1978 Olympia Report deLuxe #46-0272293

Status: My Collection
Hunter: James Grooms (jgrooms)
Created: 10-14-2025 at 03:57PM
Last Edit: 10-15-2025 at 02:07PM

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Description:

I am on a quixotic quest to figure out these Olympia models. Here you go. First, there was the SKE, Report and Report de Luxe. These were built by Olympia and are miniature versions of the SGE-35/45s. They are much more robust, complex, and feature-rich than the later Nakajima models that exterior-wise are very similar in appearance.

On the main page, I think that where it is currently "Report (Electric)", it would clarify much if it were "SKE, Report and Report de Luxe (Electric compact)". These are all used interchangeably in ads. The early all white body ones are Report electric. I think all of them have the SKE label on the back or the electrical port. The SN sequence early on used a 9 prefix. Then they switched to 46. If you remove the 00 or 0 from the SN, the data lines up with the main page info for the year.

Also on the main page, the "SKM (Electric Compact)". This is definitely a manual machine.

By the ads-
71-74 is the white bodied SKE Report Electric (possibly all these are 9 prefix SNs).
75-76 the black top SKE Report de Luxe and by early 77 the ads stop for SKE (possibly from here they are all 46 prefix SNs).
78 it is the Report de luxe (aka SKE) and to avoid confusion (ha!), the Nakajima is simply the Report Electric. And the budget manual return model is the SEP (Silver Seiko).

Through the 60s Olympia, arguably, has the best manual portable ever made in the SM-9. The SGs have their niche, but IBM is taking everyone to the woodshed. The dealers had to be clamoring for a compact electric, so you get the SKE aimed directly at Smith Corona's dominance. See the last ad.

Post service-

This was as easy as they get. A very light mineral spirits brush and blow. A bit of careful lacquer thinner for the typebars and segment. A tip from my SGE-45 experience. Do not get any solvents near the clutch, which is buried in the back end of the machine.

This is one serious typewriter, plus, as most Olympias do, the rubber has held up well, and it shows in the impression. I think 34 pica is No. 67 modern pica in the older catalog.

See the last two images for the lengths they went to make the Nakajima look like the SKE despite a 25% weight reduction. There's a good lesson in economics here. They had to pay Nakajima to build it. Their labor costs were drastically lower. The build cost had to be substantially less due to the massive parts reduction. As well the time to assemble further driving labor down.

Typeface Specimen:

Links:

• main page
• white body ske manual
• Report deLuxe, one word, SKE gallery
• Report electric, white body. 46 SN prefix
• 77 the beginning of the Nakajima era

Photos:

71 ad for the new SKE.

75 ad for the SKE with a Report De Luxe on the cover. SEP? Is this a Silver Seiko make Olympiette in 75?

ca 77 the SKE is dropped and they call it the Report Deluxe. Price and features in the ad indicate this is still the SKE. The SEP is a Nakajima.

This from 1978 shows the transition to all Nakajima. The Deluxe is an SKE on closeout. The Report with correction. Note the price difference.

Dec 78 and the Report Deluxe aka SKE is winding down.

From 1975. The Silver Seiko era began much early that I thought.

78 SKE and 77 first year Nakajima Report electric.

Hunter: James Grooms (jgrooms)

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Typewriters are the perfect blend of using one's technical skills, history and functional purpose. My goal is type tested machines. My interests are not isolated to anyone area. For example, I am a big fan of Smith Corona electrics, mid century electrics and all things Royal.