1957 Olympia SM3 #965280
Status: My Collection
Hunter: BenJoe Markland (BenJoeM)
Created: 11-12-2026 at 11:07PM
Last Edit: 11-12-2026 at 11:08PM
Find on Ebay #AD
Find on Etsy #AD
Description:
Olympia SM3, about 1957, gray body with maroon keys, paper scale to 90, in its original case. Serial 965280 sits between an SM3 logged here as 1956 (895714) and one logged as 1958 (1110066); the Roscheider Hof museum has 938894 as 1957.
A thrift store find at $30. It came in with the lid detached, screws missing, the body bushings melted, heavy oil and eraser shavings inside, and the exclamation point key missing its link from key lever to typebar.
Work done on the bench:
- Platen and full body shell removed for teardown
- Four body-to-shell bushings 3D printed to replace the melted originals
- Body scrubbed and cleaned; aluminum oxidation cleaned as far as possible
- Rust removed with Evapo-Rust from the key comb, the paper tray, and the bars underneath near the escapement
- Missing exclamation point key link recreated from a heavy paper clip
- Platen cleaned, type slugs chemically cleaned, oiled at the proper points
- Broken plastic card guide replaced with a new one, wire card holder moved over
- Ribbon vibrator return spring reset, which brought the capitals back
- /? key lever bent up slightly so it trips the universal bar; all keys now lift the vibrator
Complete as of November 2026 and in my collection. Restored by Slow Letter Co., Syracuse, Utah. https://slowletterco.com
Typeface Specimen:
Photos:
Hunter: BenJoe Markland (BenJoeM)
BenJoe Markland's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 223
What I love about typewriters is you have to own your mistakes. You either X them out or start over, but you have to own it, learn from it, and move forward. No one or no thing will autocorrect it for you.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Olympia SM3 on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Olympia Serial Number page and the Olympia SM3 By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
