this post was submitted on 02 May 2024
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Typewriters
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Not sure what you mean exactly by a classic style of typewriting, but the Royal classics are still in production by Royal and I think Nakajima makes typewriters still. Not sure how they compare to old school typewriters, but you can find old typewriters for cheap sold second hand and likely would just need a replacement ribbon as well as some cleaning with mineral spirits.
Oh! Whoops, I think I meant to write "classic style of typing" there. Appreciate the pointers & reply! I'll have to look into mineral spirits, not familiar with those
Mineral spirits are a cleaning agent typically used for the interior mechanisms of the typewriters - try not to get them on the outer shell, from what I heard it can damage it.
Personally, I like the idea of typewriters being self reliant, so no electricity required. These are typically called "manual typewriters" from what I've been seeing. Some YouTube content creators have videos on how to clean and restore various models, and you can get second-hand typewriters at garage sales, thrift stores, antique stores, OfferUp, Craigslist, etc. I haven't looked into electronic typewriters much myself, but some are fond of the IBM Selectrics, I think because of how you can change out the ball for different fonts.
I'd start with the YT videos though, find a model that has a lot of content so that if you spot one, you know what to look for and what to test prior to purchasing, and you can also investigate how to repair various features/parts, replace ribbons, etc. Best way to determine model is via the S/N and looking it up via the typewriter database website.
Best of luck on your search, I've only recently gotten into typewriters and this is pretty much everything I know, so take it with a grain of salt but hopefully this helps you get started!