One of these would make a nice addition to my Corona fleet. I think I prefer the all-black models but would take beige and green. This is just a guess, but I'd say the dating you arrived at is about right. The 'silent' part being just the addition of felt lining to the case. At least, that seems to be the 'upgrade' on slightly earlier models. I don't think the striking mechanism has any dampening though the key comb might have had more padding to warrant a claim to silence. Should stress, this is just intuition and inference on my part. Can't wait to see the rest of the haul!
@ Rob Bowker: I love the way my all-black 1945 Smith-Corona Sterling looks, but the Silent Super types more smoothly and evenly, and doesn't strike over letters the way the Sterling does occasionally.
Both are excellent typewriters which will definitely remain in my collection.
Now, I'd love to find a Smith-Corona SkyRiter, like Mike Clemens'! It's a little gem of a machine.
1) I have a box of new-old-stock Smith Corona ribbons that, when they arrived, I realized were for SCM adding machines, and not typewriters, and so have way too much ink (and, of course, tiny spools). I think I may try your ink-blotting method on these. Thanks for the tip - you got some good results there.
2) Nice that you can date the last use of this typewriter by the fact that a) the writer was looking for white jeans and b) found that it was a 'drag' that there weren't any. (Is 'a drag' pre-gnarly? before bogus?)
I read that as 1956 as that part o the db is "up to" the number rather than "from." Very nice find! Mine was my first ever out of the Goodwill bin but it works pretty well.
Excellent find! I have a '56 Silent sitting on my desk right now, basically the same machine minus the right-keyboard tab sets. Very solid typer, although not particularly good-looking. Just imagine how pretty it would be with a shiny black paint job and those forest-green keys and knobs. SCM missed a chance to have the most striking machines of the 50's when they decided that poop-brown crinkle paint was the way to go. :D
@ Duffy Moon: I figured that it was easier to take AWAY ink from a ribbon rather than ADD ink (I tried the latter exactly ONE TIME and swore, "Never again!"). Although a rather tedious and time-consuming process, YES, the blotting did work.
@ notagain: Thanks for the clarification -- it would be cool if it does indeed date from '56, which happens to be the year James was born.
@ Ted: Don't tempt me about painting it black! ;-) A great many things have been transformed to that color in our house!
Learning about the machines is half the fun. The hunt is also enjoyable as well. I am also becoming more discerning which makes the hunt more difficult.
I am prone to weakness. A sweet little four bank Underwood showed up in a nearby antique mall. It was cheap enough for key choppers, so it followed me home to the preserve.
That machine appears to type well and I'll bet it will look great with a little cleaning. Check over at www.magicmargin.net for tips on cleaning wrinkle paint.
If the chassis is easy to remove, you can always wash the entire shell in warm, soapy water. I've used an old sock inside out for gentle scrubbing. Have a fan ready to accelerate drying. That's how our Olympia SM3 was degrubbified.
Another immaculately presented post. And that is one beautiful machine; it does not surprise me you like it so. And the key staying with the machine is valuable not for the key, but for what it tells about the care the machine must have had. Bravo and congratulations, Cameron!
Another cleaning tip: plain toothpaste, diluted in water, on a sacrificial toothbrush. Works wonders, though it takes a while. See my nicotine-gummed version of this typer before and after the toothpaste treatment. Also: is now minty fresh!
What a stroke of luck! I look forward to seeing the three others as well. I've always liked how distinctive the typeface is on Smith Coronas: even if it is just pica, they have a certain something that makes them easily identifiable.
One of these would make a nice addition to my Corona fleet. I think I prefer the all-black models but would take beige and green. This is just a guess, but I'd say the dating you arrived at is about right. The 'silent' part being just the addition of felt lining to the case. At least, that seems to be the 'upgrade' on slightly earlier models. I don't think the striking mechanism has any dampening though the key comb might have had more padding to warrant a claim to silence. Should stress, this is just intuition and inference on my part. Can't wait to see the rest of the haul!
ReplyDelete@ Rob Bowker: I love the way my all-black 1945 Smith-Corona Sterling looks, but the Silent Super types more smoothly and evenly, and doesn't strike over letters the way the Sterling does occasionally.
ReplyDeleteBoth are excellent typewriters which will definitely remain in my collection.
Now, I'd love to find a Smith-Corona SkyRiter, like Mike Clemens'! It's a little gem of a machine.
1) I have a box of new-old-stock Smith Corona ribbons that, when they arrived, I realized were for SCM adding machines, and not typewriters, and so have way too much ink (and, of course, tiny spools). I think I may try your ink-blotting method on these. Thanks for the tip - you got some good results there.
ReplyDelete2) Nice that you can date the last use of this typewriter by the fact that a) the writer was looking for white jeans and b) found that it was a 'drag' that there weren't any. (Is 'a drag' pre-gnarly? before bogus?)
I read that as 1956 as that part o the db is "up to" the number rather than "from." Very nice find! Mine was my first ever out of the Goodwill bin but it works pretty well.
ReplyDeleteExcellent find! I have a '56 Silent sitting on my desk right now, basically the same machine minus the right-keyboard tab sets. Very solid typer, although not particularly good-looking. Just imagine how pretty it would be with a shiny black paint job and those forest-green keys and knobs. SCM missed a chance to have the most striking machines of the 50's when they decided that poop-brown crinkle paint was the way to go. :D
ReplyDelete@ Duffy Moon: I figured that it was easier to take AWAY ink from a ribbon rather than ADD ink (I tried the latter exactly ONE TIME and swore, "Never again!"). Although a rather tedious and time-consuming process, YES, the blotting did work.
ReplyDelete@ notagain: Thanks for the clarification -- it would be cool if it does indeed date from '56, which happens to be the year James was born.
@ Ted: Don't tempt me about painting it black! ;-) A great many things have been transformed to that color in our house!
Wow, a great find. And you got three more on the same day? Whoo!
ReplyDeleteTry using Scrubbing Bubbles on it.
Learning about the machines is half the fun. The hunt is also enjoyable as well. I am also becoming more discerning which makes the hunt more difficult.
ReplyDeleteI am prone to weakness. A sweet little four bank Underwood showed up in a nearby antique mall. It was cheap enough for key choppers, so it followed me home to the preserve.
That machine appears to type well and I'll bet it will look great with a little cleaning. Check over at www.magicmargin.net for tips on cleaning wrinkle paint.
If the chassis is easy to remove, you can always wash the entire shell in warm, soapy water. I've used an old sock inside out for gentle scrubbing. Have a fan ready to accelerate drying. That's how our Olympia SM3 was degrubbified.
Another immaculately presented post. And that is one beautiful machine; it does not surprise me you like it so. And the key staying with the machine is valuable not for the key, but for what it tells about the care the machine must have had. Bravo and congratulations, Cameron!
ReplyDeleteI love the key colors! Awesome find!
ReplyDeleteAnother cleaning tip: plain toothpaste, diluted in water, on a sacrificial toothbrush. Works wonders, though it takes a while. See my nicotine-gummed version of this typer before and after the toothpaste treatment. Also: is now minty fresh!
ReplyDeleteWhat a stroke of luck! I look forward to seeing the three others as well. I've always liked how distinctive the typeface is on Smith Coronas: even if it is just pica, they have a certain something that makes them easily identifiable.
ReplyDelete