On this page you will find reels that were regular Bronson production models, including a few rare prototypes. In most cases, both the reel and box are Bronson-marked. So, if you do not see your reel on this page, you might find it under one of the other links on the right.
Bronson “Aetna” No.2300 Reel
The Bronson No.2300 “Aetna” was an economy level-wind that was introduced in 1937 or 1938. Catalogs simply listed it as a variety of the Altoona with a metal tail plate. It would be offered that way through 1940 and then abruptly disappear from catalogs. We believe the black box was used starting in 1940. The “Aetna” would resurface again in 1950, this time redesigned with both side plates of black Bakelite. It would sell at least through 1954. Shown below is the earliest known box for the Aetna No.2300 and a nice example of the early design. The last three photos show the later post-war design with the original box.
Bronson “All-American” No.4800 Reel
The No.4800 “All American” was one of the group of Bronson Gold Seal models that were introduced in 1934. This tear drop shaped model had what Bronson called a “Silverlite” satin chromium finish over solid German silver. It had the ribbed Bakelite head plate spacer like that of the “Reel-O-Mine”, a face plate-mounted adjustable drag, hexagonal jeweled oil caps, but with plain side plates. This first version can be seen in the last five photos, courtesy of Kevin McJunkin. That would all change in 1935, when Bronson would redesign the reel with ornate engraved side plates. The All American would make its last appearance in the 1938 catalog. In my opinion, the most beautiful reel ever produced by the Bronson Reel Co. We know of only two of these that exist, though there are surely others. The box shown below appears to be an early Bronson repair box? The ad shown below is from the 1934 catalog.
Bronson “All-Star” No.4700 Reel
One of the group of Gold Seal reels introduced in 1934, was the No.4700 “All Star”. This tear drop-shaped level-wind originally had plain side plates and crank handle. An example of this one-year model can be seen below. However, in 1935 it was completely redesigned with a beautiful engraved “geometrical design”. Made with a chromium finish and came equipped with the Duo-Click, hexagonal jeweled end caps and an adjustable drag on the face plate. These would sell through 1936 or 1937 (we can’t be sure, because neither catalog for those years has ever surfaced). One photo below shows the original box, tool and insert for the engraved model.
Starting in 1947, the Altoona was renumbered the No.4250, with the only difference being the handle grips were changed from white to maroon. The No.4250 would sell until about the mid to late 1950’s. Some of No.4250 models can be found in a host finishes, including black, brown, walnut, green, camouflage and even a reported “frog skin”.
Bronson “Arrow” No.4000 Reel
The No.4000 “Arrow” was first introduced in the 1931 catalog, selling for 50 cents. These were cheaply-made double-action, all-metal reels that were thinly nickel plated and would be referred to as “dime store” reels. They would sell completely unchanged until at least 1954, the last catalog listing we have for them. Most of these models came unmarked, even though catalog illustrations suggest otherwise. Shown below is the 1940 catalog listing, which oddly calls the reel “new” (after nine years?). The earliest original box is also shown, along with a nice later example box and reel.
Bronson “Arrow Jr.” No.4400 Reel
The No.4400 “Arrow Jr.”, the single-action version of the “Arrow” model above, first showed up in Bronson’s 1935 catalog. They were cheaply made for the younger person in mind, with all pressed-metal construction, thinly plated, painted grips and selling for 21 cents each in 1935 Depression-mired America. They are known with both single and double handle grips. They were unmarked, but the box that housed them was. So many different companies, including the Japanese, made an identical reel, so without the box it can be almost impossible to tell them apart. The “Arrow Jr.” was last offered in Bronson’s 1959 catalog, commanding a hefty $1.25 each. An early and later example, both with original box, can be seen below.
Bronson “Biltwell” No.200 Level-Wind Reel
The Bronson “Biltwell” was one of the company’s longest-selling models and can be found in numerous versions. The original No.200 Biltwell, the ONLY level-winding version of this model ever produced, was made sometime between 1923 and 1928 (our earliest catalog is from 1929 and it doesn’t list the No.200). The reel was very similar to both the No.400 “Premier” and No.100 “Modern”. The example shown below is with the scarce original maroon box. These are an extremely tough find for the collector, as they rarely show up for sale. Ad is from a 1929 Shapliegh’s catalog, suggesting it was sold for at least another year through retailers. At this time, we don’t know if that was a special “trade” variety, or marked as the “Biltwell”. Ad is courtesy of Jim Garrett and Skip Brooks.
Bronson “Biltwell” No.2800 and No.4300 Reels
In 1929, the “Biltwell” was completely redesigned and renumbered the No.2800. It was now a non level-winding reel and would last appear in the 1941 catalog. These were made in mind-numbing numbers and are very common, although not so common to find boxed. They can be found with either white or black handle grips. The earliest box for the No.2800 is the maroon box, shown with a beautiful example of the reel. The second box used was the orange Art Deco “picture” box, the hardest one to find. It’s shown in the next photo. The third style box used, the red & yellow Art Deco style, can be seen in the first photo.
The last version of the Biltwell was the No.4300 model. It first shows up in our 1938 catalog. It was equipped with a Bakelite head plate, the only difference from the regular model. These would also sell through 1941 and are rather scarce. The 1938 catalog listing for the No.4300, almost done as a simple footnote, can be seen below. Photos of the actual reel are forthcoming.
Bronson “Biltwell” No.2400 and No.3300 Reels
The No.3300 was also introduced in 1929 and was the jeweled version of the No.2800 listed above. It would be renumbered as the No.2400 in late 1931, only to be discontinued after the 1932 season. An example of the early No.3300 can be seen below, with the scarce Art Deco box and box catalog, courtesy of Kevin McJunkin. A photo of the 1932 catalog listing for the No.2400 can be seen below. Photos of the actual reel are forthcoming.
Bronson “Black Master” No.4600 Reel
The No.4600 “Black Master” was another Gold Seal tear drop model introduced in 1938. Reel is similar to the Blackstone No.4700 described below, but does not have the marbled head plate spacer. They had black anodized aluminum side plates, hexagon jeweled end caps, adjustable drag on the face plate, engraved crank handle and the Duo-Click. Apparently, some were marked with the model and number, and some were not. They were housed in the “silver” Art Deco box, shown below. Because these were only produced in 1938, they should be considered rare.
Bronson “Blackstone” No.4700 Reel
The No.4700 “Blackstone” Gold Seal reel is arguably one of the finest-looking tear drop-shaped reels ever produced in this country. It first appeared in Bronson’s 1938 catalog and was numbered the same as the No.4700 “All-Star”, which had been discontinued in 1936 or 1937. The side plates were made of black “Duralumin”, with an engraved crank handle and mottled black & white head ring. It was equipped with the Duo-Pawl level-wind, Duo-Click, adjustable drag on the face plate and had hexagonal jewelled adjustable oil caps. These were housed in the same “silver” Art Deco box found with other Gold Seal models. The box says “aluminum finished in chromium and black”, but they were basically black anodized reels. We have seen some that were not marked with a model name, so they apparently came either way. These would sell through 1940. The first ad is from Bronson’s 1940 catalog. These should be considered quite scarce.
In 1941, the No.4700 Blackstone was redesigned. Gone is the mottled head plate spacer. In its place is the “ribbed” Bakelite spacer very similar to those found on the Reel-O-Mine models. It now has a spool with aluminum flanges to make it lighter, and sports the round jewelled oil caps and a normal clicker. Finally, the catalog calls the end plates black “anodized”, which they were all along. These were only available for one year and should be considered rare.
Bronson “Blackstone” No.552 (See The Meisselbach-Catucci Section)
Bronson “Blue Heron” No.3800 Reel
The Bronson No.3800 “Blue Heron” was one of the original group of Gold Seal reels introduced in 1931. It is shown below with the earliest Gold Seal box. These first versions were chromium plated nickel silver, with plain side plates. They had black Bakelite side plate spacers and a spool brake on the face plate. These would sell through 1934.
Rare Bronson “Comet” PROTOTYPE Reel
The reel in the five photos below is an extremely rare, one-of-a-kind factory prototype of the No.2400 “Comet”. Produced in 1935, it comes with an experimental worm gear/spiral gear assembly for the level-wind, an internal gear train like nothing ever seen on any casting reel and a “reeded” head cap unlike any other Bronson model. The reel box is hand-marked “2400 Spec. Gears”, while a hang tag reads “Spec. Gears – 1935”. This unmarked Comet prototype is the only example known to exist.
Bronson “Commander” No.3200 A-B-L Reel.
The No.3200 “Commander” is the A-B-L version of the regular No.3600 “Commander” described below. It would first appear in the 1933 catalog and sell through 1937. It was equipped with the A-B-L (anti-back-lash) bar at the level-wind and the tension control adjustment on the face plate. These had plain side plates through 1934 but, starting in 1935, they would feature the engraved “wave design” on the side plates and crank handle. Like all the Gold Seal reels of the period, they would come in the “silver” Art Deco box. As with many of the highly engraved models, these can be a tough find for the collector.
Bronson “Commander” No.3250 A-B-L Reel.
The No.3250 “Commander” A-B-L model replaced the No.3200 and is first seen in the 1938 catalog. The No.3250 would now have the Art Deco “leaf design” and it would have a wider head plate gear housing to accommodate the new thicker level wind gear. The No.3250 would sell through 1941.
Bronson “Commander” No.3600 Reel.
The No.3600 “Commander” was one of the original group of Gold Seal reels introduced in 1931. The first version of this level-winding chromium plated reel had the plain side plates. It’s shown below in the first four , along with the earliest Gold Seal box, courtesy of Mark Williams. In 1935 the reel was completely re-designed to include the ornately engraved “wave design” on the side plates, hexagon jewelled oil caps and a brake adjustment on the face plate. It would be housed in the “silver” Art Deco box shown below. We believe these were only sold through 1937, even though examples were advertised by retailers as late as 1938. It does not show up in Bronson’s 1938 catalog, having been replaced by the No.3650.
Bronson “Commander” No.3650 Reel
The Bronson No.3650 “Commander” only appeared in the 1938 catalog, having replaced the earlier No.3600. It now sported the engraved Art Deco “leaf design” on the side plates, but retained the “wave design” crank handle. It would also be housed in the “silver” Art Deco box. This one-year version should be considered scarce, as we have only seen a couple of them. Notice in photo #5 the drag adjustment is at the 9:00 position, rather than on the 11:00 position of the No.3600.
Bronson “Coronet” No.25 and “Coronet” No.25N (Bronson Versions)
The Bronson No.25 “Coronet” was identical to the Coxe-marked No.25-C Coronet, except sold with the Bronson name on the reel, with the black Bronson-marked box and leather case. The Coxe Coronets were introduced in 1951 and we believe that Bronson put their name on them a few years later, which we can only guess was to increase sales. These free spool models were made of aluminum with Bakelite side plates and had the “cross bolt” quick take-apart design. It was a very beautiful, well-machined model, perfect for tournament casting or fishing with light tackle. It’s not known how long the Bronson-marked Coronets were offered.
The No.25N was the same reel, but with a narrow spool. Photo #8 shows the difference in the width of both reels. The No.25N has “Bronson” painted gold on the leather case and came in the same black Bronson box. Like the regular model above, it’s not known how long the Bronson-marked versions were available, as all catalogs only mention the Coxe No.25-C model. For more info on the Coxe Coronet and other Coxe reels, check out our page on the “J A Coxe Reel Pics and Info” link above.
The No.25N was the same reel, but with a narrow spool. Photo #8 shows the difference in the width of both reels. The No.25N has “Bronson” painted gold on the leather case and came in the same black Bronson box. Like the regular model above, it’s not known how long the Bronson-marked versions were available, as all catalogs only mention the Coxe No.25-C model. For more info on the Coxe Coronet and other Coxe reels, check out our page on the “J A Coxe Reel Pics and Info” link above.
Bronson/Coxe “Coronet” No.25-C and No.25-N Reels (See “Coxe Reels Section)
Bronson “Crusader” No.30 Reel (Bronson Version of the Coxe No.30-C)
Little is known about the No.30 Crusader. We have no catalog information, but these were believed to have been produced in the late 1950’s or early 1960’s. Reel is identical to the JA Coxe No.30-C, with the quick take-apart design. made of maroon anodized aluminum. This could be considered a tournament reel, as it has an alloy spool that has very pronounced shoulders, with a large arbor. These are rarely seen and should be considered quite scarce. We recently found the original instructions for this model, which can be seen below, but an original box has never been found.
“Do-All” No.65 (Bronson Version)
The “Do-All” reel was a J.A. Coxe-designed 150 yd. combination fresh or salt water reel, heavy chromium plated, with a star drag and very well made. It was introduced in 1949. Shown below is what we believe to be the earliest Bronson No.65 version in the rare black Bronson box. The Bronson/Coxe catalogs just lists the No.65-C models (the “C” standing for Coxe?). They were marked with the Coxe name and came in a J.A. Coxe box. These would sell through 1959. These also came in an aluminum version marked with the Coxe name. It remains a mystery why Bronson would market the exact same reel under both the Bronson and Coxe names. It would not be the only time they did this, either. The early Bronson versions should be considered very scarce. Reel pictures are courtesy of Wayne Benson. Also see the “Bronson/J.A. Coxe Freshwater Reels” page for more details about the “Do-All” reel, as well as the “trade” versions.
“Do-All” No.65-C Reel (Coxe version) See the “J.A. Coxe” Section
Bronson “Falcon” No.170 Reel
Bronson’s No.170 “Falcon” was introduced in the 1959 catalog. The red version shows up in our 1962 Bronson catalog, while the black version is last seen in our 1967 catalog. These are a 150 yd. size reel, weighing in at 8 oz. These were equipped with an anti-reverse lever on the rim and a star drag. These can be tough to find in the original black Bronson box (shown below). Red reel pictures are courtesy of Chuck Castle.
Bronson “Fleetwing” No.2475 Reel
The No.2475 “Fleetwing” was one of Bronson’s longest-selling models, from its introduction in 1938 to its final appearance in the 1973 (True Temper) catalog. Interestingly, the 1938 catalog lists the Fleetwing as just a footnote under the “Flyer”, simply calling it the “jeweled” version of that model. The jeweled end caps on this first version were strictly cosmetic, with no function whatsoever. There is no manual spool adjustment and the reel has to be disassembled to oil it. We do not see very many of these first versions. The yellow Art Deco box for this early version is shown below, along with a nice example of the reel (first four photos).
By 1949 or so, the Fleetwing was equipped with the Lashless-style A-B-L control on the tail plate and the fixed head plate end cap. These would be housed in the black Bronson box, shown in the second set of photos, and much later (late 60’s, early 70’s) in the blue boxes. These were produced in staggering numbers and are one of the most common models. The 8th photo is of one of the last Fleetwings, with its original box, sold through True Temper in the early 1970’s, while the last photo shows the last style box used by Bronson reel Co. Photo courtesy of Scott Truex.
Bronson “Flyer” No.2450 Reel
Introduced in 1937 or 1938, the No.2450 “Flyer” was another Bronson economy model of all-metal construction, with a stamped pillar-less foot and plain “tension-control” end caps. It would sell through 1941. Shown is the later black Bronson box, which housed this model from about 1940 or 1941. The earlier box, in third photo, was the yellow Art Deco box.
Bronson “Gladiator” No.2100 and No.3400 Reels
The earliest Bronson “Gladiator” was the No.2100, introduced in 1933. It was a level-winding model with Bakelite side plates. It was also an Anti-Back-Lash reel, with the A-B-L bar at the level-wind and the tension control knob on the face plate. The earliest examples came in the blue & orange Art Deco box, while the later (circa 1935) came in the yellow Art Deco box, which can be seen below. This Bakelite version would sell at least through 1935. Recently, the only example we’ve ever seen was found by ORCA member Mark Bumgarner, who was kind enough to share the last four photos below. The ad is cropped from Bronson’s 1935 catalog.
The later version that replaced the No.2100, was the chromium plated No.3400, which first shows up in our 1938 catalog. Aside from being all-metal, it was virtually the same. They would make their last appearance in the 1941 catalog. An example is shown with the earlier yellow Art Deco box. These can be found with or without “A.B.L.” stamped beneath the anti-backlash control adjustment on the face plate. A later circa 1941 black box for the No.3400 can also be seen below.
Bronson “Gladiator” No.3400 (Privately-Made Prototype)
Even though this is not a Bronson factory-made example, we thought it interesting enough to include in the site.
In 1950, Charles W. Wilson from Norton Township, Muskegon County, Mich., created a non-moving parts level-wind and free spool design, from a Bronson No.3400 “Gladiator”. He applied for a patent on Oct. 3, 1950 and was awarded the patent on March 3, 1953. The drawing for Patent No.2,630,279 is shown below, cropped in two segments. It’s not known if Wilson ever offered the prototype for consideration to Bronson, or any other reel manufacturer.
This man must have been a very good fabricator to make that spool. The copper spool in the reel has alloy ends soldered in it. The material is OD green ( Military Olive Drab green), so he was probably using some war surplus material to build this prototype. The finished spool along side is machined out of a block of Aluminum, drilled out with an axle pressed in. Very interesting design.
Bronson “Green Hornet” No.2200, No.2200-N and No.2200LH
The Bronson No.2200 “Green Hornet” first appeared in the 1950 catalog, to meet the growing demand for lightweight tackle. Made of green anodized aluminum, with Duo-pawl level-wind, Lashless-style spool A-B-L tension knob on the tail plate and a pillared foot. These would sell up until about 1960, housed in the black Bronson box shown in the first photo.
The No.2200N was the narrow spool version of the same reel. It was introduced in 1951 and would only sell through 1953. These are a tough find for the collector and should be considered scarce. A narrow spool example can be seen in the last three photos, courtesy of Daryl Rodenberger.
The No.2200LH is the rare left-handed version of the No.2200. These are virtually never seen. Like the narrow spool version above, it would only sell through 1953. Unlike the narrow spool version, which was marked with an “N” on the face plate, the left- hand variety is marked like the regular model. The beautiful left-handed example shown in photos #6 and #7 are courtesy of Scott Truex.
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