I’m cranking this note out with a gorgeous Smith-Corona Silent Super from the 1950’s. This typewriter was purchased from Ace Typewriter located here in Portland, Oregon where I live. Ace Typewriter is a place to behold if you’re a typewriter fan. Walking into Matt’s shop is like stepping back in time. That extends to the very way that Matt himself does business. Matt is about as honest and straightforward as they come and the same can be said for his shop.
There is a poster hanging up at Ace Typewriter that features and illustration of Santa Claus, who is holding an Alpine Blue Silent Super in his hands (in his mitts to be specific). The poster dates from the 50’s of course and surely has been hanging up in the shop for many decades now, just like so many of the other wonderful typewriter-related items found throughout the shop.
In keeping with the them of that 50’s era advertisement, each year around Christmas Matt grabs an Alpine Blue Silent Super (just like the one feature in the poster) from his own personal collection and sets it out for sale during the holiday season. Sitting there by the window at the front of the shop, it could have easily been mistaken for a new machine. The blue paint was so vibrant that it looked as if it had been pulled from the sky on a brilliant summer day. The white keys still glowed brightly in the sunshine with a minimum of fading. Al of this was a testament to the fact that this typewriter had spent almost it’s entire existence inside of the “Holiday Case” that Smith-Corona supplied this typewriter with back in the day.
The case itself was surprsingly beat up, dented here and there, proof that it had done it’s job of protecting the beautiful typewriter contained inside. Much better the case take a beating than the machine itself. You might assume that this particular Alpine Blue Silent Super built back in 1956 is about as close to perfect as they come. For the most part you would be right, at least from a visual perspective that is. But it seems that the felt-like padding that Smith-Corona used for the type-bar rest pad during this period of time had a tendency to turn into a “chemistry project”, or at least to some degree anyway.
The end result was that even though the pad remains, a percentage of it would transform states, and work its way down the type-bars into the segment. When left to sit for long periods of time, this would result in stiff type action. I am aware of all of this because Matt told me before I purchase the Silent Super out on display for the holidays. While he had gone through the typewriter pretty thoroughly to make sure that everything was up to snuff, the one thing that it still required was exercise.
In this regard, typewriters aren’t all that different than we are, or most other machinery for that part. Sitting around for extended periods of time while doing absolutely isn’t exactly good for man or machine alike. Only time would tell if the Silent Super would fully return to it’s former typing glory. Not only did Matt make me a sweet deal on the typewriter, but he offered me a very liberal return policy as well. In a nutshell, were the typewriter to not loosen up by next year, I could simply bring it back for a refund. Matt really wanted to ensure that I was happy with my purchase. (This is why I like doing business with Ace Typewriter to begin with.)
Fortunately it took less than a week for this typewriter to hit its stride. Its performance now matches its looks and I am finally able to understand why so mamyh typewriter enthusiasts our there are fond of these 1950’s Smith-Corona machines. I only wish that getting myself back into shape could happen so quickly. Oh well, 1 out of 2 isn’t bad.
(Typed on a 1956 Smith-Corona Silent Super finished in Alpine Blue as purchased at Ace Typerwriter.)