Cambridge Typewriter Co., Inc.

05/31/2025

Going…Going…GONE!!!!

04/08/2025

After 45 years of repairing typewriters, the time to retire has arrived. Cambridge Typewriter Co. has closed its doors for good on March 31st. It’s taken me a week to post about it. It has been such a bittersweet ordeal and part of me is in disbelief that I had to close the shop and part of me can’t believe I’m turning 70 and retiring. Where did the time go?
This has been an amazing job and career for me. I got hooked on repairing typewriters and stayed for my customers. The community that we all built around this tiny shop has been incredible. The relationships with my customers and friendships formed and the gazillion stories are what I will take away with me as I move on to the next chapter.
After an extended vacation, I will need to figure out how typewriters are going to fit into my new life. I honestly don’t know what that looks like now. But there will be typewriters in my future. I am keeping my Facebook and Instagram accounts open and will be posting whatever my plans are then. I’m sure more Type-Ins and other events will be happening.
I wish to thank all my customers, friends, family and everyone that helped make Cambridge Typewriter a sanctuary, a safe haven, a great place to meet and hang out with other typewriter aficionados. It will be missed!! Thank you all for the fabulous ride!

Photo credits: &

02/14/2025

I hope everyone can come celebrate the closing of Cambridge Typewriter with one final Type-In! Join us Saturday, March 22 from 12-3pm at the Fox Library in East Arlington.

I'm looking forward to seeing longtime customers and friends to share fond memories and reminisce.

This event is free and open to the public, but please RSVP through the link below if you are planning on attending, so we can get a head count. See you there!
https://www.eventcreate.com/e/cambridge-typewriter

01/05/2025

END OF AN ERA!!! 📢
After 45 years, I am retiring and Cambridge Typewriter will be closing their doors for good on March 31. We are no longer accepting any new repairs but are still selling typewriters up until the end. I’ll be giving updates over the next couple of months as to how we are going to close it out. We will have a big party towards the end of March. It will be a Type -In disguised as a retirement party.

I will make an official announcement next month with the details. The entire month of March we will have a Going Out Of Business Sale! Everything must sell. I hope some customers will want to buy a little piece of the shop. Please call the shop at (1) 781-643-7010 with any questions or inquires. More updates to follow!

Thank you to all my customers and friends of the shop. It’s been an incredible career. Way beyond my wildest dreams. I’ll have much more to say later before the shop closes.

Tom

10/07/2024

Local news alert!!! 📺 Cambridge Typewriter will be featured on Chronicle WCVB TV 5 tomorrow evening. The great and wonderful Ted Reinstein came in a month ago to interview me and we talked about what goes on behind the scenes in the shop. It’s more than just typewriter repairs. I think Ted captures the essence of our wonderful little shop. We’re very grateful to Ted and the great team for featuring us again. Chronicle is a New England staple and my family and I always look forward to watching each night, so it’s an honor to be featured.

Tune in tomorrow, Tues. evening (10/8) at 7:30 on WCVB channel 5. It also streams live on the website, and will be archived after it airs on their YouTube channel:

https://www.wcvb.com/chronicle

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChrhpjHMvCoJQtXPs17BAQ

09/28/2024

We are very happy to be featured in the Sept/Oct issue of Yankee Magazine. 🍁

Back in the spring, a regular customer came into the shop and brought in a friend who is a writer for Yankee Magazine. Needless to say, they thought it would make a good story and they did a wonderful job capturing the spirit of the shop.

We are thrilled with the story. Thank you to all who were involved in making it happen.

*****on

09/21/2024

📣 Attention Boston Poets & Typists!

Next Friday, 9/27 the 4th annual Poetry Downtown event is taking place in Boston with the fitting theme of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven.” 🐦‍⬛

This fun event will feature discussions of literature and a poetry cycle of 5 miles that will go from Edgar Allan Poe’s birthplace, via Poe Square to Fort Independence where he was stationed. Ending with the Typewriter Showdown and cocktail hour, celebrate the work of Boston’s beloved spooky poet in style.

Get your FREE tickets for the Ultimate Typewriter Showdown held at the Marriot Hotel at Long Wharf via the link below. 🔗
*****
Are you a born keyboard warrior and are you not afraid for a battle? Join then our Ultimate Typewriter Showdown this:
- September 27 Boston 10-11pm
- September 28 New York 5-6pm
- September 28 Philadelphia 10-11pm
- September 29 Baltimore 10-11pm
During this battle we have only one rule. Don’t touch your opponent, his or her typewriter, table or chair.
Please register via eventbrite. You can find the links at our website https://poetrydowntown.com/ultimate-typewriter-showdown/

05/19/2024

Hi folks. As many of you know, after 44 years I have decided to finally retire. I’m looking for somebody to buy the shop and carry on the tradition. I am looking for someone with extensive typewriter experience and knowledge, with the passion to continue this thriving business and trade. Please help spread the word.

Tom Furrier, the longtime proprietor and master repairman of Cambridge Typewriter in Arlington, is in search of a new owner as he prepares to retire.

04/23/2024

Most of you know that I have a fondness for Smith Corona typewriters for lots of different reasons. One reason is the concept of changeable keys. Smith Corona put one or two changeable keys on most of their manual and electric machines from the 60’s-80’s. They were very easy to put on and take off. They came in many different applications, the most common being Language Accents and Symbols. Other popular applications are Math, Engineering, Greek, Library and Legal, and Medical/Druggist. They also made pop culture icons like Smiley Faces, which I had one and it looked really cool. Over the years as I would acquire SCM machines they would sometimes have a few changeable keys in a little plastic case. I would throw them in a box and save them for some future use. This is my collection of them all.

03/03/2024

Here’s a good example of two different kinds of brown typewriters. The first machine is a dark brown 1942 Royal Quiet de Luxe. I bought it from someone who sold me twenty-two assorted typewriters a few weeks ago. This machine is so gorgeous with barely a blemish on it. The print quality of the standard elite typeface jumps off the page. The second machine is a lighter cocoa brown 1957 Olympia SM-3. The pristine condition of this machine is making me swoon every time I look at it. Most people know the SM-3 is my favorite one in the SM line. I have one at home that I use often.

02/17/2024

Here’s a 1941 Underwood Universal Mill machine. I bought it from a customer in North Carolina who in turn bought it from someone in Florida. The person in Florida said it was taken from a submarine that had been decommissioned to Florida but operated in WWII. I tried to find out which sub it came from but had no luck. These mill machines are highly collectible and I can remember people calling the shop looking for them twenty years ago. This one is in fabulous condition and was sold to a regular customer who collects WWII memorabilia. These mill machines have a special typeface and are used by the radio operator on the ship or sub to transcribe coded messages.

12/19/2023

What could more romantic than proposing to your sweetheart in a typewriter shop?! She said YES!!! 💍Congratulations to Thomas and Laurie!!!