Weapon of Choice: “Cadwallader”, 1963 Olympia SM-7
Nick’s post on Olympia SM Series 1948-1964.
The TWDB Olympia page.
The TWDB Olympia SM-7 by Serial Number page.
The TWDB Olympia SM-5 by Serial Number page.
Weapon of Choice: “Cadwallader”, 1963 Olympia SM-7
Nick’s post on Olympia SM Series 1948-1964.
The TWDB Olympia page.
The TWDB Olympia SM-7 by Serial Number page. The TWDB Olympia SM-5 by Serial Number page.
How precise are serial number to year assignments for Olympia? I would think that there’s enough uncertainty around these things that a year or so is within the expected margin of error for many brands (aside from those that actually encode the year or even the year and month into the serial number, like Brother did).
I’ve compared a lot of Olympia dated bills of sale for SM’s against our age data and it syncs up to the expected 2-4 months from manufacture to sale (ie: sale date is a couple months later than the manufacture date), so I feel really good about those numbers and the source they came from.
Nice work. I only wish an SM7 worked as nice as they look. Then I’ve not found too many Olympia typewriters I really like to use. None work as nice as an Underwood, Smith-Corona, Royal, or Adler.
I mostly own Smith-Coronas, but one of my others is a ’65 Olympia SM-9. It’s very nice to type on.
Those are fighting words, Bill. :o)
Well, having an SM3 and two SM9’s, a ’69 and a ’74, I have to say that the ’74 types like a dream, better than the ’69, but I like the looks of the ’69, with the off-white body and turquoise accents, if that makes sense. I like the SM3 least of all, looks excepted, due to the excessively heavy carriage-shift.
Tony,
Have you adjusted the counter balance springs? Once I adjusted the springs on my SM3 and SM4 machines they shift quite lightly.
I did not know about adjusting the springs. Olympia SM4s come and go in my life – I don’t end up keeping them because the carriage shift is sooo heavy to me. Maybe the next one, I’ll try adjusting the springs.
here’s a video from Phoenix Typewriter showing how:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vfpwpkq46-8
Oh wow! Thank you so much for the link. I will try this with my next Olympia – a heavy shift is the only reason I don’t keep one in my collection because they are otherwise fantastic.