1954 Smith-Corona (SCM) Typewriter Type Styles and Keyboards Catalog – To Type, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth… by [[Theodore Munk]]

Smith-Corona (SCM) Font Styles – To Type, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth… by [[Theodore Munk]]

My first "ultra-portable" (Skyriter 1955) by [[Just My Typewriter]]

55 had an integral cover versus later versions which had bags.

Typewriter Video Series - Episode 143: Rocket Versus Skyriter by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

Typewriter Video Series - Episode 121: SCM Skyriter by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

Joe likes this better than the Hermes Rocket. Solid ultra portable.

Most Smith-Coronas in the 40s and 50s have similar ribbon set ups. Hopefully this photo and description will help:

(Alt Text) Smith-Corona typewriter ribbon thread sample. A view into the type basket with the hood of the typewriter raised showing the ribbon coming out of a spool on the left, through a black ribbon guide (which actuates the autoswitch when the eyelet at the end of a spool gets stuck between it and the spool) next to the spool cup, and then into the two metal guides of the ribbon vibrator on either side of the the typing point. A silver pen's tip is pointing to the ribbon guide next to the spool cup at about the point where an eyelet clipped onto the middle of the end of a length of a ribbon would trip the ribbon auto switch.

If your ribbon auto-switch isn't working one can usually switch the direction manually with the ribbon reverse lever usually found on the front left side of most machines.

To speed up changing the ribbon on many machines, it can often help to switch the color selector to the red setting and then simultaneously press the G and H keys gently so that they're stuck together almost at the typing point which will raise the ribbon vibrator and make accessing the slots for threading the ribbon easier. Once the ribbon is installed, release the G and H typebars and select the correct color setting for the portion of the ribbon you want to use.

Patti Smith used a late 60s or early 70s Smith-Corona (SCM) portable typewriter.

Source: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/typers.html

link to: https://hypothes.is/a/e-zWRgHOEe-cIEt7dzry5A

https://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2022/06/searing-cutlass-typewriter-in-taylor.html

https://typewriterdatabase.com/smithcorona.86.typewriter-serial-number-database

Friday<br /> 7 July <br /> 2017

Lee,

You are a wise and brave man. This 1930's era Smith- corona Clipper will last you for the ages..

Happy to have served you...<br /> /s<br /> Tom Hanks

Hanks wrote this letter to an interviewer who purchased one. Lost here on the viewer is the fact that the Clipper wasn't manufactured until 1946...

This is what I would suggest: if you wanted the perfect typewriter that will last forever that would be a great conversation piece, I'd say get the Smith-Corona Clipper. That will be as satisfying a typing experience as you will ever have. —Tom Hanks on CBS Sunday Morning: "Tom Hanks, Typewriter Enthusiast" at 07:30

—Tom Hanks in TribLive 2020-05-22 at https://web.archive.org/web/20200522085215/https://archive.triblive.com/aande/books/tom-hanks-on-his-love-of-typewriters-and-the-free-press/

I've seen several sites and listings for Smith-Corona typewriters which mention this interview quote.

https://typewriterdatabase.com/1947-smith-corona-clipper.15249.typewriter