Rebuilt Typewriters
Contents
What are Rebuilt Typewriters?
"Rebuilding" is the process of taking something, like a typewriter or another mechanical object, and tearing it down so that it can be fixed, cleaned, and readjusted, and finally reassembling it. Because typewriters were used heavily in offices, they required this process intermittently. Heavy daily use on a precision machine takes it's toll, so typewriter companies and typewriter shops offered rebuilding services to give tired typewriters a facelift and address any chronic issues that may be caused by worn out parts. Often times this process involved a total or partial tear down of the typewriter, new paint, and sometimes even new features that could be easily added (e.g. key set tabulator, new keys, or new type slugs).
Who rebuilt typewriters
Typewriters were rebuilt by the factories that made them or small, independent repair shops. You can tell if a machine was rebuilt by a factory by looking for a rebuild decal. Often times, big companies would stick a sticker or a decal that showed if a machine was rebuilt. Occasionally, you can find a new serial number on the machine as well, stamped in the same place as the old one. Two big companies that rebuilt machines were Remington and Woodstock. Remington often rebuilt Remington Standard No. 10s and it's derivatives, stamped them with a new serial number, and put a "Rebuilt by Remington Typewriter Co., Ilion NY" decal on the back frame. Woodstock survived the great depression by rebuilding typewriters instead of manufacturing new ones. These machines are usually Woodstock 5s and 5Ns from the 20's. Rebuilt Woodstock machines are characterized by a friction-fit cover placed over the type basket and under the ribbon spool towers, and a (easily destroyed) yellow sticker on the back left of the frame that says, "Rebuilt by Woodstock Typewriter Co. Chicago, IL" on it. Typewriters that were rebuilt by independent shops, on the other hand, are often just given a new coat of paint, new decals, and new keys with the dealer tag of the shop secured somewhere on the machine, usually in a very visible place. Each shop had a different process, so rebuilt machines by repair shops vary from place to place.
How can I tell if my typewriter is rebuilt?
The best way to know if a typewriter was rebuilt is to know what different machines looked like fresh out of the factory. Usually, rebuilt machines are from the 20's to the 40's, because rebuilding became big during the Great Depression and WWII as it was much cheaper than buying a new typewriter. Rebuilt typewriters come in many colors and configurations. Sometimes it is obvious, sometimes it is not. The most subtle rebuilds are machines that were not repainted and just had their typeface and keys replaced. Other times, (mostly independent shops) would repaint the machine in a new color not offered in the factory (like crinkle beige or black) and apply very generic-looking decals to replace the ones painted over.
Are rebuilt machines bad?
Certainly not! However, rebuilt machines are not usually desirable by collectors because they were altered from their original look. Some people think that the keys don't look right because they were changed out, or maybe the machine is the wrong color.
