I am the proud owner of a 1929 Chandler & Price Platen Letterpress. A 1800lb workhorse that appears to have been owned by the US Navy at one point in her history.

Using a come-along to drag her up the driveway…

So what does someone do with a 82 year old Iron Maiden? Why, clean her, restore her and give her purpose.

I love letterpress. I am a type nerd. I like fonts. Paper. Books. Old stuff.  I am certified on a Vandercook out of AS220 in Providence, RI.

I am going to learn the ins and outs of my platen, take classes locally and generally figure it out as I go along.

I am calling this an “Advanced Hobby” with the hopes of launching a boutique small-batch print shop out of my garage. I will probably open up an Etsy shop to help offset the costs of ink, paper and maintenance.

This makes me very happy.