How I found my first typewriter, with more information on the Olympia SM3 at the end. This is one in a series on each typewriter in my collection. Stay in touch to read the series as it’s published.

A Spaceage Typewriter Case with a Story

Solid wood, painted silver, the curves of the Olympia SM3’s midcentury case makes for a unique look. It certainly caught my attention when I was looking for my very first typewriter.

I was in Tom Furrier’s store, Cambridge Typewriter, assiduously trying out various machines. Not knowing I would go on to amass several dozen, I thought this typewriter had to be the One as if this machine would meet my every writerly need for function and style. An hour into the search, Tom pondered, and said, “I know what you’re looking for.” He rummaged in a ramshackle pile of machines and cases piled near the entrance—recent arrivals awaiting repair—and drew out the silver bullet-looking case you see here.

And he was right. As soon as I saw it, I thought, “Whatever is in there is what I’m going to buy.”

Buying that First Typewriter

Having done plenty of research online, I was initially drawn to the Art Deco curves of a Remington 5 Streamliner.

I corresponded with an Etsy store owner who restored typewriters and asked their opinion. But I couldn’t shake the idea that I ought to try it first. You know how hard it is to buy shoes or eyeglasses online? Wondering if there was a typewriter store near Boston, I was astonished to find not only that there was, but that it was a pretty special one at that: Cambridge Typewriter, run by the masterful (and patient) repairman, Tom Furrier.

Yes, Tom had a Remington Streamliner and put it aside for me to try.

A Remington-Rand Streamliner for sale at Cambridge Typewriter

So one May afternoon about five years ago I stopped by the small, crammed Mass Avenue shop in Arlington, just across the town line of Cambridge, marveled at the piles of machines, and tried the Streamliner.

Mmm. No. It was beautiful to look at but the paper didn’t stay straight as I typed down the page.

“Try this,” suggested Tom, and set down a late model Olympia SM9. “A lot of writers really like this Olympia.”

A great machine, but what a drab body compared to the Streamliner. (I now appreciate and happily own several late Olympias.)

And so Tom pulled out the perfect compromise. The gorgeous lines of a stylish typewriter body, with the heavy-duty work capacity that is true of all machines in the German Olympia line, the Olympia SM3.

“The color scheme is the same as mine,” confided Tom as he opened the case. And there were the burgundy bakelite keys, chrome trim, and the machine a lovely pale yellow and burgundy. Gorgeous.

“I’ll take it,” I said.

Not even tried at all. Most of the keys didn’t yet move, were stiff with age and congealed typewriter oil from decades of storage.

“I can have it ready in a week,” offered Tom. “It will be working great.” And he was right again.

(Click to see full-size)

This machine now sports a supple new platen. So much quieter to type on and a beautiful print impression, recovered by the J.J. Short rubber company. You can see both platen knobs are made of bakelite; the ergonomic carriage return lever, and much else, is covered in chrome. Under the hood, in the last picture, the touch control setting adjusts the tension of each key: how easy or hard they are to strike the paper. Tabs are set at the back of the machine with easily moved tab stops.

How Do I Use This Typewriter?

If I have something serious to think through deeply, I might say, “Ah, I need to go write on the SM3 …” and everyone knows to leave me alone. This is indeed a serious fräulein of a machine. The keys smack the platen with a sharp report that is all business. You feel you are pronouncing and proclaiming when you write on it. It was to the Olympia I repaired late one night to write a sample for Classical Academic Press when they invited me to contribute to a history curriculum. Of course, that document got typed up on my laptop and sent to them as a pdf, but fräulein and I had it out with obelisks and the Pharos at Alexandria and soon had them sorted and indeed won the contract.

I might almost say I am in awe of this typewriter and dare not have writer’s block seated at it—you just start typing. A simple grocery list or plan for Christmas falls into place as smoothly as butter melting on a griddle. Thoughts obey. It is a perfect writer’s typewriter if you have good strong wrists. The hefty weight of the carriage shift (as opposed to ‘basket shift’ which I explain more here) is the only drawback of this machine. But even there, the engineering is so crisp and perfect that the carriage swings and drops beautifully.

If I’m writing a very long piece, I do indeed prefer the later carriage-shifted Olympia SM8 or 9, as Tom predicted and I resisted. But oh, if I need a serious talking to in written form, this serious typewriter will tell it to me straight.

As Tom says in his Instagram post about his identical machine, this is a keeper for life, and for me was a good introduction to the captivating world of typewriters.

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Olympia Typewriters

The German Olympia company is synonymous with engineering excellence. Though rather serious all around, here are some of their humorously literal model names, most related to their size.

Olympia model names, loosely translated

Olympia SG stands for Schreibmaschine Groß or Hulking Big Typewriter.
Olympia SM stands for Schreibmaschine Mittelgroß or Medium-sized Typewriter.
Olympia SF is a Schreibmaschine Flach or Flat Typewriter.
Splendid 33, Splendid 66, and Splendid 99 are also ‘flat typewriters’ strangely absent of German intonation.

Other models include the Monica, an SM machine; and the Socialite and the Traveller, both ultraportables.

Some Frequently Asked Questions

How old is my Olympia SM3?

First, find your typewriter’s unique serial number. Tip your machine up and look underneath. You’ll see your machine’s serial number stamped into the frame at the back, towards the back right foot.

Then, head over to the Typewriter Database. The link below is for all Olympia typewriters. Scroll a very long way down until you see the entry for SM 2,3,4,5,7,8,9 Portable.

Locate the range of your serial number on the list and see what year it falls under.

Olympia Typewriter Database page

Serial #: 918859, according to the Typewriter Database, is made in 1956

While you’re at the Database, check out the separate page of SM3 galleries uploaded by different typewriter owners. There are lots of photos at each entry.

Olympia SM3 galleries, listed by year and serial number

You can compare typeface samples, different language keyboards, and color schemes for this model.

Do you have any buying tips?

The SM3 model was made between 1953 to 1957, and in that span, according to the database number range, over 800,000 of this model were made, making them fairly easy to find. However, this is a highly sought-after machine. Prices can skyrocket if bidding on an online auction, at eBay or, say, Shop Goodwill Online. My favorite source other than Tom’s typewriter store is to search Facebook Marketplace locally.

When you find one, check the keyboard that you’re not unintentionally buying one with the Qwertz German keyboard layout. Unless that’s what you want! Here is an example of one with a Cyrillic keyboard. Olympia exported this model in large numbers to the US, so you will fairly easily find a Qwerty keyboard.

For general typewriter buying tips, check out So You Want to Buy a Typewriter?

Where do I find a user manual?

Thanks to Alan at Machines of Loving Grace for the manual, where you can also see a lovely rundown of Olympia models. Instructions for fitting the ribbon are included in the manual.

Olympia SM3 User Manual

And a new ribbon?

Thankfully there are still new ribbons available.

You can buy ribbons at Etsy, eBay, and Amazon, among other sites, with universal spools such as the ones pictured. (A tiny portion of the sale at that link supports the costs of this website.)

The Modern Typewriter store on Etsy sells nylon ribbons with universal spools in about 19 color combinations, if you’d like to try an unusual color!

Choose a two-color ribbon and make use of your machine’s ribbon selector, or install a solid color ribbon and get twice the life out of it, top and bottom. A ribbon typically lasts 4 months to a year+ of use, depending on how often you type.

Original ribbon spools, and all-black ribbon. If your machine has its original metal spools, wind your new ribbon onto them, being careful to keep the direction the same. Rubber gloves help the job be slightly less messy.

Famous Authors and Their Olympia SM3s

The Olympia SM3 has been a favorite of authors, including:

I hesitate to include Woody Allen but here he is, using an SM3:

“I bought this when I was sixteen. It still works like a tank.” Every comedy sketch, every screenplay, every essay ever written by Allen was composed on the one typewriter. When asked how he manages without the “cut-and-paste” functions of a word processor, he pulls out a pair of scissors and an old Swingline stapler. “It’s very primitive, I know,” says Allen, “but it works very well for me.”

From Robert B. Weide’s 2011 PBS film Woody Allen: A Documentary and quoted here.