Survey: did you ever use a manual typewriter?

by Inkygirl on May 24, 2007

in Blogs and communities, Comics for writers

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An age-revealing survey: Did you ever use a manual typewriter to write? If so, do you remember what brand? My first typewriter was a manual Underwood, and I used correction paper to fix mistakes.

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{ 53 comments… read them below or add one }

EWAdams April 29, 2009 at 6:21 pm

The first one I actually owned was a caps-only kiddie one circa 1968. It didn’t work very well, but it was a genuine typewriter, not a toy. When I was about 10 (1970) I was given a real Smith-Corona portable, which I still own. Being smallish, it takes a non-standard size ribbon spool. The last time I typed on it (or any other typewriter, manual or electric) was about 1981.

I never owned an electric typewriter. Went straight from the manual to the computer.

Henry Quirk June 26, 2009 at 9:42 am

I write on an Olympia SM-9: manual, as old as me (46), focusing, and more reliable than any piece of electronics you care to mention.

I had an old Underwood several years back…the machine was old, decrepit, when I got my hands on it. I wrote that machine into the grave.

The Underwood was followed by a Smith Corona, another machine beaten and used ’till it gave up its steel ghost.

The Olympia I bought from http://www.mrtypewriter.tripod.com. I expect it to serve me (or do I serve it?) for many years to come.

Computers (and word processors like the Alphasmart) are great for making the manuscript ‘pretty’, but, the actual crafting, the writing, is best done on a writing machine: the typewriter. –H. Quirk

Henry Quirk June 26, 2009 at 9:44 am

Correction: http://mrtypewriter.tripod.com/

I’m in no way affiliated with the site other than being a satisfied customer… -Henry

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