“There could be weeks when nothing goes right.” So says 45-year-old typecaster—and last of a dwindling breed—Brian Ferret about his unlikely vocation. Brian handcrafts metal type, one by one, at Arion Press, using antique machinery to squeeze out a mix of hot lead, tin, and antimony into tiny beautiful letters.

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Everyone in this video seems very kind and careful, and the only thing more soothing than their gentle voices is the clickety-clack of old machines fulfilling their obsolete functions. (Highly recommend, 10/10 would watch again.)

Jonny Diamond

Jonny Diamond

Jonny Diamond is the Editor in Chief of Literary Hub. He lives in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains with his wife and two sons, and is currently writing a cultural history of the axe for W.W. Norton. @JonnyDiamondJonnyDiamond.me