1955 Smith Corona Skyriter #2Y 289254
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Brad Sarno (bradsarno)
Created: 06-03-2014 at 03:47PM
Last Edit: 06-03-2014 at 03:55PM
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Description:
This 1955 Skyriter is in pretty good shape. Works great, needed very little other than some cleaning and a bit of adjustment to get the spacebar to engage a hair sooner. The Skyriter is actually a very nice typer, especially for a flat, compact portable. It's also a very quiet typer with a soft, gentle sound when the typebar hits the platen. This era of SC is full of good quality metal work, nice chrome plating, and also plenty of features: paper guides, margin release, backspacer, most everything needed in a compact. No tabulator or ribbon color selector. The metal cover fits on easily and securely. I like the compact portables in general, the Hermes Featherweight/Baby/Rocket, the Olympia SF, the Adler Tippa, the little Brother models, the small Olivetti Letteras, and even the cheaper Royal Mercury or similar Japanese made compacts. While I still consider the Lettera to be one of the finest-made and excellent performing compact portables, this Skyriter is truly impressive. The downsides with it are that the actual type alignment on the page is a bit wobbly, not ruler-flat like the Hermes, Olivetti, Adler, Olympia. But it feels good to type on, and the sound is so mellow and muted that it is a good typer for situations where it's good not to bother others with the noise.
I like this thing. It's enjoyable and well made.
Pica typeface.
Typeface Specimen:
Photos:
Hunter: Brad Sarno (bradsarno)
Brad Sarno's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 2728
I've spent my life as a mechanical and electronics tinkerer, bikes, cars, lawnmowers, appliances, cameras, audio gear, guitars, amplifiers, and pedal steel guitars. I was trained as a typist for 2 years back in the late 70's on IBM Selectric II's. At home I recall my mother having an Olympia SM3. More recently we got our daughter a typewriter for Christmas, and that somehow sparked my own personal interest in these fine and interesting machines. Now it's a habit that just won't quit. Daily searches on Craigslist, frequent trips to antique stores & malls, garage sales, etc. It's a fun and healthy addiction.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Smith Corona Skyriter on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Smith Corona Serial Number page and the Smith Corona Skyriter By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
