Olympia SM9 

It is a workhorse and a pleasure to use. One of my favorites (and on many days IS my favorite). Great machine. Thanks for writing.

Kathy L Glad the vid was useful. Congrats on your purchase. They're great machines.

They are workhorses. Great machines.Thanks for the comment.

And virtually indestructible! Mine was bought from a seller on eBay 2 montgs ago and delivered by Hermes. The delivery man banged it down onto my doormat and then *rolled* it towards me. "You mind your back with this one, love! It's bloody heavy!" 🤦🏻‍♀️ I felt an 'I KNOW!!!" a la Monica Geller from Friends coming on. The typewriter was none the worse for the rather robust treatment. These bad boys are definitely built to last!!

They're great machines. Thanks for commenting.

Hi Talan. Thanks for the kind words. SM9s are fantastic machines and collectors rank them very high. Because they are so well respected, sellers tend to ask more money for them, as you've seen on eBay. However, there are still good buys to have. Check antique stores and thrift shops. Antique stores are more expensive than thrift shops but you can still find good machines there. It takes time and persistency. You might also consider Marketplace on Facebook as well as apps like OfferUp and LetGo. Have the fun of collecting is going on a "typewriter safari." Good luck and thanks for writing.

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Boowhahaha. Just remember: typewriters are more addicting than Krispy Kream donuts.

Oh, yes, I'm finding that. Since watching this video this morning, I'm on the search for an Olympia SM9 and think I found one. Oy.

Yep, you're a collector. The SM9 is a fabulous machine. It will fit nicely into your collection.

It's an excellent typewriter-very well behaved, and solidly reliable. Full-featured. I have 7 typewriters. If I could only keep one, it would be my SM9. The SM9 lacks some of the "romance" of some typewriters from earlier decades, but my SM9 never fails to-just-work--correctly.

Thanks for writing Kevin. I can't give you a definitive answer without a picture or serial number, but I can make a wild-eyed guess. If it looks similar to the one in the video but larger and with a wide tab key above the top row of keys then it could be an SG-3. Go here and scroll down to the bottom. Is this what you saw? machinesoflovinggrace.com/Olympias.htm

Hi Tad. Thanks for writing. First things, first. Make sure your ribbon is installed correctly. I get my replacement ribbons from Amazon.com. I've been happy with them.

Thanks Alton - I think the ribbon is properly placed, but I now wonder if the lever, under the hood, that adjusts the key impact pressure my be broken ...

Congrats on your SM9. Great typewriters. The - tab clears individual tabs. Here's a link to the users manual. I think you might find it interesting and useful. site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/OlympiaSM9-1970s.pdf Thanks for writing.

@@altongansky Fantastic! Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! Thanks also for the link. I'm sure that will come in very handy 👍

Hello Mary. Thank you for writing. I"m sorry to hear about the problem you're having with your typewriter, however, since I can't see the problem or examine the typewriter there is nothing I can do to help. This RU-vid site might help you. It's produced by a typewriter repairman. Here's the link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-k4YQQFLHdrs.html Good luck.

Hi Christian. Congrats on your purchase. These are some of the best loved typewriters around. The sticky keys may work themselves out with use. If they're sticking at the top of the stroke, then a gentle push to one side or the other might fix the problem (don't bend them). Try striking the sticky keys repeatedly and see if that helps. Now regarding the ribbon. I buy my ribbons from Amazon and they fit most portable typewriters (1/2 inch ribbon). Here's a link to a manual for the SM9 that might be of use: site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/OlympiaSM9-1970s.pdf Good luck.

At the Munich Olympics in 1972 I saw a display of 85 SM-9 typewriters. Each one had a different keyboard. I have three: English, Russian, and Croatian. I got the Croatian one during the war in the former Yugoslavia when a shell hit an office building and typewriters when flying. I found a good one and kept it!

I'm afraid that I've not used an Olivetti. Never came across one that interested me. I'm not saying they're bad, just that I have very limited experience with them. Let me suggest this. Since you're interested in "ultra portables" (the term for smaller portables) I suggest visiting Joe Van Cleave's RU-vid channel. He has reviewed a number of typewriters that might meet your need, sometimes doing comparisons. Here's a link to help you get started in your search: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uKX5JRxoZbE.html. Be sure to visit his site and look through the videos dealing with smaller portables. He's a nice guy and does good work on the topic. I hope this helps.

This is a link to that model's user manual. See it helps. site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/OlympiaSM9-1970s.pdf. I can't diagnose at a distance but let me take a couple of guesses. Space locked: I assume you mean that when you press the space bar nothing happens. The good news is that it may just mean that the carriage lock is on. There should be a lever that locks and releases the carriage. If your carriage is centered but doesn't move, the carriage lock needs to be released. Find the lever and move it. (The bad news would be that the draw band is broken or the mainspring is. If that's the case, the carriage won't move if you hit the keys or the space bar.) The shift release should be easy. The shift has two keys: one that locks the machine in caps mode (capital letters), and l a larger key right below it. To release the shift lock, press the larger shift key. Let me know if this helps. Download the manual. It's very helpful. All the best, Al.

Hi Derek. Thanks for writing. Okay, your best bet is to go to www.typewriterdatabase.com. Once there you'll see a box where you can enter the maker of your typewriter (in your case, Olympia). Don't put in the model. That will take you to the gallery page of SM9s which is worth seeing (and you can get a good idea what year your machine was made by finding one entry with a similar series number.) However, the site also has extensive lists of manufacture dates. Scroll down until you find the SMs. I believe they list all the models (SM3, 4, 6, etc). Look for the range that has your serial numbers and that should give you the year and some other information. The SN is on the bottom of the frame. I hope this helps.

hammill444 Yes, it should unless it’s has been damaged.

@@altongansky fingers crossed. Thanks for the response

Hello Judah. I buy my ribbons from Amazon.com. They're 1/2 inch ribbons and come two to a pack. Here's the description: Universal Typewriter Ribbon Twin Spool Combo Pack - 1/2" Cloth (2) Pack. If you haven't changed a ribbon before, be sure to take a look at how the old one is installed, or consult the manual (if your typewriter came with one). They can be a bit tricky to put in correctly until you've done it a time or two. If you don't have a manual, you can download one from the here for free: site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/OlympiaSM9-1970s.pdf. That link is for a machine made in the early 1970s. If yours is earlier, you might have to download a different manual. Congrats on your purchase. Those SM9s are magnificent machines. -Al

Thank you, now I am ready for my typewriter. At least it is made better than the royal classic typewriters on amazon.

Okay, let's see if this helps. This link will take you to a site where you can download a manual for an Olympia SM9 (from the 1970s) site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/OlympiaSM9-1970s.pdf and this link will take you to the same site but for an Olympia SM9 (1960s) site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/OlympiaSM9.pdf.

Yes, you can send a video to altongansky@me.com It sounds like the vibrator (the thing that moves the ribbon up and down) is sticking. This is a link to an online copy of the user manual for Olympia SM9s.It has instruction for ribbon installation. Make sure the ribbon is feeding of the spools in the correct direction.

Oops. Here's the link: site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/OlympiaSM9-1970s.pdf

"Tab" is short for "tabulator." A typist can set tabs in their typewriter so that each time they use the tab the carriage will move a certain number of spaces to the left. For example, you can set a tab 5 spaces in from your left margin and use it to indent the first line of a paragraph. Tabs are also used to set up columns for numbers, like a spread sheet. So you might want a column for Income, then another one for Expenses, and third for Taxes. Enter the first number, hit the tab key and the carriage will move to the spot for the next column, and so on. I hope this helps.