Olympia Splendid 33

Olympia Splendid 33

When the 1960s rolled around, Olympia had ascended to the top of the typewriter heap.  While their good looks went with the disappearance of the SM3&4s, their solid mechanicals continued to shine. By the time the SM9 was introduced, Olympia had perfected the portable typewriter. It won’t win any design contests, but when you need a solid typewriter, the SM9 is any easy recommendation. The Splendid 33 stradles both these lineages. It has buttery soft lines on the outside and precise German mechanicals on the inside. This is a performer. While it looks small, it feels big. Olympia didn’t skimp on the Splendid. The key touch is light and snappy, yet doesn’t feel cheap. The bigger typewriters may have a more solid thud-thud sound to them, but when it comes to portability, the Splendid has a snap-on shell that makes it easy to stow or go. Even if you have a permanent home on your desk for the bigger machine, the Splendid makes a great second typewriter for hitting the road. While the Hermes Rocket has that cool, aqua color, the Splendid performs much better. The biggest advantage the Splendid has over the Rocket is the carriage return lever. This has always been my complaint with the Rocket, it has this stubby little thing that’s hard to catch with your fingers. Not so with the Splendid. It’s big and sticks out nicely. Plus, it has the same snap-on shell as the Rocket. Easy choice, I’d go with the Splendid. Olympia ditched the shell with the later model SF. For this size typewriter, I like the shell. It just makes a tighter, easier to handle package.