’s a super obscure model, the manual for it has most likely been digitized and is readily accessible. That’s how I found the information for many of the ones I own.

There is a great joy to owning a typewriter, and there are drawbacks too. Keep all this in mind if you decide to proceed and purchase one. At the very least, you’ll have something neat to sit on your desk and something not many people have around anymore.