Hello and welcome! You can read a bit about the history of What’s Your Type in the article below from a local paper. As you’ll see, I’ve been making vintage typewriter key jewelry for years – long before it became so popular. One of the things I’m most proud of with this line of personalized jewelry – is that we do not use glue on our products. Many newer folks creating typewriter jewelry still do, and, well, as many folks have realized, eventually those typewriter keys will pop off!
So if you’re interested in a high-quality, custom and personalized jewelry, you’ve come to the right place!
Typewriters? Bay Area resident still uses them. Just not for typing.
Marin Independent Journal
Rachel Hannah owns a novel business called What’s Your Type?, which turns old typewriter keys into jewelry.
The business began after Hannah found herself marveling at an old typewriter in 1997. It inspired her to create a collection of handmade earrings, cufflinks, necklaces, rings and bracelets from the keys of old machines, with pieces selling for $12 to $90.
She uses only the typewriters’ keys but with a mission statement of “taking something that’s on its way to trash (and) recycling it into art or donating it to kids,” Hannah concerns herself with the typewriters’ ultimate end. “I really care about the typewriters being recyclable.”
Then there are the little oddities of the whole project. One memorable customer, relates Hannah, “bought his initials, which were P-M-S, and he wore them proudly.” Hannah has also found some unusual typewriter keys, she says: “‘Shift freedom,’ ‘floating key,’ ‘self-starter’ and of course, I like my ‘back spacer.’ People ask some odd questions, too, Hannah says. “When they ask ‘Where is the delete key?’ I always say, ‘on your computer.’ People also always want exclamation points, but back then, you used an ‘l’ and then backspaced a period.”
Hannah’s satisfaction, though, stems from more than the end-product. “I know I’m strange,” says Hannah, “but my favorite part is actually cleaning. When I get these typewriters, they are brown, they’re rusted out and in bad shape, and then I turn them into something beautiful. Plus I love the treasure hunt.”
For more information or to purchase jewelry, visit www.whatsyourtype.com or email info@whatsyourtype.com.