1969 Olympia SF #5-1826485
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Kewin Sanfridsson (JoxSoup)
Created: 10-13-2024 at 03:45PM
Last Edit: 10-14-2024 at 08:05AM
Find on Ebay #AD
Find on Etsy #AD
Description:
A Olympia SF from 1969.
Ahh I finally got around to take a look at this one and getting it up and to a working condition as well a uploading it here. I found it interesting as it has a leather case compared to other Olympia SF/Splendid models, at least of them I own. And another thing it ain't got the usual SF logo (S with a crown on top of it) nor the word(s) De Luxe in red on the type slug guide plate as the SF usually have. So I'm not a 100% sure it is a SF but it's the closest model matching model from my research a while back. But I will still consider it being a nonbranded Splendid 66.😆 This is because it looks completely the same as a Splendid 66 and it's easier when comparing to other models like the 33 and 99. So going by that logic I will compare it with the Splendid 33 I own.
The SF got the extra chrome, the key resistance lever, a spring loaded paper rest, ribbon colour lever compared to the Splendid 33 which misses these features. There is also some difference in the keyboard layout. Not the alphabetical keys but on the numerical and punctuation keys. But the Splendid 33 I must say really got the high ground on this one! The carriage on the 33 I unbeatably smooth, even though the SF one is good the Splendid 33 is on another level. I don't know but now I feel as if the Splendid 33 is a bit mushy or rubber band-ish when typing on it I don't remember if I thought that back when I got it. But the this particular SF feels less so from the little I have typed on it.
Well here comes the big question you all been waiting for! Why didn't I take a look on it earlier you might ask? Yeah well two reasons, 1) Lots of other projects and 2) The problem it got itself. Well... usually when a typewriter have something wrong with the carriage then it's stuck or won't advance right? But this one oh it sure wouldn't stop at all it traveled to the far right margin as fast as it could! Something new to me at least. Well after taking apart it enough to get a good view of the carriage advance mechanism I saw the tab that should press down on and stop the advancing cog wouldn't step in so I removed some of the old grease I found. Put a bit of sewing machine oil, thinking it might be a part stuck that I didn't see and moved the mechanism around a bit but to no avail I continued searching for the cause of the problem. Don't know why but I got the thought I wonder what happens if I place this spring here behind this tab and there! It was fixed. A spring coming from the advancement cog had just gotten stuck on the wrong side of a tab. Easy as pie to fix. But when I was trying it out it felt like it needed some grease so I put some grease on the advancement cog, that's why it's a bit sticky for a lack of a better term. (The last picture I tried to show the problem.) Now it writes very well after the fixing I did and some cleaning of the chassi. Though it needs a new ribbon as it's almost completely dry as you can see in the typeface specimen.
Typeface Specimen:
Photos:
Hunter: Kewin Sanfridsson (JoxSoup)
Kewin Sanfridsson's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 1120
Hi my name is Kewin and I'm a 24 years old from Sweden. I have a few hobbies like drawing and playing guitar but I do also like myself some project here and there which is where my interest in typewriters fits in. I have always collected things through my life but I did not expect typewriters to be my next big passion in collecting. I started collecting typewriters in the beginning of 2022 and so far I have 75 of them (3 of which is currently disassembled) . I find it really enjoyable to pickup a typewriter at a thrift store/second hand and starting to clean it up and get it to a working condition to the best of my ability and knowledge. (Excuse all the dog hairs in my pictures, I do actually try to remove the hair before taking the pictures. xD) Cheers!
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Olympia SF on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Olympia Serial Number page and the Olympia SF By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
