For my birthday, I bought myself an L.C. Smith & Corona Silent from 1935. It's a deep burgundy with a car-quality finish. The platen roller is hard, so I need to replace it (it punches out the O key, and even tears up the ribbon), but it's beautiful to look at. I've got it sitting in my office.

I just got myself a NaNoWriMo typewriter. It is the model which to my mind is exactly matches the typewriter on the front cover of the No Plot? No Problem! book by NaNoWriMo guru and inventor, Chris Baty. I have been obsessed by that picture of the typewriter for years and I asked on the Nano typewriter forum which one they thought it was. So I looked about, and found on on eBay for not that much and it arrived on Saturday. Here is is ...
er, not. Cannot get this picture thing to work. Aurgh! follow the link?


It was pretty mucky when it arrived, and a few keys sticking, but it's mostly sorted and ready now. It also has the added interest of being a QZERTY layout and some accent keys. 
The action is a bit hard and heavy. I need to fiddle with the touch control a bit I think. It has a basket shift, and came with the user manual in Italian. I don't speak Italian but never mind!

Last edited by Uwe (30-10-2014 14:23:21)

Hi guys, I'm just resuscitating this thread, which I've just read all of hoping to find some information about one of THESE -

I've just bought this one on you-know-where for 99p!! Plus postage, and the lady is being very reasonable, not even taking as much postage as I offered, but still asking for the packing instructions. The machine was bought new in 1948 by a member of her family who, she says, used it pretty much daily for most of the next 50 years. It's pretty beat up, the side looks a mess. But I'm happy. She does say it all works fine. (& for pristine I have my 1940 Envoy...)

Interesting character on the key next to the L, where you'd expect the semi-colon. Any ideas? [Editing in to say I've looked it up in The Century of the Typewriter, and it's Spanish. Of course. The picture isn't quite clear enough, but the mystery is solved!]

And if anyone knows where or if there's a carriage lock, I'd be grateful to find it out before the nice lady does her packing...

Last edited by KatLondon (07-4-2015 05:44:27)

Oh geez. I'm supposed to be saving all my nonexistent money to pay The Typewriter Man for repairing my Hermes 2000. (Don't worry Tom, you will get paid!) But in the meantime I just found myself clicking the box on this... I think I need help. But isn't it beautiful... I couldn't help it! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251960183251?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

KatLondon: lucky! Such a beautiful little typewriter.