5 Series Smith Corona Silent-Super

The SC's bold bulbousness gives it excellent desk presence. 

Seldom does a machine sit so perfectly tightly into its case.

Backpackable Portables: Hermes Rocket and Adler Tippa and Royal Mercury

The Mercury has been only to Ensenada, Mexico so far but as more exotic places are traveled to the case will look cooler...

Tripod Underwood Typewriter

This is a quick break from my six post series of machines I do take out of the house to type, though it is relevant so think of it as bonus material.

Recently I acquired one the Underwood portables with the aluminum tripod built into the case.  I had wanted one for some time, since there are many places and situations in which such a machine would be extremely useful.  The above photo at the laundromat is an excellent example.
I am not in love with the machine...  there are several shortcomings to the Underwood design.  Ribbon advancement and automatic reversal and the indexer are both common fail-points, though this particular machines works fine (after I switched the indexer with another machine...)  And so I am not enamored of the design from an engineering standpoint.  Aesthetically it is hard to find a sharper machine.  The worst thing about the typewriter though is a somewhat heavy touch, even on the lightest setting.
The case is brilliant!  The legs fold out and are each in three sections, hinged rather than telescoping.  This means the case cannot be leveled on uneven terrain, in the woods perhaps, but it makes it much more compact.  I had assumed from photos such cases as there would be unstable but that is not case.  It would take quite a push to topple one over and it is sturdy enough for fast typing.  I have found my legs do not fit underneath, but if I put my right leg on the outside and over one of the tripod legs I can sit very comfortably and the height is appropriate for most chairs.
Overall this is a useful and desirable machine.  If I find another I think I might remove the brackets inside the case and see if I cannot install the mounting brackets for a 1940s Royal providing one would indeed fit.  Then I would have the ultimate urban-writing-machine!
To see more photos of the Underwood please click this link to the Typewriter Database and feel free to check out the rest of my collection too!

Olivetti Lettera 32

Lettera 32 with all the gear I take when I go somewhere to write. 

Older zipper on top, newer one on the bottom, and the type of damage which is common with the old zipper off to the side. 

The Lettera 22 (the green one) is just barely smaller than the 32.