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| The serial number is just over 2,005,000 which should date this as a 1962 model. Other than a hard platen, this typewriter performs flawlessly after application of PB Blaster. Not bad for a 50-year-old machine! |
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| The ribbon is old and will need replacement at some point as the red is really dry. The platen is as hard as a rock. |
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| This is the first time I have seen the "Made in Western Germany" statement so prominently displayed. |
Isn't this machine pretty? I have seen plenty of photos of the Olympia SM-7 online and honestly had not been impressed. The in-person experience is much different. As it turns out, the semi-random looking textured panel above the keyboard is well pressed metal and its look is mirrored in the bottom wedge paint - hammertone in a nice metallic grey. The paint texture is similar to the 1959 Olympia SF and the Socialite that live with my girls.
The SM-7 shape is similar to the SM-9, but has more personality. It does lack the basket shift and super-light touch that defines the SM-9. The keys appear to have the shape of the SM-3's keys with the matte texture of the SM-9's variety. These have a pleasant feel.
As nice as this machine looks, I would have left it behind had I not looked at the type bars. I love the look of Modern Congress Pica. My oldest daughter, Hannah, loves it as well and has started typing to catch up with a summer worth of activities on her blog. As for performance, it feels the same as our SM-3 machines, also with special typefaces (Italic and Professional Elite). The main difference is that those came from ebay and this looker was found in the wild. That is a satisfying experience.
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| More typewriter porn. I hope this helps some wayward SM-7s find good homes. It is a machine deserving of our affection. |
Once again, thanks to Ted Munk for posting the
NOMDA Blue Book Olympia Type Styles guide.
excellent find in the wild! I also like the looks of the SM-7 over the 9, if only it weren't for the carriage shift. Glad it has such a nice typeface - I expect if your household is like mine, once the female in the house sets her sights on your robin's-egg blue typewriter, she'll find a way to make it hers.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely correct about the teen girl love of pretty things. A few months ago, I showed her a photo of the blue Royal QDL that Tom Furrier's daughter uses and she fell in love. I expect this Olympia will mostly be in her possession as long as I get to use it for typeface variety on occasion. I do have a few alternatives to pick from ;)
Deletevery nice! My congress typer is troublesome, I'm glad yours works so well.
ReplyDeleteMay your typewriter become untroubled. Having a machine with a great typeface that doesn't work is a total bummer.
DeleteI LUV that typeface! Reminds me of the print in the "Dick and Jane" books I read in 1st grade.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness kids are reading something a bit more ambitious! Still, I get all nostalgic when I run into Dick and Jane books.
DeleteI didn't know the name of the typeface. I have an Adler Tippa that is is terrible cosmetic condition that types in this typeface. Found it at a thrift shop in Northern Virginia for $20. They didn't even know what it was since it was missing the ribbon cover. I will typecast with this machine soon, so keep an eye out for it!
ReplyDeleteNow there is a Tippa with character!
DeleteCongratulations for this great find, Dwayne. It's even in the more attractive blue-and-gray combo.
ReplyDeleteThanks! This is one of those cases where I'm glad that first impressions aren't entirely right. I admire any machine that looks this good and works this well after a half-century.
DeleteHere it is:
ReplyDeletehttp://totallyyourtype.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-cool-typeface-on-topless-tippa.html
Pretty typewriter and gorgeous typeface! Nothing like finding something special in the wild; it is an immensely satisfying experience.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on a great find! That typeface is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI have several typewriters with these typeface styles, for example my Studio 44, and I like the typeface quite a lot.
ReplyDeleteI don't see the impression control to left of the keyboard. Does this machine the impression control under the cover?
ReplyDelete