The Timeless Clack: Why Typewriters Still Have a Place in Modern America
In an era dominated by sleek laptops and touchscreen devices, the rhythmic clatter of typewriter keys might seem like a relic of the past. Yet, in certain corners of the US, these vintage machines are far from obsolete.
Mike Marr, a typewriter repair expert in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, sees it firsthand. Nearly every day, customers walk into his shop carrying heavy, dust-covered typewriters—machines that have endured decades of wear and tear. Stiff keys, jammed rollers, and ink-starved ribbons are common issues. But instead of tossing them aside, these owners ask the same hopeful question: “Can you bring it back to life?”
Marr, who has been repairing typewriters for over 20 years, welcomes the challenge. For him, the real reward is seeing a customer’s face light up when they retrieve a fully restored machine. Even in 2025, these typewriters remain essential to many businesses, filling out forms, printing addresses, and completing tasks that modern technology hasn’t entirely replaced. Marr’s team repairs up to 25 typewriters a week—proof that these machines still have work to do.
His family’s business, Marr Office Equipment, has been around since 1953. At its peak, the shop was a hub for IBM typewriters, with shipments flying off the shelves faster than they could be stocked. While times have changed, the demand hasn’t completely faded.
For many, typewriters offer something that computers can’t—a tangible, distraction-free writing experience. And as long as people seek that, the clack of typewriter keys will continue to echo, defying the digital age.
The Timeless Appeal of Typewriters in a Digital World
In an era where technology advances at lightning speed, one might assume typewriters have been relegated to history. Yet, for many professionals and businesses in the US, these classic machines remain an essential part of daily work.
Take Tomasso & Tomasso, a law firm in South Providence, Rhode Island, where attorneys John and Ray Tomasso still rely on typewriters every single day. With three typewriters in their office, they use them for drafting checks and filling out legal forms—ensuring clarity and preventing errors. But there’s another major advantage: security. Unlike computers, typewriters can’t be hacked, making them a trusted tool in an age of cyber threats. In fact, after the Snowden revelations in 2013, both Russian and German officials considered returning to typewriters to evade surveillance.
John Tomasso sees no downside. With an eraser ribbon, mistakes are easily corrected, and ink ribbons cost just a fraction of modern printer cartridges. For him, the typewriter isn’t just a tool—it’s a symbol of efficiency and reliability. “Seeing my words appear instantly on paper gives me a sense of accomplishment that typing on a screen never will,” he says.
Across the country in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, real estate agent Woody Jarvis shares a similar sentiment. He prefers typewriters for quick document edits, avoiding unnecessary reprints and wasted paper. “It just works,” he says.
Typewriters have an enduring legacy. From their invention in the 19th century to their peak in the 20th—when the industry was worth over $1.1 billion in the US alone—these machines shaped the way we write. Even today, they hold a special place in legal offices, real estate firms, and government institutions worldwide, including in India, where they remain a common sight in courts.
While technology evolves, typewriters continue to defy obsolescence, proving that sometimes, the old ways are still the best.
The Lasting Charm of Typewriters: A Milwaukee Artist’s Passion
For Lisa Floading, a faculty member at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, typewriters are more than just machines—they’re a way of life. With an impressive collection of 62 typewriters scattered throughout her home, she sees them as both functional tools and nostalgic pieces of art. “There’s something magical about a typewriter with a blank sheet of paper in it,” she says. “It’s like an open invitation to create.”
Unlike digital devices, typewriters offer Floading a tangible sense of accomplishment. Every day, she uses one to jot down lists, draft letters, or complete office tasks. “On a laptop, you might keep tweaking and deleting, but with a typewriter, you commit to your words. Three pages done—no distractions, no backspacing,” she explains. Sometimes, she even brings a typewriter to her favorite coffee shop, where curious onlookers often stop to admire the retro machine and ask about its history.
Floading’s love for typewriters extends beyond personal use. In June, she participated in Qwertyfest, a Milwaukee event honoring the legacy of Christopher Latham Sholes, the inventor of the Qwerty keyboard. A highlight of the event was a room filled with typewriters, where attendees could sit down and experience the rhythmic clatter of keys striking paper—a sound once heard in offices everywhere.
For Floading, and many like her, typewriters aren’t just relics of the past. They are a creative and purposeful alternative to the digital world, reminding us of a time when writing was a more deliberate and immersive experience.
Keeping Typewriters Alive: A Business That Refuses to Die
For Jim Riegert, typewriters are more than just machines of the past—they are a business that has defied time. Now in his 70s, he recalls a time when typewriters and adding machines were essential office tools. But the digital revolution changed everything. “It got really tough about 25 years ago,” he admits. “The internet started killing the business.”
Yet, against the odds, Riegert’s company, Typewriters.com, continues to sell around four to five electric IBM typewriters every week. His customers are often unexpected—prisons, which prefer typewriters for security reasons, and funeral homes, which still use them for official documents. Even in a world dominated by computers, there’s a niche market that keeps his business running.
Based in Tucker, Georgia, Riegert’s office is packed with 70 to 80 refurbished IBM typewriters, each meticulously serviced before resale. “They were built to last,” he says proudly. Some models still fetch as much as $749, holding their value even decades after IBM sold its typewriter division to Lexmark in the 1990s. While IBM has long moved on to supercomputers, Riegert continues to provide typewriter manuals and maintenance services, ensuring that the legacy of these machines lives on.
Though the golden age of typewriters may be long gone, for Riegert and his customers, they remain indispensable. “They’re still the best typewriters you can buy,” he says—proving that even in the digital era, some traditions refuse to fade away.
The Timeless Appeal of Typewriters: A Market That Won’t Disappear
Despite the dominance of digital technology, new typewriters are still rolling off production lines every year. Todd Althoff, president of Royal—a company that has been making typewriters since 1904—remains confident about their future. “There’s not a huge boom, but it’s a steady market,” he explains. “We’re keeping the factory busy.”
Royal’s manufacturing takes place in Indonesia, overseen by Japan’s Nakajima, a respected name in typewriter production. The company sells around 20,000 electric typewriters annually, along with over 40,000 mechanical ones. While some buyers use them functionally, others see them as aesthetic collectibles—libraries, for example, often purchase typewriters for decorative displays. These models typically cost between $300 and $400, maintaining a niche yet reliable demand.
Paul Lundy, owner of Bremerton Office Machine Company in Seattle, specializes in repairing typewriters and sees their continued relevance firsthand. “People still need typewriters, and thankfully, supplies like ribbons are readily available,” he says. In industries like warehousing, where workers must fill out complex forms quickly and precisely, typewriters remain more practical than computer printers. Instead of struggling with formatting issues, workers simply load the form into a typewriter and type in the required details.
For many, typewriters are not just nostalgic relics—they are reliable tools with a unique charm. As long as people continue to appreciate their simplicity and practicality, the typewriter industry will keep pressing forward.
The Enduring Charm of Typewriters in a Digital Age
Over time, some aging typewriter parts have shown signs of wear, particularly due to plastic fatigue. However, these machines remain remarkably durable, continuing to function decades after their creation.
One of typewriters’ greatest strengths is their ability to eliminate distractions—no notifications, no auto-corrections, just pure writing. This is exactly what drew novelist Anjali Banerjee to them. Based in Seattle, she has authored 15 books, and for her last three, she wrote the first drafts entirely on a typewriter.
Banerjee initially struggled with constant digital interruptions while writing on her computer—pop-up notifications, grammar corrections, and formatting distractions disrupted her creative flow. Frustrated, she sought an alternative and bought a typewriter. She started with an electric model, but soon fell in love with mechanical ones.
Writing on a typewriter, she explains, helps her ideas flow more naturally. “I have to keep moving forward. The story moves faster, if that makes sense,” she says. “You have to put it out there, like clay.” Later, she scans her drafts into a computer for final editing.
Banerjee admits that her fascination quickly turned into an obsession: “I developed what we call ‘typewriter fever’.” For writers like her, typewriters aren’t just relics of the past—they’re tools that help unlock creativity in its purest form.
The Search for the Perfect Typewriter
After purchasing her first typewriter in 2019, Anjali Banerjee’s fascination quickly turned into a full-blown passion. She amassed an incredible collection of 120 machines, each with its own quirks and personality. However, realizing that she couldn’t possibly use them all, she recently downsized to around 80 and plans to part with even more.
For Banerjee, it wasn’t just about collecting—it was a quest to find the perfect typewriter. Among her favorites is the Olivetti Studio 45, an Italian-made machine known for its smooth mechanics. As both a writer and pianist, she draws an interesting comparison: typing on a typewriter feels like playing an instrument. The keys require effort, precision, and rhythm—unlike the feather-light taps of a modern keyboard. She has tested numerous machines to find the ideal balance: not too stiff, not too loose, and with just the right depth of key press.
Beyond mechanics, typewriters engage the senses in a way digital devices never could. Banerjee describes the satisfying clack of the keys, the faint scent of aged paper and ink, even the subtle remnants of history lingering in every keystroke. When she writes, time seems to dissolve. “I lose myself in the moment,” she says. “I’ll look up, and suddenly, two hours have passed.”
For Banerjee, typewriters aren’t just tools—they’re portals into deep focus, creativity, and a tangible connection to the art of writing.
The Timeless Appeal of Typewriters
As long as writers like Anjali Banerjee continue to cherish the simplicity and focus that typewriters offer, and as long as office workers rely on their reliability, these machines will never truly disappear.
That ensures Mike Marr, the owner of a typewriter repair shop in Rhode Island, remains as busy as ever. “I was practically raised to fix typewriters and office equipment,” he says. “It’s what I’ve done my entire life.”
Most of the typewriters that find their way to his shop aren’t broken beyond repair. Often, they just need a deep clean and fresh oil in their intricate joints. Decades-old grease hardens over time, causing minor jams—but once restored, these machines are ready to keep working, just as they did decades ago.
In an era of fleeting technology, the typewriter’s enduring presence is proof that some tools never lose their value.
“As long as there are writers, collectors, and professionals who value precision and simplicity, typewriters will continue to have a place in our world.”