I am 100% sure you did not see this typewriter typeface before.

Don’t we all love typewriters? The clack of the keys, the smell of inked ribbon, the sense that each word is carved into the page with intention. But let’s be honest: what we really love—what makes us want to casually brag to our pen pals in carefully worded letters—is stumbling upon a rare typewriter or a beautiful typeface.

Just when I thought I'd seen every typeface Olivetti ever paired with their iconic machines, the typewriter gods decided to humble me. Because lurking quietly in a forgotten garage in Bletchley – Milton Keynes, under a thin layer of dust and spring-cleaning regret, was a little treasure.

A few months ago, I picked up several typewriters from a gentleman on Facebook Marketplace who was emptying out his garage. One machine in particular—a well-preserved Olivetti—caught my eye. Solid frame. Working mechanics. Original case. It felt like a steal, so I skipped the deep checks and took the whole lot home, hoping for the best and ready to face the worst.

Fast-forward three months: our resident Olivetti whisperer, Joujou, finally gets to this one.

 She’d already overhauled two others that extended day of work and left this one on her workbench to return to later.

Life intervened (as it tends to do), and with the kids on their brief but high-energy British summer holiday, we were away from the workshop for a couple of weeks.

When I finally returned, I saw Joujou had done most of the work. Just a few steps remained—new platen, reassembly, final polish. But then... something caught my eye.

No ribbon was loaded yet, but the type slugs looked off. Or rather, intriguing. Something about them whispered secrets. So I loaded a ribbon, typed a few lines—and instantly, I knew this was no ordinary typeface.

The letterforms were unfamiliar, distinct, elegant in their peculiarity.

Enter Julian Walker, my trusted typewriter typeface sage. I sent him a sample, and without hesitation, he replied:
"Walid, that’s Consilium by Imre Reiner”

Now, let me nerd out for a second.

In the late '50s, Reiner was commissioned by Olivetti to create a proportional typeface for the Graphika—a typewriter ahead of its time. His design had to work within four fixed widths, a constraint that would make most designers sweat. But Reiner delivered.

First came this elegant Reiner typeface, then he birthed Consilium, the very typeface you're seeing here. He even started work on Senatus, a follow-up that never officially released.

Look at the lowercase “j” — it’s not just a letter, it’s a performance. That extended left tail? Pure drama.

The uppercase “W” with its low, stealthy middle? Quietly rebellious.

And the “M”? Both lower and upper cases feel like architectural sketches more than mere letters.

This isn’t just a font. It’s Reiner’s art, preserved on steel slugs and brought to life with every keystroke.

What makes this even more special? This Consilium typeface is not commonly found on Olivettis with QWERTY keyboards. It’s occasionally paired with Italian QZERTY layouts. So this one… this one is rare.

To think—it was nearly thrown away. Sat for months on a shelf. Lingered unnoticed on a workbench. All that time, hiding its little secret in plain sight.

Now, fully restored, reassembled, and ready, this beauty is ready to go to a new home—one that will appreciate the elegance of its lines and the rarity of its voice.

And if this one’s already gone by the time you watch this video ? Don’t despair. Our website has more items that might interest you.

Until next time,
Keep typing. Keep exploring. There’s always something waiting in the margins.