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| Preview of the latest Skriter |
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| My SM 7 |
I thought I may typecast a comparison of my Adler J4 and my Olympia SM 7 after I read Cameron's typecast about his Adler J4. Both are fine typewriters. I do find the Adler a bit smoother and I have yet to hit a returning type bar with an advancing one like happens quite often with the SM 7. The SM 7 is not sticky in any way. I am not a fast typist, but I can out type this machine. In fact, I have yet to jam any of my typewriters, only the SM 7.
I hope to add an Olympia SM 9 to my collection. I would like some others too, but for 2013 my priority is platens and getting a Mill, a Royal Signet Sr. and maybe an SM 9. I want to be able to compare Olympia models. Maybe I will find another SM 7 cheap.
Wow, another Skyriter. You are hardcore, man. Skyriters to you are Olivettis to me.
ReplyDeleteI usually have 3-4 typecasts in the pipeline as drafts. I fine tune on the week the post appears.
My plans for ITAM 2013 are also coming short of time... I wanted to make three copies of the ENTIRE blog, typed on several machines; right now I feel I'll be lucky if I manage to get the three copies of the first volume of the book by February 28. I'm running out of ink to print my own letterhead, which adds to the difficulties of this project.
ReplyDeleteI really like the SM7. My only gripe with it is that, if you type to the position of the right margin, the margin release is kinda hard to activate, and when you perform a carriage return sometimes the keyboard remains locked. Most likely there's some adjustment I have to do to the margin release to fix that. Other than that, the machine works very nicely.
Never had those problems. I only jam the type bars or hit the returning one back to the paper.
DeleteGlad you'll be contributing to the Database.
ReplyDeleteI had an SM7 for a while and didn't find it slow at all. I bet it would benefit from some degreaser spray (I like Lectra Motive) and you might also try increasing the key tension.
I gave this machine a really good soaking and cleaning with ZEP and carb cleaner as this was the WD-40'd machine. I even used Teflon lube on as many of the moving parts and linkage friction points as I could find. I went as far as spraying Teflon lube into the segment. No changes. I still jam type bars as I type. The returning bars do not return as fast as even my Japanese typewriters.
DeleteI find my SM7 is more like a finicky Skyriter. Without near perfect rhythm, or slow typing, it jams.
Oooh ... WD-40.
DeleteI actually had the same problem on my own SM7. You have to remove all the typebars and individually scrub them clean, then replace them and hope for the best.
I found increasing the tension forces me to type slower and at a better rhythm. I do not crash the type bars into each other nearly as often.
DeleteI was afraid of something like: you need to remove all the typebars and clean each one.
Problem is they seem to fall back into place effortlessly. Worth a try though on a day I have nothing else to do. Funny, when I lived in the North there would always be a cold or blustery or snowy day on which I could do something like that.
Interesting that you occasionally jam typebars on your SM7 -- so do I! There is definitely a different typing touch and rhythm with that model.
ReplyDeleteAfter typing a few long letters on the SM7, I got used to the action and the jamming happens a bit less...try it.
I found that being careful with my rhythm I can prevent jamming.
DeleteI had that idea too, to acquire olympia models to compare them. The sm3 and sm4 perform identically and so I wondered about the sm7 and sm9. I got the sm9 and loved it so much that I decided I no longer had interest in sm7, though I love its design.
ReplyDeleteMy almost trashed SM4 is the best of all my Olympia machines followed by my SM9. I find Olympia machines too slow. I regular jam the keys unless I type very slowly or do not touch type. The SM4 seems to jam less. I really like the SM9, but it will jam typebars nearly as regularly as the SM7. I find them all over rated. Nice looking, but there are better machines (Underwoods and Olivetti) out there if you touch type.
ReplyDeleteEarly Underwoods. Later ones Underwood left the quality go to ..... I only have a Studio 44 and have used other ones. I prefer the Italian Olivetti machines from all that I used.
DeleteI've had 3 SM7s. All looked like new. One was gunked-up with WD-40. After cleaning it works fine.
ReplyDeleteAs far as SM7 models; they are built very nicely and the quality is good, but they are slow. I do not have jamming typebar problems with any typewriter but Olympia typewriters. The SM7 is the worst. My SM4 types quite good, but I get a few jams. My SM3 is ok. My SM9 is about like my SM3 but snappier.