Berkeley Typewriter, positioned between a tire shop and a piano school, is the last remaining place in the Bay Area to restore your typewriter.

Berkeley Typewriter also happens to be located a couple miles from the now closed California Typewriter which operated in Berkeley for 70 years. It was made famous from the documentary of the same name by Doug Nichol that featured Tom Hanks, John Mayer, Sam Shepard, and other writers who coveted the typewriter for its creative magic.

I live 30 minutes from Berkeley Typewriter, and I felt obligated to show reverence to my local shop. It was only fitting that I wrote about where I found my 1955 Smith-Corona Skyriter, my 1953 Olympia SM3, and my 1968 Hermes 3000. So on a chilly Berkeley morning in June, 2021, the owner of Berkeley Typewriter, Joe Banuelos, invited me behind the counter to see the shop.

For over 40 years, Joe has been repairing typewriters. Before his career brought him to Berkeley, he worked in Oakland, Los Angeles, and a few years in Mexico when he was a teenager (he started when he was fifteen).

Joe was clear to describe Berkeley Typewriter as a shop, not a store. Yes, there were many fine machines for sale on the shelves in the windows, but he said Berkeley Typewriter was more of a mechanic shop than a storefront.

As a shop, he was less concerned with the clutter of parts strewn about and more focused on getting machines up and running for every one of the customers desperate to restore their beloved Corona, or Selectric, or Hermes.

Joe showed me a customer’s Hermes 3000 with a carriage that was barely hanging on. The customer had purchased it online, only to receive the machine broken in the mail. Joe took it as an opportunity to remind me of the risks of buying online, rather than in person in the shop.

In the back of the shop, Joe showed me the stacks of machines beyond repair- Hermes, Olympias, Smith Coronas, Olivettis, the stacks just kept going. Joe used them as parts, either to repair customers’ machines, or to piece together to make a working machine to sell on the shelf.

Ken Alexander, made famous from the documentary film, California Typewriter, worked on a vintage folding Corona at his workstation.

After California Typewriter closed in 2020, Joe hired Ken to work part time at Berkeley Typewriter. Joe said the film has brought good publicity to the shop, and Joe teamed up with Ken to review each other’s work. Joe showed me a few letters addressed to ken sent by fans of the documentary.

If you thought Ken was nice in the film, you should meet him in person. He seemed so kind and humble. He told me stories of traveling for the film, staying in hotels from Hollywood to New York, and how much he loved the attention. He said, “I’ve had my five minutes of fame,” and I could tell how proud he was of the whole experience. He loved being in front of the camera, saying it came naturally for him.

In 1974, Ken went to school in San Francisco, starting at 7:00 am every day for a year, to learn the craft of typewriter repair. After he graduated, he had a few interviews at IBM and other big companies in the area. He was 19 at the time, with a big afro, and he said it was his first experience with racism. After speaking over the phone, he was invited to interview in person. But at the interview, he was told there were no openings. “Even in Oakland,” he said, laughing. Then he interviewed at Berkeley Typewriter at the old location on Bancroft, and was offered $125 a week from the owner at the time. Ken said it was better than the pennies he was making at the car wash, so he accepted. The rest is history.

Ken and I could have talked for hours, laughing as he told me stories like how he overslept and missed meeting Tom Hanks and Clint Eastwood, but Joe gave him a glance like it was time for me to go and for Ken to get back to work.

At one time, there were half a dozen typewriter repair shops in the area. With UC Berkeley nearby, the students and professors were constant customers. Tech companies like IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, and other early Silicon Valley companies employed professionals that relied on the typewriter daily. I can only imagine the heyday of that time, with streets filled with clerks, bankers, engineers, professors, and students, toting around “portable” typewriters like the MacBooks of today.

Now, Berkeley Typewriter is the only shop that remains. I asked Joe how his business has survived over the years. Joe smiled and said, “That’s a very good question.” He looked like he had an answer, but he hesitated to say. He said he didn’t want to speak badly about the other businesses, especially since Ken was now his employee. Joe said customers are loyal to Berkeley Typewriter because the repairs there are the best.

I’m thankful Joe and Ken invited me in to interrupt their craftsmanship and patience.

I have bought typewriters on eBay and had them shipped. I have met strangers from Craigslist in grocery store parking lots. I have purchased machines from Joe at Berkeley Typewriter. By far, my preferred method is to buy from Joe. Yes, you might pay less on eBay or Craigslist, but don’t dismiss the added value in buying from a shop, with a warranty, and supporting your local typewriter community. If you have the ability, come to Berkeley Typewriter for your machine. Viva la resistance!