David Trapps typewriter engineer. The analogue renaissance

John chats with David Trapps about renewed interest in manual typewriters as a push back against digital overload. John explains what attracted him to purchasing a typewriter and having it serviced by David.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 1:11

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Tunes and Spoons podcast. Uh incidentally, uh it it's Adam that came up with a n it's this is John by the way. Um it's Adam that came up with a name, but he came up with the name Spoons and Tunes. Uh and when I came I kept getting mixed up between spoons and tunes, tunes and spoons. I still do now actually, so when you see when you listen to some of the uh recordings you'll you'll put better find evidence. But uh we when I actually came to registering the name with the um podcast uh providers, I uh I accidentally put tunes and spoon, so we've had to rever re-engineer everything with a different name, so it's caused a little bit of confusion. But sorry Adam. Right, so before I before I actually get into this episode, I want to say a massive and I mean a massive thank you to Richard Roberts. Uh he's effectively third member at Team is Richard, he's done loads of uh editing and sound work for me. I I'm really appreciative what uh what Richard's done for us, so thanks a lot, mate. Uh like I say, brilliant, brilliant work, thank you. Um also I I uh I'd like to say thank you to everybody that's given uh feedback it and uh suggestions. Um it's all been really good. Uh as you know, it's it we're we're in the uh early stages, but uh it you know it's great that people you know are willing to come forward and I've had some really good suggestions actually and I'm following up lose all the time. So thank you for that everybody. Uh incidentally uh one of the things that I got suggested to me and which seemed a good idea was that to tell people what the tune is that's at the start of the um at the pot of the pod episode. So at the start of this one, it's uh the kafuncan jig, which is in D major. Uh so if you want to play if you want to have a go at it and play along with me on the fiddle, and Adam on his banjo, um it's uh it's called the Kafunkin jig. K-E-R-F-U-N-K-E-N jig 68. Uh actually the first time I heard this uh tune was uh Sharif playing it at um one of the Bodgers bars a few years ago. Probably it might have been one of the one of the it probably was actually uh a lot what seeing uh Sharif play the fiddle and also Owen Thomas playing it as well at at uh Bodgers Bar is what made me want to play the fiddle in the first place actually, so it means quite a lot that tune, doesn't it? So the background to this episode um it's well the direct background is me buying a vintage manual typewriter and getting it clean service by uh Dave Trapps. Uh it was based not a million miles from me actually, is uh is another Wesie in what we do actually talk about Weszies, uh another West Yorkshire lad. Um really nice guy. He barely knows me. We have got uh it turns out that we have got uh mutual uh friends, so we we do have a little bit in common, but um for somebody who barely knows me to be willing to do it, I'm really appreciative appreciative to David for for going along with me, though thank you. I actually um had a couple of really fascinating conversations with David uh when I A, when I took the co uh the typewriter over in the first place, uh and then B when I when I actually picked it up again when he'd serviced it, fantastic service by the way, it looks absolutely amazing. And I will put uh pictures on the on the um uh Instagram account what goes along with the podcast. But yeah, we had a we had a I I I was really fascinated by you know him telling me all about uh the history, the his his involvement with uh manual typewriters that I thought, you know, I I this is this is worth recording, so I hope you find it interesting anyway. So uh you'll I'm sure you'll find David interesting because he was a really nice guy, like I said, and he he definitely knows his onions. So uh you may well be asking, how did he, Mr. Mullaney, come to be a query mechanical typewriter in 2026? Now, I've actually written a very, very extensive script all about how I came to be buying a manual typewriter in 2026. In fact, if I'd have read the full script out, it would have been longer than the actual interview with David, and uh it's not about that, is it? But there's a lot of it it's been good for me actually because it's it's f it forced me to sit down and think about a lot of things that are really important in 2026. Um a lot of subtopics actually to to to do with the mind and mental health and you know, to the get get the best out of yourself. But uh what I've decided to do is it is is is save a lot of those topics for those topics on their own if you like, which I'll cover it. I've got a lot to say actually about mental health and the the ways you can um improve your mental health and look after yourself. Er to brain chemistry, but for this one I I I'll just I'll just touch upon dopamine really. So the global global reason for for me getting attire is m it really is me my global love of uh all things analogue really, you know. Er's something which well it it's the superpower really because anything that um involves physical and mental concentration is is is good for your mental health. I mean and and I sort of twig that before I've sort of reading into the chemistry and the you know and the and the theory behind it. And you you a lot of the themes you'll you'll uh you'll let upon yourself, you know. You the lot it it's a lot of it's common sense, but uh but there is science behind it, why we do feel good after after physical exercise and what have you. Yeah and it's it's you know how modern technology is robin robbing us of his ability to engage, focus and concentrate on anything longer than a TikTok show, you know. It it it's a bit of a fight back really. Um and the goodn the good news is that if you listen to this podcast n there's a pretty good chance that you're into your crafts and things like that. Uh and you are you are already involved in in activities that engage both mind and physical activity, like crafts, making music, reading, uh walking, um all great ways of maintaining a nigh-based level of dopamine, uh which which is really, really important for motivation and mood, you know. Um that's why I really want to uh I want to elaborate on this in in future episodes. I'm not you know I'm not an expert, but I I I've done quite a lot of reading. Like I say, it's reverse engineering because I I I knew I liked analogue things and I've sort of reverse engineered back and now because of the reading I've done, I've got a I've built up a fair fair knowledge of good strategies anyway. I but I think they're worth sharing, but it's up to you. You take what you want from them. Um what what sort of the sort of things that I will be covering, I might even do some like shorts, you know. I'm again I'm open to what people think. Um I might do some like you know short episodes that are maybe 15-20 minutes long. The sort of the sort of topics I wish to cover um that I'd got all that I said that that are all subtopics from from from one this this big global um uh aim. Uh it's things like uh how to get more productive and enhance your creativity, uh massive it's all it's all under the same umbrella, but learning uh how to how to go about learning efficiently and things like that. I've got I've I've got I've read quite a lot on it actually, believe it or not. Um and I've got I've got quite a few good strategies to share. Um things about process versus uh the process versus the objective, i.e. how you you you you you you perceive an objective and then the process you go through to get there and how much more important the process is. Well the the it is good to have an objective, but an objective might change, but if you if you don't enjoy the process, you're never going to achieve anything. Um but for but for now, if anybody if you are interested, I've got one little tip uh just to get you started, uh, that I think would make a massive difference to your uh enhanced uh to your enjoyment of light listening to pods and that, and that's just have a pen, a pen, a physical pen, and a piece of paper, uh, and take anything just take n if you listen to this one or any other pod or whatever, or other educational resource, uh take physical notes, you know. Um if something piques your interest, just take a physical note. Um I'm I'm gonna elaborate on all this, um but that's just one little tip. If I give you another tip, it'd be go for walks, if it's safe to do so. Uh that's where I do all my uh creative thinking. So, but anyway, that's for the future, like I say. I've got toms and toms about it. Um back to manual typewriters, and I've just jotted down here, and there's you can it you can go onto YouTube and other people tell you lots of reasons why why the why the why they want to have a manual typewriter. And number one is pretty obvious really, when you s if when you if you look at the photograph of me typewriter now that David's serviced it for me, it's absolutely beautiful. It's like um the old singer sewing machines, you know, from the nineteen nineteen thirties and forties and what have you going forward. The engine the the the engineering and the the be just the beautiful shapes and engineering of it is way more than it needs to be to be functional. But the just the the pride in the in the pr production is absolutely fantastic. Um and and it it's like w old tools, you know. I'm sure lots of you craftspeople out there have old tools that's been passed through generation and you and it's like I I I I and it's the same with my fiddle actually. I think I might I think I might say this on on Mike with David. It's like you feel like you're a custodian, a temporary custodian. I've got a I've got a fiddle that's about 130 years old and I paid about 200 nodd pounds for it. But it's absolutely fantastic and I love it, and I and I I I feel like I'm a cust I'm a lucky custodian of it. I'm not I'm just the current custodian and you know when I look at that I I have just remembered another thing actually. I don't know if David said this said this on uh camera on on microphone, sorry. Um I think I think he did anyway. He said something like it can tell when his engine when he's um servicing a uh a machine, he can tell the environment that it's been in. I.e. it says this has been in an in an office in a in a in a works b because of the bits of uh detritus that are actually inside the machine and the s oils and the smells. And he and really interesting thing, he could tell the how the style of how the typist worked, how how much pressure they put on on the on the keys, you know. Um it's almost like it it's personal, it's personal to that person. How how the how the how it's ended up now is a product of how it's been used in the past, which I find amazing actually. So anyway, that's that's that's one reason anyway. I've already said this once. Uh anything that engages you both your mind and your body is good for you. Um that's why you'll you'll have heard people say for your mental health, as particularly as you get older and and maybe you're retired and and and you don't you're not engaged in in work, in in you know, in in professional work. Anything that engages your mind and your body at the same time is fantastic for you. Which obviously type typewriting, uh typewriting with a manual typewriting. And and some people even do it stood up so that they're engaging their old body, you know you see musicians when they move their whole body uh making music like that. The more you bring it in, I mean that sounds a bit extreme to me, but um it's mind and body, isn't it? Uh another thing, and I sort of I saw I I I I watched a video where somebody else mentioned this actually, and it did strike it it did strike a chord with me, because I am learning to draw, I'm trying to teach myself to draw, and one of the tips I was given was just use a pen, don't use a pencil, don't erase uh because you can see it's like you know, like when you're doing when when you're doing maths or something like that, you you're showing you're working out. It's like I when when I see uh how furniture that made we are I I I I love seeing like marks, what setting out marks and things like that. So when you once you've made a mark on a typewriter, you can't it you you can't easily erase it. So it captures your voice, it w what you it y you're almost typing what you're thinking at that moment in time. And if you if you're on a computer or something like that, you just go back, erase, and then there's no trace of it. But with the typewriter, even yeah, you know, you you'll do subsequent drafts and what have you, but there's there's you can see how your thought process was working, you know. And there's a there's a there's a train of thought that don't think too much when you're writing uh initially, just just let it flow, even if the spelling's rubbish and you know it's not a good syntax, just just just let it flow, almost like morning pages, you know what I mean? Um just just to get into that flow state. But anyway, it captures your voice, that's that's that that's the reason. Uh and finally, um it's definitely this is what I need a a kick with, it's gonna force me to learn to spell better into it, so I'm I'm gonna have a dictionary outside of me to outright. And then you know, as you as you start having to look look up words and what have you, um you're gonna learn about you know different you could there could be two or three beanings of the same word, you know, the the origin of it. You say you're you're interacting more with with your own language, so that's gonna be really interesting for me. And ultimately, it's education, isn't it? So that yeah, they're they're the reason why I ended up with a tyrant. And I'd I'd said I'd I'd I'd advise you to get one yourself as well if uh if any of these chime with you. If you you know if you like analogue things that are absolutely beautiful machine. Uh well I won't tell you what it is now because David's gonna tell you all about it anyway, but um anyway. Lastly, last of them, before we get into the uh chat with David, uh I just wanted to mention a couple of things that he said off mic that really I thought were really, really uh worth worth mentioning. Um which were it we were actually talking about typewriters at the time. I think we were talking about musical instruments as it happens. But anyway, David said this and it it I it's something I could I could I could have said myself as I've been looking and ri researching things like that you know uh the topics that I've just been chatting about. And and that was it was talking about the the passion for a process again to reach it to reach an objective, like I said, which which which can which can drive you to achieve great heights, even in a really esoteric uh discipline, you know, um if you p if you pick the right vocation. If you pick the pick the voc of the the right vocation, and sometimes it's luck and and sometimes it's it's by design, but if you pick something that you're really passionate about, uh and you'll you'll have seen it with people people that are ridiculously good at doing something like mem maybe spoon carving, what have you, uh I can think of some people that th they can't not do it, you know, they can't they've always got to have a knife in their hand making crafting, you know what I mean. Um and it it it's it's impossible that they're not gonna get really good at it, that the you know, that they're not gonna get good at it because they're that passionate about it. And if you if you're passionate about something, you can you can you can achieve almost anything to be honest with you. Um rather than getting you know rail railroaded in something you don't really want to do, that that's that's when you're not you're never gonna get to any any any great heights. Um so that that that's one thing that he said, and and and again it's I I'm saying that because it's something I'm gonna expand upon in the future about a process. Um and also he says uh what when I took the typewriter, I thought, what's he gonna think to me? Some do you bring in a typewriter or don't type. But it turns out David doesn't type much himself, uh beyond you know the quick brown fox, blah de blah, when he's having to test machines. For him, the passion is is the repair and the bringing uh and the bringing the machines back up to full function. Um and he's and it I mean it to the point that it were pop they were pointing out to me little specks of TipX and how to ping them off and what have you. He's really, really passionate about about his subject. But it's not the objective isn't for him to type on it, it it's it's it's the process, the process, and his objective is to to have a lovely machine at the at you know at the end of his part of the work, you know what I mean? It's a it's it's a bit like um you know, spoon carvers. Um might not be particularly good cooks, in fact I can I can think of a few fantastic spoon carvers who are crap in the kitchen, but fantastic at making the implement, which you know, it it's it struck a chord with me, so I thought I thought I'd mention that. Right, what else were there before I think we're just about ready to get into the uh we're just about ready to get into it, aren't we? Right. So before we a but la last little point this before we actually um get into the um get into the into it itself, I had like I say I had a couple of really good detailed chats with David uh on two occasions and we recorded this on the second occasion when I went to pick up the machine. So by the time our recording with David, we'd had we'd we'd spoken at length and we I we'd had two fantastic uh uh interactions actually. So so when I actually came to do the interview, I couldn't quite remember what we'd what I'd already said on on mic and you know what had what what had what had been flowing through natural conversation. So I it I I hope you get something from my anyway. So uh without without any further ado, uh here's David Trapps to tell you more. Hello and welcome to the latest uh edition of the Tunes and Spoons podcast where I'm talking to David Trapps of Quirtisone. Than I really appreciate you having a little chat with me, David. No problem. And we'll we'll talk about why I'm here in a second, but uh just to lay the lay the land out. Yeah, uh so you're another Wesie, same as me. That's correct. Have you heard that term Weszy? Well, exactly. I I'd never heard of Wesie until my mate were doing some building work. Because he were he was he would a builder, same as your family. Um he would have builder, and he'd go on sites with us people from all over the place. And Weszy's are there, but like you say, when you go over to East Coast, they're all calling you Wesie. So I'm from the sort of eastern side of West Yorkshire, the Leeds Bradford Connation, and you're further west to David, aren't you? Uh but we're both on the M62 corridor. Yeah. Uh and you're I also ask people about their hometown, and and yours is actually Ekmundwork, isn't it? Yes. Um which is a great Yorkshire.

SPEAKER_01 21:47

Ekmundwork, Gummusle Well, it's uh yeah, Ekmansage.

SPEAKER_02 21:52

Ekmansage.

SPEAKER_01 21:53

Yeah, because it's it's so close to Liversege it's a bit of a uh and people also say Cleck.

SPEAKER_02 21:59

I've heard people saying Cleck. Yeah, that's what we've got. These are all West Yorkshire towns. So you're gonna be in a lot of uh a Yorkshire uh accents between me and David. Yeah. And I always like to look into um what what uh what what places are famous for. Um I think you know what what Ekman White's famous for, don't you? Yeah, carpet, yeah, yeah, wool. Yeah. The they're sort of called they're called the mill towns, aren't they? The the the the sort of towns between Jewsbury and Bradford, that that sort of area. Um yeah. So yeah, wool the wool trades, uh massive this I'm sure you can remember when you were young, there were massive mills around there, weren't they? Yeah, yeah, loads of mills, yeah. Round my area, because I'm I'm mining in in sort of the sort of the eastern side of West York. You couldn't go two mile um well, a mile really between coal mines when I were young, and round here it'll been woolen mills, won't it? Like and I've just had a look at what it uh it's also famous for, I don't and and we've just had a little chat off to this off off off mic, and uh it's also to its pride, to its uh credit, uh in the past it was the the centre of the uh abolition of the slave trade. There were a lot of uh speakers and uh meetings to try and get uh the slave trade abolished, which is obviously well uh well uh on the right side of history, isn't it? I think it is, yeah. You've learned you know taught me something there. Yeah, and finally do you know any celebs from? Ekmund Weich. Ah I don't think I do. I didn't either. But so I had a quick look at well, these are quite esoteric, but the top of the top of the the top of the celebrities from Ekwandwike, Ekmundwike, is a chap the top the first name is a a a guy called James Berry. And he was a a famous executioner who specialised in the long drop hanging. He he and he he came up with a system whereby it wouldn't cause as much suffering and pain. Right. So a really nice guy, and then at the bottom of the list there's a die a guy called Dave Pybus. Uh you've got a guy called Dave Pybus who's a bassist with the extreme metal band Cradle of Filth. Never heard of that. Right, so we'll get down to business while we're here then. So, yeah, so David, well let you tell me tell me about your business. Uh you're we're in this massive workshop of yours here.

SPEAKER_01 24:23

Yeah, it's uh just my interest in typewriter typewriters. Uh my first ever job when I left school was uh apprentice typewriter engineer.

SPEAKER_02 24:32

And what's the name of your what's the name of your company, David?

SPEAKER_01 24:35

My name of the company currently is Querty Zone, which is a Hobicum little uh hexy shop. You're right. Uh yeah, so I I repair and sell uh typewriters.

SPEAKER_02 24:47

U when I so when I was you've you've we'll do it we'll talk about the model that you've uh serviced for me in a moment. So when I was looking for someone to uh do a service for me on this typewriter they've got, uh there isn't there aren't that many of you uh up and down the country. D I I I should imagine you you'll know most of the most of the people. I know half a dozen. Is yeah and you know, they're spread around the country. Spread around the country and I uh you know, um I'm I'm I'm I'm quite lucky that I c I I I'm about half an hour fourteen minutes from you. Um but do you I think I read on your thing that you do m mail like a mailing like if you do a service that can they can send it in by a courier or something, is that uh they could do, they could do that, but I don't I don't I don't like it, I don't really recommend that because uh a lot of my work now is damaged machines through couriers. Is it? That's interesting.

SPEAKER_01 25:42

Repairs that I've never seen before.

SPEAKER_02 25:44

So the so it is generally people physically bringing them to you.

SPEAKER_01 25:47

I prefer that. Yeah. Well you are quite well placed, really, are you?

SPEAKER_02 25:51

I'll go collect them uh if need be. Yeah, with it with so you you you're you're sort of the the north of England uh M62 corridor guy that that that sorts them out then. Right, that's interesting. Uh so I mean what's the services that you do uh is it the deep a deep clean or a or a service?

SPEAKER_01 26:16

There's a service which is basically if the machine's functional, you're you're basically checking it over, uh clean lubricating where required, fit a new ribbon, uh a basic service. Uh it a lot of them need a deep clean because people have been trying to lubricate them themselves. Yeah, yeah. Uh they're lubricating it with their own lubricants in their own places.

SPEAKER_02 26:39

And and you know, I when I when I was sort of looking into it, I I I mean I I can understand because there's so many moving parts why people have put oil on it, but apparently that's the worst thing that you can do to them, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 26:51

Oil collects dust. Collects dust and then congeals and goes sticky. And then it then yeah. And a lot of the oils from the 1950s and 60s oxidize. Oh right, okay.

SPEAKER_02 26:59

So they get yeah, so it end up becoming grease effectively. Basically, yeah. Right, okay. So which is there's specific brands that you uh specialise in, David? Uh uh are you are you able to check anything?

SPEAKER_01 27:13

I will repair most typewriters, but the ones I specialise in to sell an X are uh Olympia, Olivetti and Adler. But Olympia is the you know the main one really.

SPEAKER_02 27:25

And that and that's I think I believe that's German. That's a German mark. That's a German marketing. It's all I mean Olivetti sounds Italian, is it?

SPEAKER_01 27:31

Yeah, Olivetti's Italian, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:33

Uh and what was the other Adler, which is German, isn't it? Another German one, yeah. Er if I if before I started looking into it and and I sort of I decided to try and acquire an Olympia, knowing that you specialise in that and and but you know try and get something where your local er repairist uh specialises in. That's why I got that. But I think you I think you really rate them anyway, don't you?

SPEAKER_01 27:56

I do, and and the aesthetics I think they look well, uh they'll they're looking, you know, really, really nice machine and they are you know they're well built.

SPEAKER_02 28:04

Right. So so this this machine that I've got, it's actually it actually predates me. I think it predates both of us anyway, doesn't it? Because we're a similar vintage. Er so you've looked up the serial number and and and can you tell me what it what what model is?

SPEAKER_01 28:19

It's uh an Olympia SM2 from 1956 in uh a burgundy colour, which is you know uh quite rare.

SPEAKER_02 28:27

I will put I will put a picture up so you can see it. Um and when you look at a type I mean the thing that attracts me to uh I'm I'm quite analogue and I I think it's good for your dopamine levels if you can if you can you know interact with things like this. But it it when you put your fingers on the keys, you can you can look, you can see, you can trace the m m mechanism from your finger. It's well it's it's from your brain, really. You're coming from your bre with your thoughts, and you can follow from your finger the the linkage if you if you if you lift that uh cover cap up. It's all it's like a bit like a piano.

SPEAKER_01 29:03

I think a bit like a piano where you can it the and I it helps when you're tracing faults on the time it's uh you can see it and it's physical. Uh but but but it looks really it looks really delicate.

SPEAKER_02 29:15

When when I've looked at typewriters, I thought the the linkages look but it must be they must have been made from a really good era of engineering because it to survive for that long, you know, but I'm presumably you know a lot a lot a lot of use, it's yeah it's a bit of a testament to the job.

SPEAKER_01 29:34

You know, it was all known for the position engineering.

SPEAKER_02 29:39

I mean I would like to just have a little chat about different errsifications of uh type rayers. So this one that I've got here, would you class that as a portable?

SPEAKER_01 29:50

It's in a case it's a portable. It's in it's in it's in inverted commas that innit? Yeah, because you've basically got in the Olympia range, for instance, this your machine itself is SM. Yeah. Now the S stands for scribe machine in German. Yes, no. And the M is medium. Ah, right, uh Right. Yeah. And then you've got an SF, Olympia SF range, which is scribe machine flat. So basically.

SPEAKER_02 30:16

Oh yes, even small, like like a little case. Yeah, look at yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:20

Uh that's definitely portable, and then you've got uh the office machines, which there was is one an SG1. Right. Scribe machine ground.

SPEAKER_02 30:29

I'm looking at a big machine in front of me, just at the side of that is that is that what is that would that be an office one? That's an office size imperial. So so that they're they're they wouldn't be in a case, uh that and they'd be they'd be on a desk, don't they? Very heavy, very heavy duty, and and and there wouldn't be more. I mean, a little story, I actually got that from uh somebody in Ilkley, a really nice lady actually called uh Erica, who runs something called uh the thingery, which is like they hire out uh bits of kit for people like leaf blowers and things like that. Uh and it she opened at three o'clock and there were a train, there were a train at Ilkley station for me at ten past three, and so she were open, I was saying, Oh, can I buy that typewriter? She says, Yeah, do you want to have a look at it? No, no, it's alright, I'll have it, I'll have it, give me it. So I I got it. I thought I'd and it it's about 300 yards to to railway station. And uh by the time I got to railway station, I were absolutely blowing out my backside, mate. Yeah. They are quite heavy, aren't they? I think I mean yeah, that that's why I say, you know, I'm I'm not surprised that you say medium, because it like you say it's invert combo, it is portable, because you but but it's it's a heavy, heavy, solid piece of piece of work, like isn't it? Uh yeah, so yeah. Um so we've mentioned uh uh the the Adlers and the um Olivetti. The Adlers and the uh Olympia. Olympias are the German ones, aren't they? Yeah. The Olivetti is Italian. Uh I and if if if I didn't know, you know, I I have looked into this because uh because of yourself, like but if if somebody said to me name a name a typewriter brand, before I'd even looked into it, I would have I would have probably said uh Smith Corona. America and they're America. Is that uh where did they originate from? Did they originate in Europe or in America or do you know? Well when when when did they Armand type?

SPEAKER_01 32:28

Do they go do they go right back the 1500s Germany?

SPEAKER_02 32:31

Oh but I want to say before the uh First World War. So the the so the pre pre 19th pre pre-twentieth century. And we don't we we're not percent sure whether it was Yeah, American or English or German.

SPEAKER_01 32:43

I don't know which one or which person. Right. Armand Tybright was Armand Organ and the Armand Tybright. Oh, never heard of Hammond. Oh right, okay.

SPEAKER_02 32:49

So Did have we have we got any British interest in the game here at all? Imperial. Right, right, okay. So that that that was the that was the UK competitor to the to the Germans and the Americ. The market's dominated by Germans, Americans.

SPEAKER_01 33:09

Er sounds like Ger Germany's the later on it was, but Imperial War but Imperial was massive. Yeah everywhere everywhere you want, uh everywhere you went in the 70s, they had the Imperial typewriters about them. And they're very easy to work on as well. Right. But uh they're not as aesthetically pleasing, are they? Things were changing.

SPEAKER_02 33:29

60s, 70s designs is there is is there a golden area of uh typewriter, you know, mechanical typewriter manufacture that you've with a sweet spot. 56 is for me. Because this is my personal choice. Because this this this machine that you've serviced for me, David, it to me it it's the sweet spot between functionality and aesthetics. Yeah, it just it I can I can understand why people have got them in, you know, uh shop windows as a display. It's uh it's they're beautiful. Um and then, you know, and they've got the uh er uh uh usefulness as well, you know, the uh practicality.

SPEAKER_01 34:06

I still see them work on underwoods from uh 1930s and stuff, and I think these are nice. Right to tie upon. Right. Yeah, I love them to tie upon and I like this, but yeah, they're few and far between, so Right.

SPEAKER_02 34:17

Is it is i is there is there a I I'm gonna I guess the I think I know what answer to this is the is the collect uh you know collectors that the the Oh yes Yeah, we have a lady in her clear, she must have nearly 300 machines.

SPEAKER_01 34:29

Wow! An house that can she she has storage. She has outside storage to keep them all in. And er she uh she does uh an exhibition in October called Totally Tyreprinters.

SPEAKER_02 34:43

Alright, I think you mentioned that is it is it like uh a trade box a tra like a trade thing or something, or is it just purely?

SPEAKER_01 34:49

She just wants people she just shows, she just wants to see let people have access to typewriters.

SPEAKER_02 34:53

Right. So she sh so she effectively showcases her collection. And do you do you do like a slight is a system?

SPEAKER_01 35:00

I go and I because I've I've fixed a lot for for the lady concern and uh basically I go and put some machines on display that I'm selling on XA and any par paraphernalia I've got for people to have a look at. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_02 35:14

And it's all about interesting and interaction, you know, so people can come and pick up that that's why I wanted to have a little chat with you, David, so that I could just, you know, give people pointers. I mean, if you if you were advising somebody who were interested in a mechanical typewriter, what what what sort of advice would you give them to look out for? I mean uh the best the best thing is obviously to come and come to you and get a fully serviced, ready-to-go machine, obviously. Ideally, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:39

Er and I'd like that, but yeah, just just buy something that's readily available because you're no longer getting parts off the shelf. Yeah. To get a part for a machine, you have got to cannibalise another machine. Yeah. You've got to apart, you know. So there's a lot of Olympias about, a lot of Adlers about, a lot of Olivetti's about, so chances are you'll get one relatively cheap.

SPEAKER_02 36:01

Yeah. So the uh uh so uh anything from the Il Olympia SM uh range, is it?

SPEAKER_01 36:06

Uh uh Olympia range full stop, uh from one six goes from one to nine, I believe, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_02 36:12

There is one to nine.

SPEAKER_01 36:13

There's an SM6. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 36:15

Is that I don't know why. They skipped they skip the SMC. But there's probably some uh machining somewhere in the German factory that that's got pushed up back over a warehouse or something, isn't there? So they've got yeah, the what one to nine, then not and and and the era was sort of the start of the 20th century through to well, I presume they don't make them anymore, do they?

SPEAKER_01 36:35

Uh yeah, I think I I think there's only one uh typewriter manufacturer left. Uh oh, mechanical. Electronic uh and I can buy uh an electronic Nakajima. Right. Mechanical, I'm not sure about. Right. But the ones I've seen that I knew are not very well made, and I wouldn't recommend anybody anybody buying get a get a catalogue, you know, because I've seen them in these catalogues, uh, and they're not very well made at all.

SPEAKER_02 37:01

I mean, do you think they they got a little bit plasticky in the 70s and that? Because I remember when I was when I was at school, I won't say when it was, but um they were like typing pull effectively for a classroom full of typewriters and they were quite plasticky and much of a you know much of a muchness but obviously pre-date uh post-dating this these uh this SM2 is it that I've got. SM2 SM2, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:26

So the the the sort of peaked 50s, 60s would you say? Yeah, for me I think so. Uh some early 70s stuff, I mean this is alright, but er I think what they're I think what they're doing though they're um minimising the production costs.

SPEAKER_02 37:42

Yeah, so using cheaper materials.

SPEAKER_01 37:44

I mean you'd get uh you'd get a machine in the Olivetti range that wore a nice machine with metal covers and then later on in in its life it it was the same engine, same carbon with plastic covers on, and give them different names. Shave off the retail uh and they could they could mould these covers cheaply and put them over the same channels.

SPEAKER_02 38:04

And you've seen all that really, haven't you? From from I presume from when you started, you know, you've seen the progression almost from analogue to digital. I mean you've seen it with your head in the machines, as I've witnessed as a as an observer, you know, the the ch and and I think we lose something in in between there because like I say, th that the actual interaction with it. I mean if if if I'm gonna if I'm gonna type something on a mechanical typewriter, I've got to think about my spelling and things like that and and you know uh and and not but also you get that feedback from doing it, uh would you get that I say again you get that dopamine rush w but now you you could like almost um yeah uh dictate dictate things without even touching anything, you know, or or even ask a bloody AI to write you a bloody novel or something. So I'm interested in what what sort of clientele you get?

SPEAKER_01 38:54

Do you get do you get broad spectrum? Trans people. A lady who uh makes cards who's brought two machines up. Yes versus in the cards. That's sort of what I'm thinking of actually. Uh I I quite like the uh and then uh you got poets, right? And then you've got people who do typewriter art, they make a picture. Right. Article or something. Yeah, yeah, like a like almost like a collage type. It's more of the letters. Uh a portrait of somebody. Oh right, okay. Right. You see them online and stuff like that. Yeah. There's there was a young lad who used to go to the show, I don't know if he's coming this year, but he went uh for the last couple of years and he did some amazing stuff. Right.

SPEAKER_02 39:30

I have to show you. I ain't got the patience. I'll name check, I'll I'll try and know who that is. Right, okay. So uh have you have you noticed uh I don't know, a renaissance in interest.

SPEAKER_01 39:41

Is it? Yeah, I I was gonna do I mean I I no longer do this as a full-time job. It's just uh something I was gonna do when I retired. Yes. So I've had the domain name and everything's since 2000 probably. Quite a long time. Yeah, well the the the birth of the internet, that sort of thing, and uh I thought I'll do that when I retire. Because I I had I did have a collection of my own back then. Right. Uh I was interested in uh I always have been interested in titles, and all mine were 1920s, 30s, Royals, Imperials, Remingtons, all the black enamel stuff. Right. But I only tried to get the ones that still had the instruction book and the guarantee card in the bar. It had to be collected. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:21

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:22

I was fortunate because I had access to the shops that I'd sold these in the past. Right.

SPEAKER_02 40:28

Um because you start used at a in a typewriter shop. Typewriter shop, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:32

So that's what our you know, typewriter repairs and sales. Uh and we used to do work for other other shops where they didn't have their own engineers. And I can remember going and the guy, he'd be in his 80s back then, and we're down in his basement of the shop, and he just says, if there's anything in here you want, David, help yourself. All these portable typewriters lined up and all mechanical ones. And that's how I started my collection. Right.

SPEAKER_02 40:56

Just went through them and picked up. Do you do you keep a personal collection still then?

SPEAKER_01 41:00

No, I don't I I've no longer got that attachment to them now. Uh because I moved houses uh times and you're thinking it's yeah, each time you yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:10

You don't realise how much stuff you've got until you move houses.

SPEAKER_01 41:13

And to be honest, I I when I were buying them back then, if I spent£10 a towel upset.

SPEAKER_02 41:19

£10. I mean, when you look at the engineer, do you know I've got I've got a fiddle, mate, uh, and it's it it's from about nine it's from about 1910, so it's over 100 years old. And I I feel like a custodian, and and it's the same with this typewriter. I almost feel obliged to get it up and running because it it you know it it's it survived that long and the the fiddle's the same as a as an item of beauty I find it you know I can I can just look in it's and and it cost me about 200 pounds. I got it off uh a Morris it ex-Maurice man, so he says it'll be covered in beer, but it works good, and it the tone on it's fantastic. And I just same with my old tools, and that a lot of people that listen to uh my podcast uh the the the they've got old the the they'd much rather work with hand tools than you could get you I I'll show you something that I've made shortly because I've got a little bit of something for you. But you could have it made with a CNC machine, but where's the where's you know, where's the i interaction in that? You know, I think people I th I I've noticed a renaissance in in slow slow working where you you know you get into a a a a flow state and you know you you you you you're increasing your dopamine levels and that and uh so yeah, yeah, you have noticed a renaissance in.

SPEAKER_01 42:31

I have since since COVID especially. Right. People started collecting them a bit more and er and yeah, it's got re it's got I enjoy it, I do enjoy messing about with and buying them and putting them back together and and you know you never get two of the same because you can get two Olympia SM2s.

SPEAKER_02 42:49

Well you've just pointed out a couple of uh uh uh unique features that you spotted on mine, eh?

SPEAKER_01 42:54

But you can get of two machines and they feel different, and that's because of the previous owners, how much they've been used. Alright, the the the the weight of yes, some might feel as though they've never been used. Right. Straight out of the box, you know, the bar they'd be. And that's worn. And then you'll get a type I I you get a typewriter and and now the paint works worn on on the around the side. Not not damaged, just worn. Yeah. Because somebody's been typing on the thing.

SPEAKER_02 43:20

And a thumb, thumb, a thumb, like a thumb.

SPEAKER_01 43:22

Some of the keys are misshapen.

SPEAKER_02 43:24

Well that's uh that's a little bit like on uh the the sort of fretboard of a of an instrument. Yes. Where you know, where you would where you're in sort of certain positions for quite a long time. Yeah. I mean that uh that's isn't that isn't that lovely, you know.

SPEAKER_01 43:37

I think who's had this? Yeah. Some report we used to go to newspaper officers and they had portable machines, yeah, and they were always serviced, but they they were used day in, day out. Yeah, and they were all worn. And then you you see some that are like off off white, which are yellowy, and it's all the nicotine. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:58

That reminds me of the pubs around. Do mate, when you when you well you know, you thought it were part of the decor, but when when the band's smoking, it's like, I don't know, minute, it's a bit bright. But it yeah, I know what you mean. It's like yours.

SPEAKER_01 44:10

I mean, yours has been obviously been in some sort of engineering works because it was just full of was it black grime, I would say. I can't remember what I said. What colour is this? Is it brown or bird?

SPEAKER_02 44:18

It could have been the the wages clerk or something in uh in another.

SPEAKER_01 44:21

Yeah, it's been it because it it was it was like that was a spot way through the machine.

SPEAKER_02 44:25

Yeah, well it was picked it up in West Yorkshire, so I I mean we always say around here you work hard and you play hard, it there's a lot the there's been a lot of industry around here, didn't there? So that that that doesn't surprise me, but it's yeah, what again when I'm when it's like sewing machines and things like that. When you look at them, they don't need to be that uh aesthetically beautiful, but they're a lot of pride in manufacturing, weren't they, in the past? And and and like I say, you do f I f I feel like a custodian. Uh and and and you do start thinking about because it lasts us so long, uh the people that's had them before you and that like, and that's so that's that's really interesting. So yeah, I'm I'm um have you so have you are you passing on your nullies then or are you I you haven't got you haven't got an apprentice or anything?

SPEAKER_01 45:10

It would it yeah when I retire from uh my current job I will probably uh it it'll be something I spend more time doing. I mean I do this on a weekend, yeah, morning, night, whatever. When I need to. This week I I've I've not done much this week. I've done yours.

SPEAKER_02 45:25

Yeah. Well the turnaround was very quick, I I must say, it looks absolutely fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 45:31

You know, I do I read upon typewriters quite a lot.

SPEAKER_02 45:35

And uh I I would you like to have a an apprentice or something? I almost showing somebody, but yeah, yeah. It would be nice to carry it on because uh we we have things in the craft world we have something called the heritage crafts, and I I I I i i it it is an heritage thing. And and and the heritage the the idea, the the goal of the heritage crafts association is to pass on skills that would be that would otherwise be lost, like thatching and uh you know, all old skills that are that are dying out because of the digital age, you know what I mean? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:05

Um I mean it's like my son last night we were doing some uh some working here together on uh not on a tie write of all things, but it was using uh handheld screwdriver. It says this is a lost art using a screwdriver. Go straight for the power tools game.

SPEAKER_02 46:19

It's scary, mate, innit? Yeah. Er but uh so going forward then, uh I've got this lovely machine. Um do I need to do I need to do anything to uh maintain it or things to avoid if you've got if you've got one that's been to don't oil it. Don't oil it, yeah. I think that it's worth saying because when you look at something so mechanical like that, it it's it is tempting to think, oh it's sticking a bit, I'll I'll just drop a bit of oil in. Any problem. Which would be a short-term fix, I suppose, wouldn't it?

SPEAKER_01 46:49

Yeah, any problems in the short term, just bring it back to me and I'll uh I'll have a look at it. It shouldn't need anything now, it's gonna be good for another. I mean, you look at it condition it's now, it's 70 years old now. I can easily see another 70 years. Yeah, yeah, I won't, but yeah, the flatten is going hard, but for the amount of time you're gonna be using it, yeah. If you're using it eight hours a day, yeah. Well you've made a fantastic job.

SPEAKER_02 47:10

Really I I I I A, I'm thankful for the work you've done for me. And uh I'm I'm I I say I feel lucky to have it to be honest with you. Right, so really, really and enjoy the chat with you, David. We've we've talked we've talked quite a lot off cameras off off uh mic as well, and it's so it I'm so interested in this. But I've just got one little question to ask you before we go, then mate, and I'm uh I ask everybody and uh because I'm putting a little play a little playlist together. I've only got a couple so far, so a song of your choice, mate. Anything, a song or a tune that I'll put on my playlist. Right. Roy Orbison. Yep. In dreams. In dreams, Roy Orbison, got it, it's going up playlist. Cool. Right. Thanks very much, David.