California Typewriter

I stopped by California Typewriter to get a problem with my Underwood looked at it and couldn’t have been happier with the result. Ken was quick to diagnose the issue and explained to me not only what was causing it, but how to fix it again in the future should it arise. He didn’t even ask for any money for the repair and only asked that I stop by again in the future if I ever had a typewriter related need.
The courtesy service and friendly demeanor of the staff have made me a lifetime customer for as long as I live in the bay area. Absolutely worth the drive over from San Francisco. Great place to get your typewriter serviced or to purchase a new one from their extensive selection.

Ken and Carmen (didn’t meet Herb) are awesome — they know their stuff and they’re very friendly. I’ve brought them several typewriters, ones I’ve partially repaired and cleaned myself; they’ve done several minor adjustments and refused to charge me for the work. I’ve also left a few overnight for more extensive repairs, and so far it’s been worth every penny. They have a great collections of machines too — if you’re curious, I’d highly recommend dropping in and browsing!

Boy, is this review overdue! I’m finally dipping into the Unilocal review pool, and have posted recently about a few of my favorite spots. California Typewriter is IT, my friends!
Looking for a great, old machine to bang away on? This is the best spot to stop on in in the whole Bay Area, in my opinion! They have a great selection of all sorts of typewriters, any make, model or style that you could possibly have in mind! They also have a slew of electric IBM stuff if you’re looking for that, too. They have all sorts of machines for any budget, taste and goal you might have. They’re always getting new machines on the shelves, and can keep a lookout for a specific machine that you might be desiring. The shop also does repair and refurbishing, and I’ve had them work on about 4 different machines for me in the last year.
My absolute favorite thing about the shop is the folks that work there. Kenny, Herb and Carmen (Herbs daughter) are the best! They are the friendliest people in the Bay Area and they are so helpful you won’t believe it! They also love typewriters! Great customer service, very attentive and helpful and so patient! Carmen is so sweet, and Kenny can answer any and all questions you could possibly ever have about a typewriter. I have stopped by the store on many occasions and literally banged away on each and every machine in the shop, which has taken me maybe two hours to do. No problem, they love it! They have the desks and the paper for customers to do that, and it’s no problem at all!
I’ve learned so much from Kenny, Carmen and Herb and I plan on being a loyal customer forever! They are so helpful, patient and informative, and it’s just nice stopping by and hanging out in the shop and seeing what new machines they’ve gotten in the last few weeks. It’s a great little Mom and Pop operation with wonderful inventory and the nicest folks in the East Bay working there, helping people to fall in love with typewriters all over again!
Bonus…parking is very easy and always available! Happy hunting!

Very friendly service, I brought a hermes 3000 in for service. Also if your looking to buy a typewriter the have lots to choose from

I love this store! It was worth the drive from SF. Traffic was bad and I called ahead and they were so kind and stayed open for me. I brought in my ancient Remington Junior typewriter and they gave me a little history on the machine and let me know it was made in 1921! They are so knowledgeable and nice and were able to fix my baby. Ken and Carmen explained all the functions and got me comfortable using the machine.
They have an incredible selection of working antique typewriters and it was fun to look around and get a history lesson on them. I so love this place and highly recommend them!

My family and I searched for a typewriter repair business on Unilocal and came across this business. We decided to travel all the way from SF and we were amazed by the nice courteous people that worked there. It felt like we were walking into an old school typewriter museum. The staff was super friendly and knowledgeable about all the typewriters. They fixed my daughter’s typewriter in no time. Ken who replaced the ribbon on the writer even took the time to explain all the function on the typewriter!!! They even had a retro typewriter from the 1890. This establishment is a rare gem! We will be back there soon as soon as we run out of ink. The trip over the Bay Bridge was well worth it!

Great people great service many typewriters to choose from
I would check here before you make any repairs or purchase

They cleaned and repaired a vintage Smith & Corona we had picked up at a thrift shop. They are so expert that they could tell before I lifted the typewriter up to the counter exactly what kind it was and what work it required.

Great customer service. Very friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, and quite patient! They also carry some beautiful vintage typewriters.

I brought in a black 1935 Smith & Corona portable typewriter, which had belonged originally to my Godmother. California Typewriter offered a package deal ($ 75) to do a general cleaning and minor repairs. Plus, they explained a few things about how the machine worked and its history. I appreciate my vintage typewriter more after having taken it to California Typewriter. And I am truly enjoying using this perfectly functional nearly 80 years old office machine.

Love this place. Brought in a 1930’s era Remmington typewriter to have serviced and they did a bang-​up job. Also love the fact that they have typewriters for sale in their shop. Some are very old, some a bit newer.

This place is wonderful. The man that helped me got the part my printer (Brother MFC-​685 CW) very quick and he was done within 24 hours. Although I live a ways out from Berkeley, I’d still make the trip for them to fix my printer.

Incredibly friendly and knowable owner. Even gave change to a customer who didn’t have any quarters to fill the meter outside. Great place!

I bought a manual typewriter from Carmen. I went in there to «browse» but when I saw the typewriter I couldn’t live without, it had to come home with me. She answered all my stupid questions. I narrowed down my choices to 3 typewriters in my price range. Then I narrowed it down to 2. Then I made one more lap around the store and found a typewriter with Spanish characters that I had somehow missed on my first few trips around the store. So happy with my purchase. No buyers remorse because of the extremely fair price.
If I use the this typewriter as much as I want to, I might end up going back for another with larger type. (the one I bought is elite but I prefer pica.)
I highly recommend a visit to this store if you’re in the market for a used typewriter. Bring your credit card or cash. I haven’t had any service done, but from the other reviews, I can tell that their service is as good as their sales.
e.z.

Carmen and Herb are the most knowledgeable typewriter technicians I have ever met in my life. They figured out how to fix my typewriter quickly. I looked at some other places in the bay area, but there is no need to go to any other place. I am actually looking forward to having typewriter issues in the future so I can go back. They rock!

i just had to write again to say how above and beyond the service is here. really affordable, ribbons, and machines, especially for such a small, family run business that offers a pretty much obsolete service. great selection of typewriters too. plus, if you’re a regular like me, herb and carmen are quick to get a sense of what you need and what you might be looking for. so nice! so helpful!
i hope this place never goes out of business because i don’t know what i’d do without them around!
p. s. huge bonus points to california typewriter for never putting marketing stickers on or inside my typewriter, unlike another typewriter repair place that shall remain nameless (i’ll note: it’s been years since i had my machine serviced at that other place and there’s still a residue of goo from the sticker on my machine. grrrrrrr! i’m afraid to try and remove it because i don’t want to risk damaging the paint. nothing non-​abrasive/​non-​corrosive has worked so far.)

Great Place! Both men working in the store were soooooooo friendly. I loved all the old antique typewriters and other items related to typewriters. I will go back soon.
This is the place you need when you don’t want to use that NEW machine (Computer).

At this stage in the digital revolution, vinyl records and film cameras still exist, albeit in limited roles. My typewriter is also still around. Although it’s not Herb Caen’s «Loyal Royal», it’s a comfortable (and working) reminder of many term paper nights and properly addressed envelopes.
California Typewriter is the place to go to get my old machine fixed, buffed up, and otherwise treated like a baby. There’s also lots of other working antiques to look at and either relive the past, or create some future. I have also been known to stop when they’re closed and just peak in the window.

I forgot to review this great place!
What a great family run place to get your machines worked on. Everyone there is so casual and fun about typewriters and all.
I took a very prized find from Craigslist in and got a new platen roller and a overall tune up. It was a little funny acting with I got there, but they pulled it right back on the bench and found what was going on and took care of it (as best they could… it is still a 60+ year old machine!)
Collectors, please go here. It’s a fun place to get the work done on your machines.
P. S. I don’t know who he is there, but I think he is the proprietor… just want to say how impeccably dressed he is all the time. I really appreciate that… it shows a lot of respect for customers.
Thanks, Cal Typer!
Oh, another P. S. I know for a fact that a famous collector (who went all over the world as Forrest Gump and to the moon and back in Apollo 13) has recommended the folks at Cal Typer to me. Thanks, Tom!

Nice people! They do good work, too, for a very reasonable price.
I love looking at their old machines, too. Each one has such a distinct personality and evokes such a sense of history.
While I doubt I will ever go back to using a typewriter for general purposes, I can’t help admiring the style and pure aesthetics of the machines… no computer comes close.