Now did you really have to go and do that? I have a nice collection of Corona and Smith-Corona portables made between 1919 and 1963, but I do not have a Skyriter or a Zephyr. I may have to get one thanks to you. ;)
Seriously, though, lovely post! I like your description of the smell of the desert after the rain.
I have two go-to “on the go” machines. A 1956 Skyriter in Elite and a 1953 Hermes Baby in Pica. I bounce around down here in the North Florida (South Georgia) summer heat with one or the other while the Boss does her thing (hair, nails, keeping the shopkeepers amused, etc.). Nice post. Love the pictures, too.
The Skyriter has been by preferred travel and bicycle typewriter for years. They are more than able to survive the rigors of travel and bouncing on a bicycle. They are the only ones I found that I can keep a typing pad and a supply of paper in them (between the machine and lid). I sometimes will grab my 1966 Hermes Baby when I fly, but usually leave the Hermes, whether the old 1959 or newer 1966, at home because they are just not as nice to use as a Skyriter. The only advantage to the Hermes is a bit less weight. Recently I’ve been using a Brother Challenger 11 around town, but it is not as nice as a Skyriter & ti has a plastic cover.
The monsoons haven’t drifted enough east to hit central NM yet, but we have some clouds and a bit of humidity. Looking forward to the sky opening up soon.
It’s interesting how a change of weather can inspire one to write.
My Skyriter still skips a bit, but it’s better if I type slower. I think it wants me to think deeper before committing words to paper.
Hmmn, I have to say it took me at least an hour of tiny tweaking with a t-bender to get the last Royal that I de-skippified working right. It was an Elite. My Skyriters took very little time to get right, but they were Pica ones. I wonder if the pitch is relevant when it comes to skipping? Seems like every machine I’ve found to be bad skippers were Elite.. hmmn.. /:
I have to admit I love my 1955 Smith Corona Skyriter which belonged to a lady who worked for Smith Corona her entire lifeuire this pristine machine and type on it daily! It fits nicely on a lap desk and I use it for journaling. I have many typewriters and use them all, but this is a really cool minimalist choice. The laptop of its day!
Now did you really have to go and do that? I have a nice collection of Corona and Smith-Corona portables made between 1919 and 1963, but I do not have a Skyriter or a Zephyr. I may have to get one thanks to you. ;)
Seriously, though, lovely post! I like your description of the smell of the desert after the rain.
I have two go-to “on the go” machines. A 1956 Skyriter in Elite and a 1953 Hermes Baby in Pica. I bounce around down here in the North Florida (South Georgia) summer heat with one or the other while the Boss does her thing (hair, nails, keeping the shopkeepers amused, etc.). Nice post. Love the pictures, too.
The Skyriter has been by preferred travel and bicycle typewriter for years. They are more than able to survive the rigors of travel and bouncing on a bicycle. They are the only ones I found that I can keep a typing pad and a supply of paper in them (between the machine and lid). I sometimes will grab my 1966 Hermes Baby when I fly, but usually leave the Hermes, whether the old 1959 or newer 1966, at home because they are just not as nice to use as a Skyriter. The only advantage to the Hermes is a bit less weight. Recently I’ve been using a Brother Challenger 11 around town, but it is not as nice as a Skyriter & ti has a plastic cover.
The monsoons haven’t drifted enough east to hit central NM yet, but we have some clouds and a bit of humidity. Looking forward to the sky opening up soon.
It’s interesting how a change of weather can inspire one to write.
My Skyriter still skips a bit, but it’s better if I type slower. I think it wants me to think deeper before committing words to paper.
Hmmn, I have to say it took me at least an hour of tiny tweaking with a t-bender to get the last Royal that I de-skippified working right. It was an Elite. My Skyriters took very little time to get right, but they were Pica ones. I wonder if the pitch is relevant when it comes to skipping? Seems like every machine I’ve found to be bad skippers were Elite.. hmmn.. /:
“Neon signs a flashin’, taxi cabs and busses passin’ through the night …” (wrong state – right state of mind. ;) )
The smell of the rain after a hot day – one of my favorites – a true respite.
My son ran off with my beloved 1950s Skyriter. I visit it from time to time, but your post makes me think I need to retrieve it.
Or find another one (or two). Gotta have a Skyriter around at all times (:
I have to admit I love my 1955 Smith Corona Skyriter which belonged to a lady who worked for Smith Corona her entire lifeuire this pristine machine and type on it daily! It fits nicely on a lap desk and I use it for journaling. I have many typewriters and use them all, but this is a really cool minimalist choice. The laptop of its day!