WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — A local teenager is proving age is just a number when it comes to the classics.
Jack Armstrong may be 16 years old, but his love for a typing classic shows his old soul.
Trips to antique stores with his mom introduced him to the typewriter at a young age. At the age of 12, he received his first one and he was hooked.
“I think it was Christmas of 2017 when I got my first typewriter and it needed some cleaning and I started cleaning it and I got addicted to that," Armstrong said.
Four years and 180 literary pianos later and Armstrong has created a name for himself across the world through his company, Tampa Typewriter Co.
“I do have some typewriters in a museum in Dubai which I’m very proud of," Armstrong said. "I am just blown away because I am some 16-year-old schmuck in Florida and they’re like, hey, do you want to repair our ultra-rare typewriter? We’ll ship it to you from New Zealand, from Australia, from all over the world.”
Armstrong's knack for repairing the retro doesn't stop with typewriters.
He's also putting work into another classic.
“I have a 1972 Volkswagon Beetle that I am in the process of restoring. I am currently building a new engine for it," Armstrong said.
At just 16 years old Armstrong has bigger plans for his company. His goal is to keep searching for rare classics and open a brick and mortar.
