Antique Typewriter

Old leather messenger bags, heavy iron typewriters, fountain pens, leather-bound Moleskins and stogies.  Such nostalgia have long been a part of the couture that romanticizes being a writer. The aluminum and plastic that goes hand-in-hand with new technology can be the blame for sucking the romance right out of it!

Are you dying for the feel of typewriter keys beneath your fingers but need to stay grounded in the 21st century?  Intro the Steampunk movement - a subculture of artists taking modern technology and filtering it through, or in combination with, the Victorian era.

What would an ergo keyboard have looked like in 1850? Can a typewriter and keyboard coexist?  One Steampunk artist in particular has done a brilliant job at answering that question.   Richard "Datamancer" Nagy uses materials such as brass, copper, wood and leather to construct computer keyboards, laptops and desktops into stunning works of art.  Correction… practical works of art, as everything he builds can actually be used!

[click to continue...]

Atop my list of unique and thoughtful gifts is a pen given to me by a good friend and a fellow screenwriter and producer. I remember opening the gift and being overjoyed as I recognized immediately that it combined two of my passions – antique typewriters and quality pens.

Tokens & Coins uses authentic vintage Remington, Smith Corona, Underwood and Royal typewriter keys to create the QWERTY.  At some point each of these typewriters has adorned my typewriter collection, making this pen even more precious to me.  The QWERTY comes with your choice of 26 letters in a sterling silver fluted barrel or a black rubberized barrel.

My pen has the letter R and the rubber barrel.  The ballpoint inks smoothly and the pen material and design offers a sturdy grip and a balanced weight.  It’s perfect for long journal writing, meetings, or day-to-day office tasks around LitCentral.  I’ve polished the sterling silver clip, cap and end a few times keeping it as spiffy as the day I received this wonderful gift. The QWERTY will remain in my collection for a long time to come.  Thank you Heather!

QWERTY Pen