Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I read all 20 reviews on the Amazon site before pulling the trigger and rolling the dice that this typewriter wouldn't be broken during shipping. That really seemed to be the delineation between a good and bad review for this machine. Because of that, I wondered as I waited whether or not the Royal Epoch was made of flimsy plastics. Would it fly apart under heavy use? Would the carriage return lever -- something many people wrote negatively about -- be as fragile as claimed? Well, I was pleasantly surprised. It's plastic, sure, but it's very heavy plastic, almost metallic to the touch. It's heavier than it looks. Everything was attached. No bugaboos during shipping (whew!). I put it through its initial paces and everything was in working order. This is a very good machine! One thing I must caution those who are considering it, though -- manual typewriters are not for the faint of heart. You have to be a true writer, someone who wants to connect with their inner Hemingway, Gellhorn or the like. There will be no corrections. It won't be pretty on the page, like a computer printed document. This is old school and your nimble keyboard fingers may very well not be up to the task. Now that's something else I noticed throughout the reviews I read. If you were someone who grew up and learned to type on a manual, you're hunky-dory with the idiosyncratic nature of these beasties. If you're a newbie? You're gonna have a learning curve. Don't give up! In time, you will discover the freedom a manual gifts to you. Writing at a computer invites distraction. If you're on a manual, you are there to write. And write you will! You might be tempted to hit eBay and find a vintage manual and you are welcome to do so. The vintage machines are outstanding to this day, especially the Royal Quiet Deluxe (I have one of those). But they do require a lot of upkeep. This Royal Epoch pays homage to its ancestors while be a modern and, thusly, easier to maintain beastie. Buy this machine. You will not be disappointed! (Unless it's shipped badly, lol). Good luck!