This is an Olympia SM2 portable typewriter, manufactured in Western Germany in 1959. It prints script (cursive) typeface, and has a new platen fitted. Deep-cleaned, adjusted, and fitted with a new black ribbon, this SM2 is ready to type out of the box!
The SM2 belongs to Olympia's well-known Schreibmaschine Mittelgroß ("Medium-size Typewriter") or SM series and offers excellent engineering and smooth operation.
The original green wrinkle paint is in very good shape. After a careful cleaning, the only recognisable blemish is on the front left of the ribbon cover where previous typists have accidentally rubbed the cover with the return arm (please note, the return arm does not rub the ribbon cover - previous users must have had the ribbon cover slightly open or had not replaced the four rubber bushings between the frame of the typewriter and its green casing). Other than this, a small mark on the left side of the ribbon cover and a couple scratches on the back, the green wrinkle paint maintains its lustre and depth. There is a very small scratch to the smooth green paint on the right of the eraser table. The "Olympia" logo on the ribbon cover is in great condition, as is the "Made in Western Germany" sticker beneath the spacebar.
The dark green, slightly concave keytops are unmarked and glossy and have each received an individual plastic polishing. The green plastic platen knobs are in good condition, with some minor scratches on the right one, and have been cleaned with plastic polish. The return lever is in splendid condition, as are the left and right chrome carriage covers. All chrome detailing is in brilliant shape and has been polished.
As mentioned above, the platen of this SM2 has been professionally recovered with new rubber, a great improvement to the old platen, which was as hard as plastic. The rubber feed rollers and rubber feet have been removed and cleaned with rubber rejuvinator. The rubber rollers are in great shape and feed paper into the typewriter without difficulty. The original rubber feet are in excellent shape and keep the typewriter planted to the writing surface.
This SM2 has undergone a significant disassembly for cleaning, and all internals have been thoroughly cleaned with appropriate solvent. Lubrication has been applied where necessary, and the 4 rubber washers between the typewriter's frame and metal casing, which often degrade over time in SM1 - SM4 models, have been replaced with new rubber washers. All features of this SM2 work as intended and include a silent return, margins, touch control (gently increases or decreases the pressure needed from fingers to type), backspace, shift-lock, margin release, line space selector, variable line spacing knob, extendable paper support, and a good-sounding bell.
The wooden case has been cleaned and is in good condition. There are some age-related marks and scratches to the exterior and interior. The handle is sturdy and the latch closes the case well. The clips on the interior of the case function well, latching the typewriter securely inside the case.
This typewriter uses a carriage shift and types in Script No. 75 at 11 cpi (characters per inch). A new high-quality ribbon has been installed on the typewriter's original metal spools, and it prints excellently in black. Please note, this typewriter can only use single colour ribbons, a common characteristic of script typewriters.
The typewriter will be expertly packaged in a well-sized cardboard box with signed-for delivery and insurance. Shipping to the US and other international destinations is available.
