Typewriter Talk / In-Coming Olympia SKM Manual Typewriter...

**Posted by Pete E.** 15-6-2024 11:49:35

Hi Tom,

You are right. There is a very strong similarity with the internals of my 1976 SKM and my 1968 SM9.

Weight-wise..the SKM is 16.6 lbs. while the all metal (cowling) SM9 is 15.8 lbs. The SKM has a 13" wide platen while the SM9 has a 9" wide platen.

The chassis-width of both machines is the same at 10.5 in width.

Here are front photos of the SKM and the SM9.

Differences I can see are as follows :

1. SKM leaves its touch-control lever at the left side, under the ribbon cover. The SM9 has brought its touch-control lever along the left side of the key-board.

2. The SKM has its Tab set/clear lever along the left side of the key-board. Whereas the SM9 has moved the Tab set and clear functions to key-tops on either side of the space bar.

3. Design and build of the SKM's carriage is a bit different than that of the SM9. But mostly cosmetic and the differences coming with a wider-carriage.

4. The SKM only as one Tab all-clear lever on the right side of the carriage end. Whereas the SM9 has 2 levers, one on each side of the carriage end.

In the next day or so, I will do a quick comparison of my manual SKM and my electric SKE...to see if the SKE still carries over mechanicals from the SM9. Obviously the sides of the cowling for the SKM and SKE on both sides of the key-board had to get wider to house the motor drive and power roller pulley on the left side and the power-return mechanism on the right side. I suspect the SKE's chassis width is probably still the same of 10.5" wide that you see on the SM9 (and SKM). MOre on this in the next few days
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**Posted by robmck** 15-6-2024 16:35:47

Congratulations, Pete! Nice find, and looks good.

**Posted by thetypewriterman** 15-6-2024 16:37:15

Of course, later SM9s followed the layout of your SKM with the tab set/clear on the left where the touch control was on earlier models, and the touch control re-located under the ribbon cover. It is a long time since I last worked on an SKE, so I await your comparison with interest I do remember Smith-Corona trying to sell their heavier electric portable as an office machine in the late 1970's. To give it some weight, they actually made the ribbon cover out of heavy cast-iron. Take the cover off and the machine weighed next to nothing! The only other thing I can add regarding large portables being sold as office machines is that the very last Hermes 3000s (by then being made in Eastern Europe, possibly Hungary) being dressed up in a larger plastic outer case and being sold as the Imperial 95. I only ever saw one - a special order for a customer who wanted a manual typewriter when everyone else was buying electronic machines in the late 1980's. But I do have the service manual on file !

**Posted by Pete E.** 16-6-2024 09:57:47

Hi Tom,

Here are some photos of my 1974 Olympia SKE (aka Report Electric) which was made in Western Germany.

It has an 11" wide platen and weighs in at 18.4 lbs.

From the view through its type-basket with similar photos of the SM9 and the SKM, the SKE is quiet a bit different.

Gone is the burnt-orange coloured forged-iron chassis of the SM9 and SKM. Replaced in the SKE with a stamped-steel chassis construction. Its chassis width is still 10.5" wide (like the SM( and SKM) but with out-riggers on the left and right side for the electrical drive and power return components.
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**Posted by Pete E.** 16-6-2024 10:00:39

A few external photos...
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**Posted by robmck** 16-6-2024 16:02:11

Of course, I have to ask: if you were only going to get one, SKE or SKM?

**Posted by thetypewriterman** 16-6-2024 16:53:03

You know what ? I think the SKE has the Traveller segment and cardholders ! Certainly looks like the same components on the photos. Do you think that they are the same Pete ?

**Posted by Pete E.** 16-6-2024 20:01:42

Hi Rob,

I hesitate to have to choose between a SKM and a SKE. Manual vs. full electric is a bit "apples to oranges", in my mind.

Between a SM9 and the SKM...if I could only buy one...I think I would prefer the SKM. I like that the 13" wide carriage SKM can handle any size paper or envelop you could throw at it. There were some wide carriage SM9's. Plus I think the SKM sits more stylish and sexy on a desk. And the SKM gives you that special key to switch from single-character spacing to double-character spacing...which the SM9 did not offer.

With the SKE, I see as a "production machine"..for final draft work. Only thing better for the SKE would have had it retain its manual carriage return lever/function. The SKE does have a rather gentle power-return stroke, but it is still there to get your attention when you hit that key.

My SGE-35 is a better full-electric Olympia than the SKE. But a SGE-35 weighs 38.4 lbs. versus 22.3 lbs. for the SKE. And the SKE is quite a capable, fast, accurate electric in its own right. And a lot easier to move around the desk and the house.
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**Posted by Pete E.** 16-6-2024 20:06:22

Hi Tom,

My 1975 Olympia Traveller deluxe is shown below.

Some similarities with the SKE...but more differences as well that one can see.

The chassis width of my Traveller is 10.25" wide while the SKE is 10.5" wide.
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**Posted by robmck** 17-6-2024 11:55:46

Pete E. wrote:
Hi Rob,

I hesitate to have to choose between a SKM and a SKE. Manual vs. full electric is a bit "apples to oranges", in my mind.

Oh, foolish me! Somehow, early on in this thread, perhaps because of the resemblance of the SKM to the SKE, I got it stuck in my head that the SKM was a manual-carriage electric (like and SCM 5TE) - a sort of "retro" 50s feature in a 70s machine. That assumption blinded me to the model acronyms, SKM & SKE, and didn't notice that only one machine had a cord... (Maybe, too, I was wishing for a semi-manual electric from Olympia...)

Pete E. wrote:
Between a SM9 and the SKM...if I could only buy one...I think I would prefer the SKM. I like that the 13" wide carriage SKM can handle any size paper or envelop you could throw at it. There were some wide carriage SM9's. Plus I think the SKM sits more stylish and sexy on a desk. And the SKM gives you that special key to switch from single-character spacing to double-character spacing...which the SM9 did not offer.

Thanks for the more relevant comparison!

Pete E. wrote:
My SGE-35 is a better full-electric Olympia than the SKE. But a SGE-35 weighs 38.4 lbs. versus 22.3 lbs. for the SKE. And the SKE is quite a capable, fast, accurate electric in its own right. And a lot easier to move around the desk and the house.

Good to know that the SGE-35 is probably the better full-electric.