Almost a year ago I gave you a tour of TB Writers Plus, located in an 1889 factory building in Dayton, Ohio. I went up there yesterday and saw firsthand how the business has grown thanks to the hard work and intelligence of Trevor Brumfield, his wife Becca, and their employees. There's a new showroom/kitchen and lots of additional typewriters, tools, and equipment, much of it purchased from typewriter shops that have closed down. The shop has customers around the world and is in this business for the long haul.
A major piece of equipment is this ultrasonic cleaner that can handle machines as large as a Selectric III.
Vintage key legends:
This circa-1970 Varityper is one of the more unusual machines on the premises. Trevor mostly works on common models, which are still in regular use more often than you'd imagine. (He told me about a local insurance company that still does all its correspondence by postal letter.)
Another unusual item:
Trevor's office:
In the new showroom you'll find an understroke Remington ...
... and a lovely Rex. Yes, it's for sale!
Here's an Underwood Electric. Nearby was a tricky Burroughs Electric (Trevor said it reflects the complexity and precision of Burroughs adding machines.)
An ancient duplicator:
Trevor helped me with a stubborn problem on this Royal HH.
Customer machines awaiting service:
Although you don't see people in my photos, TB Writers Plus is a people-friendly, family-run place. If you're anywhere near Dayton, make an appointment to stop by!
Hours:
Sunday Closed
Monday 7PM - 10PM
Tuesday 10AM - 10PM
Wednesday 7PM - 10PM
Thursday 7PM - 10PM
Friday 7PM - 10PM
Saturday 4:30PM - 10PM
Sunday Closed
Monday 7PM - 10PM
Tuesday 10AM - 10PM
Wednesday 7PM - 10PM
Thursday 7PM - 10PM
Friday 7PM - 10PM
Saturday 4:30PM - 10PM
My new favorite TB Writers Plus item … the DIY program. I spent the day learning and completing the restoration of a 1939 Underwood Master … one that had sadly gathered dust on my shelf for way too long. Soon, I am traveling back with a Hermes 3000 because the entire carriage removal is terrifying. All in all I am becoming a better tinkerer and exercising the lethargic, logic side of my brain. Ha.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to write in words what Trevor and Becca’s business, as well as other brave typewriter shop owners, mean to those of us in this hobby … a part, a restored antique, a new tool, a tip, a peace of historical ephemera, etc. I wish all of these businesses nothing but the best.
Amen!
DeleteRichard, yesterday I finished reading The Typewriter Revolution. Today, I read your post about your visit to TB Writers Plus and looked in your photos for my Olympia SM-7 that is in the shop awaiting Trevor’s caring attention. Tomorrow, I return home from a visit to Oregon and I am looking forward to writing on my mid-century Royal back-up machine there. I just wanted to thank you for your thoughts and provocations about a revolution of slowness and quietude among the shrill chaos that is before us every day. As the typewriter helped the cows in “Click Clack Moo,” it will be there for us, too. Peace.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Joe. Peace to us all!
DeleteTrevor has an incredible stock of parts. I saw Trevor's recent video at Reddit in the
ReplyDeleter/Typewriter_parts subreddit. It gives you an idea of how impressive TB Writers Plus is.
Yes! I was happy to contribute some of those parts when I gave Trevor three cabinets of Royal parts (which had been given to me by a local shop when it closed down).
DeleteWell that was a fun tour! Thanks for documenting and sharing!
ReplyDelete