(Submitted photo/Thom Cholowski)

By CJME News Staff

Saskatoon man with a passion for old typewriters corresponds with actor Tom Hanks

Aug 31, 2020 | 6:03 PM

The past few days have been a whirlwind for Saskatoon’s Thom Cholowski.

It all started after word got out about his correspondence with actor Tom Hanks. Cholowski says he has been hearing from people from all over the world.

And what led to his newfound fame? Typewriters.

Cholowski told Gormley he has had a passion for the old machines since he was a kid and picked up one at a thrift store. He says he has always been interested in mechanical things and was one of those kids who was always taking apart clocks and old televisions.

“When I was a child, I found an old Remington typewriter at a thrift store and got it home and was curious about how it worked and promptly took it apart and that was the end of that machine,” he laughed.

Event Centre funding

City may hire lobbyist for event centre money

14h ago

International honours

Raiders' Kubiesa to represent Czechia at IIHF U18 Men's World Championship

18h ago

Learn the signs

How often should you change your brakes?

22h ago

Cholowski says Hanks is the celebrity face of the typewriter community. Cholowski says in 2016, Hanks was part of the documentary “California Typewriter” and that film helped spark interest and a resurgence in typewriters.

“Mr. Hanks has kept that momentum going — helping people rediscover these wonderful machines — and thanks to that resurgence, I’ve had the chance to share my passion and the opportunity to work on many historic machines. It’s very satisfying to bring them back, but it’s the people who I’ve met that is the most rewarding,” said Cholowski.

That resurgence is what led Cholowski to write a letter to Hanks to thank him for putting typewriters back on the map.

“I always got that Tom is a stand-up fellow and I was brought up to say thank you when somebody does something for you and that’s what I did,” said Cholowski. “So I typed out a letter and I wasn’t expecting a reply and when I opened my mail to find a very personable letter from Mr. Hanks, I was gobsmacked. I was honoured, I was humbled, but I was smiling because it confirmed to me that he was as personable as he seemed to be.”

The letter, of course, was written on a typewriter. Hanks not only praised Cholowski for the work he does on restoring and bringing old typewriters back to life, but also had a little surprise.

“He mentioned that next time he is in Saskatchewan, he would like to stop by. There was also a yellow sticky note on the letter with the instructions to get ahold of his office, which I did and Mr. Hanks is going to be sending me a typewriter,” said Cholowski.

He says he feels very lucky to be doing what he’s doing. Cholowski says he has worked on a variety of old machines, including restoring a typewriter that prints in Cree, with Cree characters and a Cree keyboard.

“(Also) World War II German coding machines and Masonic typewriters with Masonic symbols,” said Cholowski.

He says the people are what he enjoys the most and that’s what motivated him to write to Hanks.

Cholowski also works with new Canadians to help them purchase typewriters to help them learn how to read and write English. He also works with a variety of other people.

“I had the opportunity to work with an elderly, blind woman who communicates through the typewriter,” said Cholowski. “Writers come into my shop from all over Western Canada and they call me back and say, ‘You’ve helped me change my style of writing.’ They tapped into something they didn’t even know was there before, so it’s been very rewarding.”

When he isn’t restoring old typewriters and corresponding with actors, Cholowski is the CEO at Saskatoon Boiler Manufacturing Co. Ltd.