One more hour to go before I finish work for the day. It's hard to ignore that small clock on the bottom right corner of one's computer screen. For something so small, it can incite a lot of anxiety. Okay, breathe. I need to focus on getting work done. I can't afford to let work pile up. I switch on my headphones and plonk it around my ears. I open Spotify and select a playlist with lots of energetic beats and the occasional belting that still carries a tune. Noise-cancelling mode, here we go! One hour later, I stop my music, switch off my headphones and close my laptop. I'm finished for the day! Pleased with myself for my determination in the last hour, I swivel to my right where my work bench connects to my main work desk and there it is, gleaming at me as if it was smiling. It's my typewriter.
I don’t have experience with more popular, medium-sized typewriters like the Olympia SM3, the Smith Corona Stirling Silent and Super Silent variant, the Underwood Champions, and that coveted Hermes 3000 that’s on my bucket list. However, I have collected four portable typewriters and I can already tell, feel and describe the differences. I now understand why people get so hooked on buying typewriters now. Not only is it a great collecting hobby like collecting film cameras, it’s the journey of finding the one that feels right for you. I’ve had someone compare a typewriter to a computer keyboard - let’s not even go there. I’m starting to understand that it is a search for the one typewriter that truly connects you to your typewritten story by giving you a contraption that speaks to you - or your fingers. It’s the same relationship I have with cameras where, from a broad perspective, a camera can take a photo. But the journey involves whether you’re using a point-and-shoot camera or a medium-format camera. It can depend on the film you use. So many variables to take into account. Why must I be so fascinated in an expensive hobby?
Recently, I’ve been doing therapeutic typewriting sessions every Wednesday after work. It’s a great time for me to relax after the working day and to give my typewriters the attention they need. I’ve really enjoyed the slowed-down process of typewriting on fascinating contraptions that have, once again, stood the test of time. As I’m constantly focused and concentrating on tasks at work, typewriting let’s my mind rest and wander. With a stack of paper next to me, I could write the next bestselling novel for young adults!
This is the Olympia Splendid 33. For something so small, it weighs heavier than my other typewriters. It rarely slides when I type. The carriage shift is a hefty task for my little finger. When I was still practicing my typing, my left little finger would occasionally slip because it landed on the corner of the key and would eventually slip. Again, this is another difference I’ve come to learn is quite common in the Olympia typewriters. Some people say it’s almost a cumbersome effort to lift that carriage and, even more, when that carriage comes crashing back down. In my case, it’s a smaller typewriter and it has a heavy carriage shift. It doesn’t get in the way of momentum, regardless. The typing experience is also quite different from, let’s say, the Hermes Baby typewriter. My Hermes Baby typewriter types with a spongey but sharp feel but a a satisfying shack-shack sound of the slugs when they hit the paper. It has a lighter but quick typing experience. The Olympia Splendid 33 feels like more force is needed to strike the keys. It almost feels like the slugs are also shorter. It feels like you don’t need to push down all the way but the key tensions seems to be tight enough for you to want to put some effort in typing. However, the result is quite wonderful as it has a high-pitched but really snappy snuck-snuck sound to it. I feel this would compare somewhat to the typing experience on a medium-sized typewriter. Whenever I type on the Hermes Baby, I sometimes find myself slightly preferring the typing feel of the Olympia Splendid 33. I don’t know what it is and I love my Hermes Baby typewriter. The Olympia Splendid 33 has a wonderful typing feel that feels really snappy and will compare to the bigger typewriter that are intended for desk and not travel.
I bought this typewriter off Facebook Marketplace from a person in South Australia. Upon its timely arrival, it was in a good condition that required quite a bit of cleaning and several sunbaking sessions to try and kill that mould smell. However, the back sections where the case connects has rusted. I feel like this typewriter must have gone through a flood or something similar. I figured the typewriter must have been in a standing position which is why the bottom part is the only section that’s rusted. It took me some time to clean the internal sections. Armed with a crappy paint brush with thick bristles, cotton buds, cloth and rubbing alcohol, I managed to get this to a good-looking condition. I have plans to try and remove some of that rust, but that will probably have to wait for the weekend.
The only other gripe I have with this typewriter as it would have been made it perfect is the missing ‘Z’ slug. The seller failed to mention this in the description. When I asked him about it, he said even he wasn’t aware of it as it had belonged to his mother. I think to myself, “Hey, at least it’s not one of the more popular letters.” I seldom use the letter word ‘z’ but it’s an inconvenience. I can’t type cool words like my name, jazz, zoo, zoomies, zipper, etc. I’ve learned to live with it but it has made me want to look for another same model. So far, I haven’t been able to come across a Splendid 33 with the same colour scheme. I should be happy with what I’ve got, right?