About

Hi! My name is Kevin and I live in Colorado Springs. In 2021, I started collecting, using, and repairing manual typewriters. Since then, I’ve learned a lot about these wonderful machines and even more about myself. This website is an attempt to share what I’ve learned and offer my services to those interested in the hobby, whether you are a collector, writer, or restorer.

Begin Again Typewriters is named after a concept with roots in Zen Buddhism called beginner’s mind. I think of it as staying open to experience and treating each moment as an opportunity to learn and grow. Through trial and error, I’ve found no two machines are alike and every machine deserves respect. I’ve watched my overconfidence, anger, and inattention prolong a successful repair. I’ve proclaimed machines complete only to feed in a sheet of paper and watch the machine shrug and laugh at my naivety. Typewriter repair is a humbling craft, but in the end, the machines reward beginner’s mind.

I am not the only typewriter hobbyist and restorer on the internet and I’ll never claim to be the best. What I do claim is to respect each machine, do the best work I’m capable of, and bring every machine as close to original and complete working condition as possible. A typewriter as a display piece or collector’s item is cool - but my focus is always on producing high functioning writing machines.

I’m pretty shy about having an “online presence.” I am only one voice in a choir and my song isn’t new. But I’ve decided to put myself out there as tribute to others who have helped me. Maybe I can help you by answering a question or sparking an idea. Maybe I can fix your typewriter or hook you up with a fine slab of writing iron. Whether you’re a long-time collector or just curious about your first typewriter, you’re welcome to look around or shoot me a message. Just please be nice and I promise to do the same.

To me, typewriter repair and restoration is not just a hobby, a side hustle, or an early-onset midlife crisis. Well, yeah, that’s all part of it, too. But it’s also about slowing down, unplugging, and putting my mind on something tangible and constructive. In my life, typewriters began as a way of expressing my ideas with honesty and without a digital mediator. It has since become a vehicle to learn how to show up for my own life.