Why Vintage Typewriters Used Cork Platens Before and During WWII

If you have ever restored or typed on a typewriter built around the time of the Second World War, you might have noticed something surprising beneath the paper: cork.

While rubber was the standard material for typewriter platens (the main roller) and feed rollers throughout most of the 20th century, manufacturers frequently turned to dense cork and cork-composite compounds during and before WWII.

One of the questions we are increasingly asked is why we don't offer 3D printed platens. The answer is simple: after restoring and repairing well over 5,000 typewriters, we've found there is still no substitute for a properly recovered rubber platen.