Thanks. I also found out (https://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2012/02/torpedo-typewriters.html) that part of Torpedo’s early demise may well have been due to its factory getting bombed in WWII.

Nobody? Anybody?

I've had two or three Silent-Supers pass through my hands pretty quickly, and I've got one that I might hang onto. ALL OF THEM have had the same distinctive, unpleasant smell that I've not smelled anywhere else, although to be fair, my experience with typewriters has been relatively limited. Still, I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. I remember (very distinctly) the smell of formaldehyde from dissecting frogs and foetal pigs in biology class a little over half a century ago, and I don't think this particular stench resembles it very much.

BTW, my grandmother's house smelled of my grandfather's cigars, a much more pleasant aroma.

Fast forward: I had to send back the Silent-Super I’d just acquired at the time of the above post. (It had some internal damage that according to my “local” — two hour drive away — typewriter repair shop would have set me back $300 for them to repair.) Anyway, I’ve since picked up another Silent-Super, and it sounds a lot like a .22, which makes a sharp crack. These days I mostly shoot black powder, which makes a booming sound when it goes off; so far I have never heard a typewriter sound like that!

Great stuff! Really enjoyed looking at your comics pix in particular. You inspired me to hunt down the following: