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Index Of Reel Makers: M-Z

Index Of Reel Makers: M-Z

This page lists reel maker names alphabetically, along with a brief history and a few pictures of the different reels they made. We are always looking to add information and pictures. Contact the ORCA Webmaster if you have something to add.

M

MAGIC FISHING REEL COMPANY,

MAGIC FISHING REEL COMPANY,

MALLESON, FREDERIC,

MALLESON, FREDERIC, (Brooklyn, NY)  was a mfg. from 1881 to ?. Also see Conroy, Bissett & Malleson (above). Photo Courtesy of Jim Schottenham
 
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MALLOCH,

MALLOCH,

MANSFIELD, G. H. & CO.,

MANSFIELD, G. H. & CO.,

MAR-VEL,

MAR-VEL,
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MARC REEL

The MARC REEL, Indiana style reel was made by B & H TOOL CO, listed above. It is also listed under MARC here because the connection to B&H is not common knowledge.
 
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MARHOFF REEL COMPANY

Collector’s Guide to Marhoff Reels.

MARTIN REELS, INC

MARTIN REELS, INC (Mohawk, NY) Fly-Wate reel. Herman W. Martin, the story goes, lost a huge bass in the late 1881 because his slack line got  tangled on his feet and an oar. The experience motivated the watchmaker to make a reel that would solve that problem. His first creation was heavy and bolted right to the rod. The line was controlled by tension created by a winding gear. Once wound, a long lever would throw off the tension and the line would be retrieved. to overcome the clumsiness of the 3-pound reel, but despite a horrible fire, a second, and third version by 1890 spurred the kind of fly reel similar to those automatics of today. In the early 1900’s, there was even a large trolling automatic that could retrieve 150 feet of like with one winding. There was even a way to lock out the spring lever and pay out line. For more information, see ORCA Reel News back issue Fall of 1998. Images courtesy of Paul Manuel.
 
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MCVICKAR & SON

McVICKAR & SON, Tuxedo, New York, this company was the maker of the Bushkill trout reel sold through Abercombie & Fitch just after WWII. The company once partnered with the talents of Jim Payne.

MEDLEY, Granville

Medley’s 20th Century Kentucky Reel was made in Grace, KY around 1904

MEEK & MILAM

Meek & Milam of Frankfort, KY were manufacturers from 1852 to 1881.
Image of Meek & Milam No. 3 (dot), Frankfort, KY with 12 o’clock unbalanced handle, ivory grasp, possibly coin silver option, courtesy of Paul Manuel.
 
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MEEK, B.F.

Meek, B.F. of Louisville, KY was a manufacturer from 1883 to 1889.

MEEK, B.F. & SONS

Meek, B.F. & Sons of Louisville, KY was a manufacturer from 1889 to 1916.

MEEK, J.F. & B.F.

Meek, J.F. & B.F. of Frankfort, KY were manufacturers from 1839 to 1848.

MEISSELBACH,  A.F.

MEISSELBACH,  A.F.  A. F. Meisselbach, the son of German immigrants, designed his first fishing reel in 1885. At the tender age of 20 he received a patent on this reel and then convinced  A.G. Spalding & Bros. to sell the reel for him. This reel was a simple single action reel, that we call the Amateur. Demand was brisk, and “Gus” soon convinced his brother, William, to go into the business with him and their Newark, NJ garage was soon humming with machine work. In 1888 they expanded their line rapidly and moved into a larger machine shop. That year they added the Expert Reel, the Universal Rod Holder and their famous line of Spring Bow nets.

In 1896 more innovative reels were added to their inventory, with the Allright and the raised pillar Featherlight fly reels. At this time they also moved into a new three story factory. Sales boomed and soon A.F. Meisselbach & Bro. was one of the largest manufacturers of fishing reels in the country. However, the boom was yet to come. From the beginning, their products were of the finest quality, but very inexpensive. They were all aimed toward the average working man.

In the early 1900s, the Meisselbach brothers patented their most famous product, the Takapart reel and shortly thereafter its smaller brother, the Tripart reel. The initial Takaparts were called “Take-Apart” and were not the familiar tube frame reel that we usually think of when talking about Takaparts or Triparts.

A.F. Meisselbach & Brother finally incorporated in the state of New Jersey in 1906. Until this date they had not stamped their own name on any of the reels or accessories that they were selling. Many of the reels were stamped with model names or patent dates and these are the only identifying marks left to identify your early reels.  Sales boomed from 1900 to 1917. There were over 75 employees in their factory and their products were sold all over the U.S. and Europe. They were also in the general machining business and were one of the largest manufacturers of phonograph parts in the east.

In 1917, the A.F. Meisselbach & Bro. Corporation was sold to the Otto Heineman Phonograph Supply Co. of New York City. Heineman changed the name to A.F. Meisselbach Mfg. Co. and moved the company headquarters to NYC. Gus and William retired to the NJ coast and spent their time
surf fishing. William died in 1919, and Gus died in 1927 at 61 years of age.  Heineman trimmed the Meisselbach reel line to the basic models and in 1921 the reel tooling and production was moved to another factory in Elyria, Ohio. In 1925 the parent company name was changed to General Industries. Some collectible reels came from Ohio, most notably the Okeh series. However, the great depression of the 1930s brought about a lowering of quality and the great old reels of A.F. Meisselbach & Bro. disappeared from the lineup one by one.

With the advent of World War II, General Industries turned their production to war materials and all fishing reel production was stopped in 1941 and was not resumed after the war. This was the end of the Meisselbach name on quality fishing tackle. It was also the end of the name Meisselbach in the U.S. since Gus, married late in life, had no children. William was a life-long bachelor, so there were no descendants left to carry on the name.

[White, Phil.  2005.  “Meisselbach & Meisselbach-Catucci Fishing Reels – Their History and Values.“ Lakeshore Press, Nampa, Idaho]
Research and pictures provided by Roger Schulz with permission of the author.

  Below is a A.F. Meisselbach hard rubber Takapart,  a rod pillared Takapart with no number, a “Tripart” No.580  and a “Tripart” No.581,  next are two Meisselbach surf reels,  a 1911 and a 1912.  Next are some fly reels first is an Automatic fly reel,  the “Rainbow” No.627,  the “Featherlite” No.260,  next is a deep water trolling reel the Expert No.33 and the wooden “Good Luck”, these were made to be used as a casting or trolling reel for salt water.  The last four pictures represent the Meisselbach Neptune Reel.
 
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MEISSELBACH-CATUCCI  COROPORATION

MEISSELBACH-CATUCCI  COROPORATION  The Meisselbach-Catucci Corporation was founded in 1910 by A. F. Meisselbach and Pliny Catucci. Catucci, immigrated to the U.S. in 1890. Shortly after 1900 he went to work for the Meisselbach brothers and his talent was immediately recognized. He was a great inventor and held many of the patents on Meisselbach reels. He also held many patents for phonograph designs and parts.

The Meisselbach-Catucci Corporation was started to do the custom machine work business (mainly gear manufacturing) for the Meisselbach’s. The Meisselbach-Catucci Corporation also built and sold the Meisselbach-Catucci Gear Hobbing machine. This company was located in Newark, NJ in a building back to back with the A. F. Meisselbach& Bro. facility.  Meisselbach-Catucci was not engaged in reel manufacturing until after the sale of A. F. Meisselbach & Bro. to the Heineman Phonograph Supply Co. When A. F. Meisselbach Mfg. Co. was moved to Elyria, Ohio in 1921, Pliny Catucci decided the Meisselbach-Catucci gear cutting business would expand into fishing reel manufacturing. Many of the reelsmiths from the A.F. Meisselbach Co. went to work for Catucci.

In 1922, Catucci came out with a pair of casting reels, called “Symplopart” Reels; one a non level wind and the other a level wind reel. By 1924 his Stanton Street factory was making free spool and anti-backlash reels as well and in 1926 he added a line of Bakelite fly reels. All the Meisselbach-Catucci reels were well designed and machined.

By the late 1920s the Meisselbach-Catucci Reel Company was one of the major manufacturers of bait casting reels in the United States and
had a reputation for value and quality. The whole Catucci family was involved in the business, with Pliny’s sons William in charge of sales and Walter working in the factory. Disaster then struck in the form of the crash of ’29 and the resulting depression caught up to him. The reel manufacturing division of Meisselbach-Catucci was sold to the Bronson Reel Company, of Bronson, Michigan in 1931. Bronson continued to manufacture the full line of Meisselbach-Catucci reels with no changes. They even still had the Newark, NJ address on them. Some of the Bronson M-C fly reels are stamped “Mfd by Bronson Reel Co. since June 1931” on the foot. Otherwise, it is very difficult to distinguish a New Jersey reel from a Michigan reel.

The high quality bait casting reels became a casualty of the depression, and were dropped from Bronson catalogs in the mid ’30s. The fly reels lasted until World War II, and then were gone when Bronson returned to reel making following the war.

[White, Phil. 2005.  “Meisselbach & Meisselbach-Catucci Fishing Reels – Their History and Values.“ Lakeshore Press, Nampa, Idaho]
Reel pictures and research provided by Roger Schulz with permission of the author.

  First fly reel below is a Meisselbach “Symploreel” The Trout No.370,  next is The Trout No.370 wide spool,  The Salmon No.374 and The Superlite No.1000,  next casting reels are the “Symplopart” No.252,  and the Symploreel No.252,  first of the 4 hard rubbered casting reels is the No.752, the No.750,  then the No.552  and the No.500.  Last picture of the 4 reels together are Symploreel No.752 100yd. size,   the No.750,  the No.552 and the No.550.
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MEPPS

MEPPS,

MEYER, LOU

MEYER, LOU,

MILAM, B.C.

Milam, B.C. ( Frankfort, KY)   1839-1940.
Images: B.C. Milam No. 3 (dot), Frankfort, KY, solid nickel silver with 6’clock unbalanced handle, ivory grasp and tail-plate inscribed 1885; B.C. Milam No. 4 with 12 o’clock balanced crank and ivory grasp, courtesy Paul Manuel  
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MILAM, B. C. & SON

MILAM, B. C. & Son ( Frankfort, KY) He was a manufacturer or Kentucky reels from 1890 to 1928.  Photo of #5 with 12:00 handle and box courtesy of Brian Perrone.
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MILLARD BROS. LTD.

MILLARD BROS. LTD. (MOTHERWELL, LANARKSHIRE, LONDON)

MILWARD

MILWARD,

MITCHELL

MITCHELL, with permission from Wallace Carney of the Mitchell Museum,  www.mitchellreelmuseum.com

Mitchell Fishing Reel History
From the origins of Mitchell in the Arve Valley of France, through its formative years in 1939, to its launch in 1942 and meteoric rise for “30 Glorious Years”, to its place today in 2013 as one of the greatest fishing reels ever made! This is the story of how it all happened beginning in Arve Valley, Cluses, France in the year 1310.
From 1310 to 1937
Snuggled in the Arve Valley by the French Alps is a city named Cluses in eastern France, the birthplace of “The Mitchell” spinning reel. The French word “cluse” means a gap between mountains. This narrow gap is where the birth home is. The city was formed in 1310 when Baron Hugues de Faucigny Clusiens granted a Charter of Franchises, an act of empowerment that sets the municipal borders, the rights of Clusiens, and created
the first form of governing elected officials.
In the early 18th Century an economic adventure began in Cluses when a man from the valley named Ballaloud first introduced watch making to Clusiens. He learned the art of watch making in Germany and started making many variations thus creating many jobs.
Throughout the century, the watch making industry increased. In 1848, the Piedmont government created a school in Cluses for Royal watches called Ecole Nationale d’Horlogerie de Cluses (Cluses National School of Watchmaking) that quickly became the center for teaching the clock making art. In the mid-1930s, Charles Pons, now owner and CEO of Carpano & Pons employed Maurice Jacquemin, a top graduate from the French National Mechanics College in Paris France.
During this same time, a fishing tackle company called La Canne à Pêche located in Angers, France started developing a reel they named after their own company called the C.A.P. They contracted Carpano & Pons for further development. Maurice had helped Mr. Pons with this reel but at the same time he worked on another  reel.
Maurice, now chief engineer, believed the could produce a reel that was not just a simple container to hold fishing line, but a precision tool that would cast at a greater distance with precision and be able to recover the fishing line without tangling. After years of research and development, the Mitchell spinning reel was born, a marked departure from the reels of its day in mechanics and appearance.
The revolutionary design incorporated special gearing and a longer axle to accommodate a wider spool between plates. In other words, the reel was designed around the spool. Due to the axle length required for the spool, the classic elongated “egg-shape” body was designed. The oscillation had to be increased by about 30% and extreme level-wind gearing was used. This reel was named after Maurice Jacquimin’s son Michel but French law prohibited proper names to be used as product brand names thus the “Anglicized” name Mitchell.
From 1937 to 1962  Carpan & Pons began production of the C.A.P reel in 1937 and by 1939 both reels were in test run production now called first versions but in fact; they were pilot or test reels. In 1942 the first Mitchell second versions were produced
for sale in France with several minor design changes up to 1946. The Mitchell third version started in 1946 and due to the forthcoming success, clock making was gradually lost and then completely disappears behind this new industry.  Export was quickly put in motion in 1946 by Jules Gumprich, owner of Impecco, Paris, an established import/export company with close ties to Carpano & Pons and La
Canne à Pêche and his brother Otto Gumprich, owner of Charles Garcia & Company in America. Otto and Jules had been working together starting in 1937, selling large quantities of Silkworm Gut. Demand was high since the varieties used for surgery and for leaders came in various lengths and diameters. Fishing lines of various sorts were also imported including the special double tapers for fly-fishing and the common braided lines, which were the only ones available for fishing reels at the time.
Other imports included various raw materials such as Lamb Gut for tennis and badminton rackets as well as for stronger sutures, Kapok and other natural fibers used for domestic wares such as mattresses, carpets and so on. Before the war, Jules had sent both reels to Otto with the suggestion they would be desirable products.
Initially the first Mitchell reels made and owned by Carpano & Pons were only made with the Mitchell name engraved but starting in the early 1950s the range grew with models covering both fresh and salt water of various sizes including the new Mitchell Salt Water, the Mitchell Otomatic and the Mitchell Rapid.
Carpano& Pons privately announces the first Mitchell “milestone” in 1955 by celebrating 10,000 crates of Mitchell reels being exported. Each crate contained 60 reels for a total of 600,000 reels!
It was then reported in The New York Times that “Mitchell reels were brought here shortly after WW2 by servicemen” and that “300,000 spinning reels came (imported) here in 1955, mostly Mitchell” and last but not least; “Garcia promoted this reel shortly after invention of mono-filament line”, a profound statement if you think about it!
Carpano & Pons again privately celebrates another Mitchell milestone in 1957 with the 1,000,000 Mitchell reel. This privacy was very well kept! Doug DeSimone, surviving son of Louis DeSimone, only revealed these reels in 2007, 50 years later
By 1958 the Mitchell 300, Mitchell 302 (Salt Water), Mitchell 304 (round body), Mitchell 306 (intermediate), Mitchell 308 (ultra-light),
Mitchell 330 (auto-bail) and the Mitchell 350 (high-speed) series reels were being marketed worldwide. Many other models evolved throughout the years from these original seven, too numerous to mention.
From 1962 to 1978  1962 marked the time of 5,000,000 Mitchell reels being made. In 1966 Mitchell privately celebrated 10,000,000 Mitchell reels sold. The 1966 10-Millionth Medallion shown was presented to Robert Lenk, VP of The Garcia Corporation for his valued
contributions to Mitchell. Bob was Tom Lenk’s Brother.
By 1968 Mitchell was now producing several new models including the big game fishing reel series that had been in R&D for several years. At the time it was as if nothing could stop the Mitchell brand. Every angling schoolboy aspired to owning a Mitchell, every match angler certainly had at least one and many had more!
The sterling silver Mitchell 300 shown was presented to a few top National Agents to commemorate the worldwide sale of 20 million Mitchell reels. The other commemorative reel is referred to as the Mitchell 410 20-Millionth Global and was also presented to a select few top executives.
In a 1971 press release it’s reported by Carpano & Pons that out of 83 counties importing Mitchell reels, The Garcia Corporation was importing 65% of all exports. “Each week, 25 tons of reels are dispatched from Cluses bound for the American fishermen.” This article also states they were currently making 10,000 Mitchell reels per day with 15% of these being sold in France. The 83 countries were selling to over 5,600 retailers.
The Garcia Corporation was a dominant and revolutionary force in the fishing tackle market and purchased “Mitchell” from Carpano & Pons on June 17, 1974. To celebrate this occasion a very special Garcia Mitchell 300DL was made in France and presented to a few top executives. Suffering from over diversification, in 1977 Garcia had to sell the majority stock in “Mitchell” back to Ets Carpano &
Pons and the primary focus was placed back on selling Mitchell fishing reels but it was too late. On August 10, 1978 The Garcia Corporation declared bankruptcy and closed forever.
From 1978 to 1990
Starting in 1978, Carpano & Pons and Impecco had been meeting with various tackle companies to find another North American distributor for Mitchell. This included Browning and many other interested tackle companies including Garcia Tackle, Garcia Canada and Zebco but by 1980, exclusive distribution rights was awarded to Browning. Abu Sweden purchased the Garcia Tackle (USA) assets and most important, the Garcia
name. Distribution of all Abu products in North America moved to Fairfield, New Jersey under Abu’s new name, Abu Garcia, Inc.
Mitchell, a separate company owned by Carpano & Pons, continued suffering from the tremendous financial losses from Garcia’s bankruptcy. This along with the loss of Garcia’s perfected marketing skills, service and pipeline and many other factors led to bankruptcy in 1981. Mitchell was reestablished as Mitchell Sports, a solely owned and operated company who would eventually become the sole distributor of Mitchell reels worldwide.
The French assembly plants started closing in 1988 and though a few good reels like the Mitchell 300 PRO 45th anniversary reel were still assembled in France, most parts were sent to Thailand for assembly. The engineering quality, for which Mitchell, France was famous, and the quality of their Mitchell reels has never been surpassed. They built many millions of reels and there has never been a range of any other major item of fishing tackle, be it rods, reels, lines, that has achieved anything like the same quantity for a single brand and producer. In 1990 the Mitchell “company” closed its doors in France forever. After that and until this day, Mitchell is just a great brand name.
From 1990 to Present Day In 1990 Johnson Worldwide Associates (JWA), a successful company well known for their Johnson line of fishing reels and other tackle purchased Mitchell Sports. At this time they claimed over 30-million Mitchell 300 fishing reels alone had been sold!
In 2000 Pure Fishing purchased the Mitchell brand as part of their JWA fishing products acquisition. Pure Fishing with locations worldwide still owns the Mitchell brand name but has also acquired many other famous fishing tackle brands including Abu Garcia, Penn, Shakespeare and many others. Pure Fishing, Inc. is a subsidiary of the mighty Jarden Corporation, headquartered in Rye, NY.
Wallace Carney – Le bénéficiaire du prêt – on record Archives municipales de Cluses
With Special Thanks To: Florence POIRIER – History of Cluses – Archives municipales de Cluses – August 24, 2000 Groupe Carpano & Pons – 1893 ~ 1993 100 ans d’Aventure Industrielle, d’Eau et d’Electricite Doug DeSimone ~ JP Gumprich ~ Barrie Welham ~ Mike Read
~ Dr. Todd Larson  Research by Wallace Carney.

MONTAGUE

MONTAGUE,   also known as Monty for short.  One of the major reel manufacturers in the  U.S. However, most of their products do not bear their name. Montague was mainly a manufacturer of “generic reels” for large and small retailers.   Montague City Reel Company was located in Brooklyn New York  while Montague Rod &Reel Company Headquarters were located in Montague City, Massachusetts.  Most reel collectors are aware that there are a great many “generic” fishing reels seen on the internet auction eBay and on show tables. These reels were usually catalogued with some esoteric name by the large tackle houses. They varied in quality, price and name, but when viewed by collectors today the usual identification seems to be “MONTAGUE”.
The birth of Montague started in 1881 when Leander L. and Eugene Bartlett bought out the J. G. Ward fishing rod business in Amherst, Massachusetts. In 1882 the Bartlett’s opened a factory in Montague City, Massachusetts to make split bamboo rods. By 1885 they added two stories to the Montague City factory and were incorporated as the Montague City Rod Company.
In 1891 further expansion took place as Montague purchased the Chubb Fishing Rod Company of Post Falls, Vermont, which they operated until the 1930’s. In May of 1899 an agreement was reached between the Montague City Rod Company and Frederick Malleson whereby Montague purchased the Brooklyn, NY factory of Malleson/Conroy/The U.S. Net & Twine Company (take your pick – the exact details seem to depend upon which author you read), at 163 Grand Avenue.
In 1927 the company name was changed to Montague Rod and Reel Company. At this time some of the reel making machinery was moved from Brooklyn to the Montague City, Massachusetts factory. This historic fishing tackle
company came to an end in 1934 when Montague was purchased by the Ocean City Manufacturing Company, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Montague City factory continued to produce fishing rods, but all reels were produced in Philadelphia.
In 1955 the name was officially changed to Montague-Ocean City Rod and Reel Co.
Montague manufactured reels of all types and price ranges. Apparently, with a minimum order, you could have reels stamped with just about any name you wanted.  Montague “generic” reels were sold by many of the most prestigious tackle houses  – Edward vom Hofe,  Abercrombie & Fitch,  V. L. & A.,  Abbey & Imbrie,  and so on.
Montague made them all from “Gayle Style” raised gear cover Kentucky reels in German silver, to hard rubber and German silver fly reels that are often thought to be the product of one of the vom Hofe brothers.
Their hard rubber and German  silver surf reels are often marked with the Edw. vom Hofe shop name and these are fine looking reels. This great variety of names, quality and types of reels is what makes the study of Montague reels most confusing, but very interesting.   By Phil White. For more information see “Montague Generic Reels,” by Phill White, Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4, Reel News issues Fall and Winter of 1997 and Spring and Summer of 1998.Pictures of the Jupiter are courtesy of Don Champion.
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Pictured below is the Montague Manitou reel.  Phil White calls these reels the end of a day reel using up whatever mixtures that they had been working with that day. What a beautiful Irish green reel.
Pictures are courtesy of Ed Prichard, http://www.antiquefishingreels.com/
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MOSCROP

J.B. MOSCROP, Manchester England. J.B. Moscrop patented a “U” clip release spring in this screwless, caged, fly-reel design that also features a raised tension adjuster near the center of the drum face. Pictured below is what is believed to be a genuine specimen. Knock-offs and fantasy reels marked Moscrop(s) are known to exist. The way that the name has been carefully but imperfectly sand-cast into the bottom of the foot is a good sign. The moderately complex mechanism in excellent working condition and the quality of grasp material are other clues to authenticity.  Caveat Emptor! Images and information courtesy Paul Manuel.
 
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MURA APPLETON CO.

MURA APPLETON CO.,   of Philadelphia, PA was a distributer from 1889 to ?. (Move to Distributor page)

MEYER, LOU COMPANY

MEYER, LOU COMPANY, (Kenosha, Wisconsin) Here’s a case where the reel is more recognizable than the company. The Flo-Line Universal Reel, also known by some as “the pencil sharpener reel,” was supposed to be both baitcasting and spinning.  The reel had a base latch allowing the reel to pivot 90 degrees for casting like a spinning reel and return the position then for retrieval. In the retrieval position, it can be used as a baitcaster. The swivelling feature could also be used to make the reel usable left or right-handed. A drag wheel was also present under the handle. One can see now why the moniker “universal” came from. (For more information, see Reel News back issue Spring of 1999.)

MORRITT, K.P. LTD.

MORRITT, K.P. LTD. (England) This company made the Intrepid Sea Streak sold by South Bend from 1969 to 1972.  The light weight, ball bearing reel did have some unusual features that allowed for casting or trolling, and was mostly designed for big water. The cast control worked well, the free spool rim button automatically engaged, and a 4-way star-type wheel allowed four combinations of click and free spool. Unlike most larger trolling reels, it was made for backlash free casting with its “Thumatic” automatic centrifugal thumb control. At $50 it wasn’t going to be a hit for long. (For more information, see ORCA Reel News back issue Winter 2000, and article by Gary Quick.)

N

NATIONAL SPECIALTIES

NATIONAL SPECIALTIES (Fort Wayne, Indiana) Makers of the Indiana-style reel named the Adjustable. Picture courtesy of Brian Purrone.
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NEOCASTER

NEOCASTER

NORRIS

NORRIS,

O

OAKWOOD PRECISION GRINDING CO.

OAKWOOD PRECISION GRINDING CO. (Detroit) Makers of the Walter E. Shatz Industries Inc. reels, (Chicago). One model, the G118, has an Anti-backlash device that utilizes a bail that externally slows the spool when the line goes slack. In the box came a yellow reel bag, an extra bail, and an extra lever wind gear with the line guid, pawl and pawl cover assembled. It was one of their “4 Star” reels. There were models made without the ABL bail also.

OCEAN CITY

OCEAN CITY,  (Philadelphia) Moskowitz and Herbach advertised an Ocean City 250 yards Free Spool surf casting reel made from the best German Silver and hard rubber discs for $10 in 1922.  The address was 512 Market Street, Philadelphia. Moskowitz and Herbach, manufacturers of Ocean City reels and Sturdibilt Products Co. of Newark New Jersey,  manufacturers of the Wanita and the E-Z-2-Part reels,  consolidated in late 1923.
By 1926 they had moved to 1341-47 Noble Street, Philadelphia, and were producing additional models such as the Striker, Angler’s Pal, Dover Club, Solite and Hermos  which was a Meisselbach design bought when the Newark NJ factory closed. They now have Saltwater, Freshwater and Fly reels. In 1929 the Orlando 6/0 was advertised as the finest reel of its kind and guaranteed forever. The 1930s range of reels expanded rapidly from year to year.  Late 1934 early ’35 Ocean City bought the Montague Rod and Reel Co. leaving the rod making at the Montague City address and making all reels at the Philadelphia address. Ocean City had their Orlando, Long Key and then the Balboa in ’35 with the Panama in ’37.
In 1939 Ocean City took over Vom Hofe and Co., Inc. and in the 1941 Catalog OC announce the new ownership and  continuation of  Edward Vom Hofe reels and accessories using the same famous designers and skilled mechanics. The making of Vom Hofe reels finished in 1950.
In 1955 the Montague City rod making business changes name to Montague-Ocean City Rod and Reel Company. True Temper took over the Ocean City Co. which finished making reels in 1968.  Research by Ray Hodges. To view more Ocean City Reels visit our section within this website, by clicking here “Ocean City Reels” Reels pictured below of the first OC reel, the 450 yd. Long Key and the 14/0 EVH are courtesy of Ray Hodges,  the picture of an Orlando 6/0 is courtesy of Ed Miller and the picture of the OC Big Game No.612 with the factory hand brace is courtesy of Mike Cacioppo.You may click on the pictures to enlarge them!
 
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OHAVER & O’BANNON

Ohaver & O’Bannon, Indianapolis, IN were manufacturers from 1882 until 1887 (See American Reel Co.) was formerly Terry Clock Co.

OHIO TOOL CO (OTCO)

OHIO TOOL CO (OTCO),  This company made the Ashaway Slip-cast reel, an unusual open faced spinning reel that was used on top of the rod. It It was reportedly situated on the top because Americans were slow at picking up on the spinning reel popularity in Europe where reels hung underneath. The Slip-cast has been called the “missing link” between baitcast and spinning. The reel design is credited to Charles Ritz (of the hotel dynasty) and Paul Mauborgne (inventor of the French Luxor spinning reel). When the reel was presented to Julian Crandell of Ashaway Line and Twine Mfg. in Rhode Island, a separate company was set up to avoid some unspecified patent problems. The company was called Ashaway, Inc.  for marketing the reel. In 1947, the Ohio Tool Co (OTCO) of Cleveland, Ohio, was contracted to manufacture the reel and received permission to sell the Slip-Cast as well.  It was presented to buyers finally in 1948. The reel in its two sizes that went into production in 1947. Both had a unique thumb lever that held the line before the cast. The reel did meet with some success, but when OTCO ran into financial problems productions ceased, and it appears there were no new takers for manufacturing job. (For more information, see Ed Corwin’s Spring, 1998, back issue of ORCA’s Reel News from which most of this information has come.)

OK MACHINE COMPANY

OK MACHINE COMPANY

OLYMPIC

OLYMPIC,  a very large reel maker in Japan that made their brand and many trade reels.

OUTDOOR PRODUCTS

OUTDOOR PRODUCTS,  casting reel, they made others will post when we find them,  a division Quaker City Gear Works Philadelphia, PA. Pictures are courtesy of Arne Soland.
 
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P

P & K INC.

P & K Inc. (Retreevit fly reels)

PECK & SNYDER

PECK & SNYDER,   (Nassau, NY) Andrew Peck and Irving Snyder started the company Peck and Snyder Sporting Goods Company in 1866. It is not certain as to whether they were actually a reel maker or a seller of trade reels marked with their name. There is no connection between Peck & Snyder and George Snyder.
 
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PEETZ

PEETZ, (now Peetz Outdoors Limited), Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Boris Cecil Peetz made his first Peetz style reel in 1924. The business started in 1925 and the current successor company continues to sell fishing tackle including these classic reels. Generally Peetz reels are thought of as  wooden trolling/mooching reels (with brass fixtures) although there have been models with special features such as a rare early reel with an extension handle and one with an integrated line counter. They also sold several metal models 1980-2000 (coated brass, nickel-plated and stainless). The earlier of the metal reels are hard to find in excellent condition. Peetz currently sells smaller diameter reels of similar style for fly fishing. In more recent times Peetz has offered clocks in the form of the wooden reels and today they offer several decorative versions and even old Peetz reel refurbishment services. Refer to the Peetz Outdoors website. Images show a model from the late 1970’s, featuring square-holed Robinson screw heads on the grasp mounting plates. Information and pictures courtesy Paul Manuel.
 
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PEKIN

PEKIN,

PENN REEL CO.

PENN REEL CO.  It all started in 1922, a German immigrant named Otto Henze boarded a ship in Hamburg, Germany. He paid his fare by working the voyage and soon arrived in the Port of New York. Mr. Henze was only 23 years old but he had some engineering education. In a short time, he traveled to Philadelphia where he was hired by the Ocean City Manufacturing Company, where he spent approximately seven to eight years learning the trade of saltwater fishing reel making.
Around 1930, Otto Henze left Ocean City and begun to develop his own fishing reels. By 1932, working from home, Mr. Henze had two designs ready for Patent submission. He hired a lawyer who submitted the patents and he and his business partner, a Mr. George Hunt, started investing their money to build enough production prototypes to sell and distribute on the East and West Coast of the USA. These two reels were given simple model names; one reel was named the Model F and the other the Model K being made in two configurations (FIGURE 1 see below), one with a star drag system and one without. For information on the Spinfisher series, see ORCA Reel News back issue Fall of 1998. You may click on the pictures to enlarge.
 
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In my opinion, there are certain key factors in the success of Mr. Henze’s product. His reels were ergonomic, dependable, simple to work on and most importantly, very affordable. The year that Otto Henze introduced his first reels was one of the worst years of the Depression. Starting a new business at that time was a very risky thing to do but Otto Henze had the right combination.
During the 1932 production run, over 2000 Model F & K reels were built and distributed all over the USA’s East and West Coasts.  The progression of the business was immediate and in 1933, a simple brochure  FIGURE 2 & 3 see above) was printed, four reels were offered for sale and the Penn Fishing Tackle Manufacturing Company was born. The Model F became the 1933 Sea Hawk (FIGURE 4 see below) and the two Model K’s became the Long Beach (FIGURE 5) and the Bay Side (FIGURE 6). The fourth reel in the brochure, the Sea King was never manufactured; a reel named the Sea Ford (FIGURE 7) was introduced late in the production year of 1933 to take the place of the Sea King.
This is how it all began, working from home in 1930 to a world class corporation today, The Penn Reel Fishing Tackle Manufacturing Company has kept a steady progression of supplying fine fishing tackle to its customers at affordable prices for over 80 years and counting.
Research and pictures are courtesy of Mike Cacioppo.  Additional Spinning Reel picture courtesy of Jim Madden.
 
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PEREZ

PEREZ, Great Neck, NY. Perez brochure and the box insert for the Perez #1 reel, contributed by Mr. Ed Felton.
 
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PERRINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

PERRINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

PETTENGILL

PETTENGILL.  Albert N. Pettengill (1837-1903) from Ilion, NY applied for a patent on August 3rd, 1885, and was granted patent #361,890 on  April 26th, 1887 for his “Improvements in Reels for Fishing Rods”. His  invention, primarily formed from a disk of sheet brass and drawn up to form a rim or band, featured a perforated cylinder that formed the  spool. Pettengill’s reel was intended to be convertible from a side mount  to a top mount reel by way of an additional mount (reel seat) that would be  secured by a screw and a pin – the pin to prevent the foot from rotating on the  screw – that would attach either on the underside of the reel or on the rim  (band) to form a top mount. Photo Courtesy of Jim Schottenham

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PEZON ET MICHEL

PEZON ET MICHEL,

PFLUEGER

PFLUEGER, see Enterprise  Manufacturing Company. The Enterprise Manufacturing Company, Akron, Ohio,. It is generally accepted that this famous name in fishing reel manufacturing  had its beginnings in 1881 when once grocer, then harness maker, E.F. Pflueger formed a company apparently first named Enterprise Works, being so listed in the 1883 Akron Directory. The same year he started his company he purchased the American Fishhook Company and subsequently claimed its date of origin, 1864, as that of his own company. He  incorporated his business in 1886 as the Enterprise Manufacturing Company. With  the exception of  a simple wooden device that doubled as a line dryer Mr. Pflueger had patented  in 1896, Enterprise did not manufacture reels until at least 1900. The earliest reference to reels offered by  them is 1902. Most of those early models bore the Pflueger name which had became trademarked by 1908. By 1914 reels were offered by Enterprise under three trademarks: Pflueger Bulldog, Four Brothers  (named for the four sons of E. F. Pflueger), and Portage, a trademark previously used by one of those brothers, E.A. Pflueger and used by him during a brief period beginning in 1906 when he resigned from Enterprise and formed his own E.A. Pflueger Company. Enterprise remained a leader in reel  manufacturing into the 1960s, offering a great variety of models over the years,  ranging from tiny fly reels to large saltwater models, and including some of the most popular casting reels ever made. In 1965 the company name was changed to The Pflueger Corporation. The following year it was purchased by The Shakespeare Company. Pflueger reels are still manufactured by the Pflueger Sporting Goods Division of Shakespeare (Research by Phil White).  For a comprehensive list of Pflueger reels (“From Adams to Worth”) including models numbers, name, year range, and characteristics, see Reel News back issue Winter of 1997.   First four Photo’s courtesy of Jim Madden.  Photo’s 5 & 6, Pflueger Sea King (Pictures courtesy of Brian Purrone).
 
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PHILBROOK & PAINE

Photo Courtesy of Lang’s
 

 

PORTOLA,

PORTOLA,

PRECISION, WARDS

PRECISION, WARDS,    as in Wards Precision,  pre dates the Sport King brand.  Starting around 1935 to 1940?

PRECISIONBILT

PRECISIONBILT,   a reel maker in Hollydale, CA they made 5 different reels, some having the see-thru-plastic side plates in the 1950s,  The Mosquito and the Silver Moth were both fly reels,  the Marquette Mod. Mar 100, a 100 yd. reel made of the see thru plastic and stainless steel.
Also two salt water reels the Ensanada Mod.ER ( ER meaning Ensanada  reel) and the Key West Mod.KWR (KWR meaning Key West reel).

PREMAX

PREMAX

Q

QUAKER CITY GEAR WORKS

QUAKER CITY GEAR WORKS, Maker of Outdoor Products, Philadelpia, PA. Known for its Castomatic reels.

QUICK

QUICK (See D.A.M.)

R

RAMODA TOOL & MANUFACTURING COMPANY

RAMODA TOOL & MANUFACTURING COMPANY – (Detroit) Model 50 and 200. (Pictures courtesy of Jon Kring)
 
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RANGER REEL COMPANY,

RANGER REEL COMPANY,   (Rockford, Michigan – 1947) Dr. Todd Larson has a good article with pictures about the Ranger Reel Company:
http://fishinghistory.blogspot.com/2007/09/origins-of-ranger-prizewinning-reels.html

RAVENNA METAL PRODUCTS

RAVENNA METAL PRODUCTS (Reel Works) Seattle, Washington.  Makers of the Keen Kaster, an aluminum reel resembling an Indiana reel but more commonly used for mooching in the 1950’s. The reels came in natural aluminum or in shades of copper colors.

READ, WILLIAM

READ, WILLIAM,

RECORD

RECORD, early Swedish reel maker, early 1940’s to 1970’s. Refer to the Record page on the Real’s Reels website of ORCA member Wayne Real. http://www.realsreels.com/reels/record/

REDIFOR ROD AND REEL CO.

REDIFOR ROD and REEL Co. was a manufacturer located in Warren, OH. The reels were creations of two gentlemen responsible for numerous patents. George Upton and Benjamin Flegel started the company circa 1908. The first reel was the Flegel Self-Thumbing Reel, but by 1910 there were five reels listed in ads including a couple of fly reels. Redifor Rod and Reel Co. was eventually bought out by Pflueger. In 1914, the famous Redifor Beetzsel was also found in ads. Some believe the reel was made by Shakespeare and eventually the rights were turned over to the company. The Beetzel first appeared in the Shakespeare 1925 catalog. other baitcasters include a free spool models and a couple of tournament models with unusual spool systems. One side of the divided spool held the line and the other was used for thumbing. An add-on level wind device called the Flegel Redifor Spooler was sold early in company history as well. For more information, see Frank Stewart’s article in the Reels News, back issue Spring1998.  Picture below courtesy of Brian Purrone – Redifor Beetzel with correct box and leather case

 

 

REV-O-NOC

REV-O-NOC,   maker’s name spelled back wards as in Conover.

RIDER

RIDER,

RIFLE REEL

RIFLE REEL, a combo rod and reel together

RINEHART

RINEHART,

RITTER, G.

RITTER, G. a New York wooden reel.

ROCHESTER, REEL CO.

ROCHESTER, REEL Co., NY The company was created when the the Carlton Manufacturing Company was reorganized by Harvey Carlton in 1908. Rochester was bought by H.J. Frost & Co. soon after. Frost was a company which continued with Rochester designs and spinoffs. In 1923 they were bought out by Horrocks-Ibbotson. Rochester Reel Co. of Rochester, NY may have been a manufacturer from 1908 until 1923. It’s just not certain whether the company actually produced the reels or not. Andrew Wollensak, a famous Rochester, New York, lens and photography inventor, patented In 1910 the rotating click and drag system used in the Rochester multiplying reels and the unique spool construction used on Rochester fly reels. At this time it is not known if Wollensak was involved in production of the Rochester fishing reels, but it is presumed that he was involved in designing them after the reorganization of Carlton Manufacturing Company into the Rochester Reel Company of Rochester, N.Y. The Frost address in New York was the same as that of Rochester suggesting that Rochester may have been a company in name only. Many signs point to a partnership with A.F. Meisselbach & Co. as well as a few others concerning the Rochester/Frost products. Some of the reels found in the Frost catalog were the Frostco, the New Gem, the Improved Ocean King, and the 7 Multiple. For detailed information see ORCA back issues Fall and Winter 1998 and Spring 1999.

RODDY

RODDY,  a Japanese reel maker,  made several different reels and trade reels.

ROMADA TOOL AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY

ROMADA Tool and Manufacturing Company

RONCO

RONCO,  Ron Popeil invented the famous Popeil Pocket Fisherman, a compact, integrated plastic rod and reel, sold via infomercials on television.

ROGUE

ROGUE,  made several fly reels.

RU

RU,  French manufacturer. Numerous models of spinning reels made 1939-1985. Refer to Wright’s Spinning Reel Reference and Value Guide, by Ben Wright.

S

SAGE, JOHN L.

Sage, John L.  of Lexington, KY was a manufacturer from 1842 until 1895.

SARACIONE MANUFACTURING COMPANY

SARACIONE MANUFACTURING COMPANY – Made in USA fly reels still available today.

SCHOENFELD-GUTTER

SCHOENFELD-GUTTER,  sold the Sea Gull reels.  Picture from Don C. (Move to Distributor page?)
 
 

 

 

SEAMASTER

SEAMASTER  (1955) The reel was designed and machined by Robert McChristian, Jr. and made one at a time.

SELLERS

SELLERS FLY CASTING “BAS-KIT” Reel,  a great depression era sidemount fly reel, this reel was patented by Dr. Elmer Sellers [see above] on Feb. 13, 1934. According to reel historian Steve Vernon, Sellers apparently produced the reels himself in a back room of his drug store. The Bas-Kit reel was a modernized version and a casual look alike, of the Billinghurst but came along 75 years after the original. It was manufactured in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. The reel is rare since all reels were apparently hand made and only a very limited number were produced.
 

 
 

 

SHAKESPEARE

SHAKESPEARE,  this major fishing tackle manufacturer origin in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1896 when William Shakespeare Jr. designed a level winding reel. Shakespeare Kalamazoo, Michigan. The name Shakespeare has been at the forefront of fishing reels before the turn of the century. It seems to all have started when a young William Shakespeare Jr. was frustrated with the modern fishing equipment of the time (late 1800s) and sought a better way than to wind the line back on the reel than with the use of his thumb.  From his personal notes of 6/24/34, he stated, “While seated on the edge of my bed, I was engaged in pulling off a sock. It was then that I visualized the principle of a reel that would rewind the line evenly that I later developed”. He also added that “It seems senseless to mention the sock but very likely men who call themselves psychologists would say that it was important.” This was the  reasoning behind his first production reel.
Around 1890, a young William Shakespeare was employed at the Garrett & Lowe Kalamazoo Shutter Co. His ability in design and mechanical knowledge was immediately apparent, but after a few years the company folded.  No unemployed, Shakespeare acquired a jewelers lathe and started experimenting with his new reel design. .
To help finance his venture into reel making, William Jr. went to work for a Dr. Yonkerkman as a silent partner in the “Yonkerman’s Consumption Remedy Co.” William took over the third floor of Yonkerman’s building to further his endeavors into reels. The company folded in 1916 when it was discovered that the  Doctor Yonkerman was a licensed veterinarian. Being a silent partner in this venture gave William Jr. the funds he needed to proceed with his reel development in his early years.
His first successful level wind reel was built in 1896 and on Oct. 5, 1897 he was granted patent #591,086. With this patent in hand he started “The William Shakespeare Jr. Company” One of his first employees was Walter Marhoff who became his chief design engineer. Marhoff was the designer of the single screw level wind mechanism among other improvements. The first reel was the handmade style C followed by Style B in 1903 and Style A in 1904. They utilized a dual worm-drive level wind system eventually replaced by the Marhoff single system.
By 1904, business was booming. The William Shakespeare Jr. Co. was producing four different models of reels in nineteen different sizes. At this time the company moved from Water street to a location in the Traction building in Kalamazoo. On Nov. 18, 1905 the company  was incorporated in the state of Michigan. One of Williams best assets was the art of advertising.
The company continued to grow with the addition of more reel models, lures and other fishing  items.. In 1907, the company was upgraded with $30,000,00 of new ”Automatic” equipment. Finance-wise, these early years of reel production was only a break-even endeavor, while his venture into other tackle items and medicine business  helped turn a profit. By 1910, the company had one hundred employees with three salesmen on the road. At one point business was so good, the salesmen were  called off the road to prevent overselling. It was around this time that  Shakespeare started making items for other retailers, including Simmons Hardware and South Bend Bait Co. Sometime between 1905 and 1910 Shakespeare
received his  first large order from Simmons – for $11,000.00 worth of level wind reels.
In 1913, the company moved from the Traction building to a building at 417 North Pitcher Street. With the new space and new machinery the company was able to expand and hire more salesmen.
On September, 2, 1915 the company name was changed to the “Shakespeare Company” as they ventured into other products such as automobile parts, war goods etc. By 1916 the Shakespeare was producing twenty different reels and their catalogues contained numerous reels manufactured by other companies, plus many other types of fishing tackle. The company continued to grow with the addition of many products other than tackle items. On August 13, 1921, the Shakespeare Products Company was formed as a subsidiary, for the production of these other products
Production of fishing related products continued at a increasingly quick pace with introduction of new reels and a market for trade reels. An expansion program in 1922 gave the company $100,000.00 worth of new equipment and a chance  to better the quality of the reels they produced,
In 1922 Shakespeare started a profit sharing plan for it’s employees, An unknown idea to other manufactures of that era. Bonus checks ranged from $100.00  to $300.00 annually. Another novel idea was put into place where the salesmen  sold directly to the dealers, which cut out the jobbers and reduced the price of  reels to better compete with other reel makers. This also increased company profits.
During the great 1930 with the depression in progress,  From 1929 to 1932, the depression years, the company kept moving. They were able to keep their work force by cutting work hours to three or four a day and paying wages with shares of stock. In 1933 the company ventured into saltwater reels to compete with Penn, Ocean City and others. This line was not as successful as the freshwater line and disappeared by 1940.
In the early thirties, another company was formed to sell a somewhat cheaper line of reels for competitive purposes. This new company was named “The Kalamazoo Tackle Company”. Although the reels were made by Shakespeare and sold by their salesman the company address was listed as being at 241 East Kalamazoo Avenue. The KTC was also an outlet in which to sell trade reels to other outlets and thus not have reels marked as Shakespeare. It is my feeling that this was  also done to enable Shakespeare to uphold the motto, ‘Honor Sold, Honor Built’ and still sell a cheaper line of tackle.
In 1939, the cornerstone was laid for a new office building on Kalamazoo Avenue, which became known as the ‘Spearflex Building”. In that same year a  great breakthrough came with the introduction of the  “Wondereel“. This was promoted as a reel that anybody could cast and needed no thumbing. It became the  mainstay of the company for years. Production did stop on 7/31/1942 because of a  federal ruling that all non-essential metal items (except for war products) was  to cease. This ruling lasted until 1946 and the end of World War II. Even though  the production of new items was outlawed, assembly and sales of existing reels was still achieved.
After the end of the war, the Shakespeare line of reels was greatly reduced and their bait line was almost non-existence. By 1950, labor cost and union problems was the company’s biggest concern. In 1952, the first closed face spinning reel ,The #1850 was introduced. This was a big advancement into the product line for the company. Later, in 1959, the introduction of the #2081 and the #2091. launched them into the open faced market. They continued to produce and sell the top line of fishing equipment and offered repair services to the modern angler. By the middle sixties, Shakespeare was starting to spread out.
They had manufacturing facilities in Canada, Arkansas, South Carolina, Iowa, and Hong Kong, just to name a few. The company remained intact until 1979  when Anthony Industries purchased 35% of Shakespeare company stock but kept the
company name.
In 1996, Shakespeare got a new identity when it was purchased by ’K-2”, which is the current owner, with headquarters in Columbia, South Carolina.  Contributed by Harvey Garrison.   Pictures of the highly scrolled Criterion Deluxe and late model Perfect courtesy of Jim MaddenOther info “Kalamazoo, The Place Behind the Products”  “Kalamazoo Gazette” 1925 various catalogues,  Kalamazoo public library scrapbooks “Shakespeare Fishing Tackle,  100 years of Excellence in Fishing Tackle” author unknown “History of Shakespeare” Doug Steward.
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SHELDON

SHELDON,  they have a reel called Sheldon Reel Sport.

SHIPLEY, A. B. & SON

SHIPLEY, A. B. & SON, Shipley, A.B. & Son  Philadelphia, PA

SIERRA ANGLING EQUIPMENT

SIERRA ANGLING EQUIPMENT,  of Reno, NV. Manufacturers of a pivoting spinning/fly reel  in the 1960s. Images of Dragonfly reel combo and box papers courtesy of Doug Cornwall (via ORCA Facebook page).
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SIMPSON, P. J.

SIMPSON, P. J.   New York ball handle reel.

SLOTE, WILLIAM

SLOTE, WILLIAM.  Brooklyn NY 1871-1935

SMITH, ODGEN

SMITH, ODGEN,

SNYDER, GEORGE

SNYDER, GEORGE, (no company) George Snyder, a silversmith and watchmaker, is recognized as the originator of the first Kentucky reel and has been called “the father of reelmaking in America.”  He was arguable the first maker of the multiplying reel in the United States. An identifying mark on this handmade reel its “G.S.” in raised relief letters on the tailplate, but another reel has been found with a B.J.C. stamping likely referring to Brutus J. Clay, a descendant of a Snyder acquaintance. George moved from Pennsylvania to Paris, Kentucky, in the early 1800’s and became president of an angling club in 1810. He created his reels for friends and fellow anglers around 1815 but many most evidence points to dates in the 20’s and 30’s. Some were made of brass, but all were of the finest craftsmanship. His reels are considered historically the Holy Grail of fishing collectibles. To date the are five marked Snyder reels and a few unmarked ones that are similar in design.  One reel sold for $31,350 in 1997. (For specifics of known reels. (See ORCA Reel News back issue Spring, 1996, by Ray Carver and/or by Frank Stewart, New Year 2000.  Also see https://luresnreels.com/snyder.html  (Some research added from Mike Cacioppo.) Image courtesy Paul Manuel
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SNYDER, J. & C.

SNYDER, J. & C. (Paris, KY) They were manufacturers from about 1840 until 1849.
 
SPECIALITY MFG. CO.
SPECIALITY MFG. CO.  (PEKIN INDIAN REEL)
 
 

SPIRAL WIND FISH REEL CO.

SPIRAL WIND FISH REEL CO,  (Buffalo, N.Y.)  the idea with the flat shaped crank knobs was that they were suppose to help slow the spool down after casting to help prevent back-lashes.  These interesting reels were patented in 1934 by Hyla F. Maynes of N. Tonawanda, NY. They are noted for their unusual level wind mechanism, unusual crank knobs,  jewelled crank knob nut and tastefully decorated plates on their higher grade reels. These reels were manufactured from the mid-1930s until the World War II era. There were two different versions of the level wind. The earliest bar was round, but apparently the company found that a flat bar produced a more reliable  method of level spooling. There were four different models of reels produced,  which were all basically the same reel, varying in decoration and materials. The pictures show the four models in descending order,  with the highest  priced ($15 in 1936) to the lowest ($10 )  by Phil White
On Spiral Wind, there are more variations than most people realize.   Four names….Free, Tru, Long and Spot, but when you start adding in the color  variations, round or flat bar levelwind mechanism and with or without thumb  space there could be as many as 20 different.  Probably as an afterthought,  it appears whomever bought out the existing stock of parts ran out of the paddle  handles.  There are a bunch of Long Cast reels out there without the  patented handles and they all seem uniform and stock, as if sold that way.   Makes sense to use up the paddle handles on the more expensive models and  cheapen the cheapest reel (longcast) with the new, incorrect replacements.
On Hyla F. Maynes, more needs to be said.  He invented and has patents  for many things, before and after the Spiral Wind Reels.  His first  invention was a new, improved changeable gear for a bicycle March 25, 1902  (patent 696,349).  His last was a hypodermic syringe holder device patent  2,565,081 issued August 21, 1951, after his death.  His last several  patents were all medical related, possibly due to his own illness?  Over  the years, his patents ranged from transmission and gearing on bicycles, clothes  line devices, body muscle development devices, lantern, mechanical inscription  camera, fishing reels, etc., but much of that was funded by his 22 year  relationship with business partner, Harry A. Illions.  Their business was  building and designing amusement park rides including The Caterpillar, The Turtle, The Tumblebug, Magic Carpet, or Flying Carpet as well as others and many  of those patents are still being used in the modern day simulated Surf or  Surfboard rides at waterparks.  As a timeline, I believe the sale of his shares in the business with millions were the funds used to capitalize the Spiral  Wind Reel Company. The fact that many of his inventions are still in use and functioning as well as when they were new is testament to how advanced his ideas were.  At some point?? 1950’s-60’s,  Penn Mfg. started to make the Penn Leveline 350,  which in theory is a Spiral Wind reel on steroids. Research by Richard Thomann (aka “FishBugMan”)

BELOW IS A BREAK DOWN OF THE LESS EXPENSIVE VERSION SPIRAL WIND LONG CAST NO.1838,  DATE MARKED 1937,  ALONG WITH PATENT NUMBERS FROM USA,  ENGLAND AND CANADA.

 These reels are incredible to look at and the inner workings are just amazing. Notice in the pictures a small drive shaft that runs between the head plate and the tail plate that drives the cam gears in the tail plate.  The idea of the paddle shaped crank knobs is that they will slow the spool down from over running after casting to prevent backlashes!  The reels are normally very hard to find,  but the red and green are almost impossible to find!  We still have not seen the green one, not even a picture?  We have tried these reels and the LW mechanism does work!
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SQUARE STAMPING CO.

SQUARE STAMPING CO.   (New York, 1926) Makers of the Waltonian Casting Reel, a side mount. Waltonian  Patented by Gustaf A.Johnson on Jan.13th, 1931 (#1,789,178), this unusual Waltonian side-mount reel is  quite a bit different than the first reel patented by Mr. Johnson (#1,168,307)  in 1916¹. Johnson, a Swedish citizen living in Springfield MA, applied  for his patent on Nov. 4th, 1926, and it would appear based on all known  examples that he contracted the Square Stamping Company out of Barneveld NY,  just North of Utica in Upstate NY, to build his reels.  (Picture courtesy of J. S. and Lang’s and information courtesy of Jim Schottenham)  http://www.sidemountreels.com/waltonian.html
 
 
 

 SQUIRES BROTHERS INC.

 SQUIRES BROTHERS INC. Isle Royale is the model name. Made in Milford, Michigan, circa 1945. Isle Royale was their only model, available in red, green, gold and a rare one in blue. It was a very well built, hand made and machined… no rusting parts. No one knows anything about the company at all, strangely. The company must have folded before the reels made the shelves and the only ones out there must be of the first batch or prototypes. I would imagine them being worth much more than $50 each because these are quality, beauty and seemingly VERY rare!

“One of the flash-in the pan reel makers post war have only found one basic model but this varies with different anodized colors and some differences in handle knob materials,and changes in shape of level wind have boxes but have not seen any paperwork to date have a red[most common color], green and gold. In operation a few years then gone. Reels in working condition are fairly difficult to find.

“Rare ( only one I have ever seen in all my years of collecting reels) Isle Royale by Squires Brothers, Inc. Milford Mich. the reel looks like it has never been used. It is constructed of milled aluminum, even the handle grips, and appears to be a very good quality reel. it has a strong click and a drag/brake (knurled knob inside the handle). The head and tail plates are anodized in a very nice reddish maroon color.

“Only seen pic’s of several of these..all in red.. in 35 years of collecting and being a fishing sports writer.

(Since there is so little known about the company, this conversation from May 3rd, 2014, from ORCA’s Reel Talk message board is all we have and may be a lead for those who wish to do further research.)

ST. CROIX

ST. CROIX,

STALDER INC.

STALDER INC.  MERIT REEL,    here is an eye catcher,  considered an “Odd Ball”,   these were made in California postwar.  Probably made from scrap aluminum,  not many seen.  The reel is unmarked and a missing label on the box.   Sold on Ebay for $399.00.  8-15-13.  Pictures are courtesy of Daren Long Art.
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STANDARD MANUFACTURING COMPANY / GULF REEL COMPANY

STANDARD MANUFACTURING COMPANY / GULF REEL COMPANY  (Dallas, 1946) Spurred by a WWII surplus of ball bearings, R. A Johnson decided he could manufacture fishing reels with his design abilities from his past, so he incorporated the Gulf Reel Company. He took his designs to Norman Oswald at Standard, and the partnership was born. The first reel was difficult to produce and the design was quickly changed a year later. Eventually, things went smoothly at 100 reels produced per day. Reels are found with a crest and two jumping fish on the side plate. The use of the ball bearings was huge for marketing at the time. Model names were New Yorker, New York Expert (a rare narrow spool tournament reel), Airlite, Airlite Express, and Airlite Expert. After a decline in the cheap WWII surplus ball bearings, a merger was arranged between the companies in 1959 and production was stopped. (For more information, see ORCA Reel News back issue Summer of 1999.)

STAR REEL WORKS CO.

STAR REEL WORKS CO.,   Star Reel Works of Birmingham, CT were manufacturers from 1898 to 1901. See also Hendrick, Augustus reels.
http://hendrickreels.weebly.com/star-reel-works.html      http://www.antiquefishingreels.info/Articles/StarRW.pdf   (Courtesy of Steve Vernon)

STARO

STARO (Switzerland) The spinning reel was imported and sold by Specialty Imports, 4th Avenue, NY

STEELITE,

STEELITE,

STOCKFORD REEL CO.

STOCKFORD REEL CO.  of South Bend, IN was a manufacturer. There made only one style of reel. It was patented Nov. 15, 1910 (975,653) and the patented device was very similar to patent 488,408 granted to Julius Vom Hofe Dec. 20, 1882 for his “President” reel. It featured a shaft that extended through the center of the spool and was held in place with a nut on each end. There were the two foot pillars and one pillar in the back to act as a thumbrest. There was a screw located in the center of the spool arbor for oiling the spool shaft which meant removing the line to oil it. The reel was very heavily nickel plated. There was a small diameter raised gear cover on the front of the reel. One version has Chicago markings instead of South Bend. (see photos). Pictures are courtesy of Don Champion.
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Picture courtesy of Brian Purrone
 

 

STREAMLINER

STREAMLINER,   Rod and reel combinations have been designed as early as 1864 in an array of interesting designs. One of the cleverest is the Gentleman Streamliner of Chicago. Riding the heels of the recovery from the Great Depression, two Swedes in the general contracting business partnered with inventor Noble A. Nelson and some investors to set aside a room in 1945 for production of a rod and reel combination that would “end all backlashes.” The system worked with a plastic roller at the front of the reel that is geared to a fiber gear inside the rear plate. The line is “wrung through the roller like clothes through a washing machine. The rollers can be tightened by a thumb screw. During forward motion, the wringer takes up whatever line comes off the spool in a backlash. The Streamliner had a great warranty, and the company even provided a “loaner” while your reel was being repaired, but one particular flaw would bring about the reel’s demise. They soon found out that upon hooking an exceptionally large fish, the mechanism would freeze up. Designers were hoping a plastic model would solve the problem, but it was to no avail. One investor, Mr. Samual Smedberg, was quoted as saying after a $25,000 loss, “Oh, well, make a buck, lose a buck.” (For more information on the  “reel with the built-in thumb” see Dan Basore’s Reel News back issue article in the 2000 holiday publication. (Information is from Dan Basore. Pictures 1 & 2 are courtesy of Rick Heitman.  Pictures 3,4,5,& 6 are courtesy of Brian Purrone.
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STRINGER, MEL

Mel Stringer Reel Corp. was incorporated in 1935, originating in Hollywood, California. Listed directors of the new company include; Mel Stringer, W. E. Kleiner, Artur F. Larrabee, V.B. Hunt and N.L Rose. More information is needed on this maker of surf casting reels.

Mel Stringer 1
Mel Stringer 2
Mel Stringer 3
Mel Stringer 4
Stringer Patent

STUART

STUART,

STUBBY

STUBBY,

STURDIBILT PRODUCTS CO.

STURDIBILT PRODUCTS CO. of Newark, NJ were manufacturers from about 1908 to 1923 When they merged with Moskowitz & Herbach to become Ocean City.

T

TALBOT,  WM. H.
TALBOT CO., WM. H.
TALBOT REEL COMPANY, WM H.
TALBOT REEL AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY
TALBOT REEL RICHARDSON

TALBOT WM. H. (1897-1903) /  WM. H. TALBOT CO. (1904-1905) / WM H. TALBOT REEL COMPANY (1906-1913) All from Nevada / TALBOT REEL and MANUFACTURING COMPANY (1914-1921 – Kansas City) / TALBOT REEL RICHARDSON (1922-1926 – Chicago)  In blue are the variety of maker marks that can be confusing when finding dates to go along with reels. Some of them are educated guesses. Although the company was  probably founded earlier, the first reel ads do not appear until 1897. William Talbot worked for a watchmaker like many of the early reel makers. It is suggested that some of the first reels were made specifically for tournament casting. The reels were very finely made, some even in sterling silver and the company was awarded patents for improved pillars and reel feet. The company was known for its exact tolerances and work with spiral gears. There was also and eye for beauty. Options for gold plating and pearl handles were not out of the question, and the company made spool sizes to order. In 1914, operations were move to Kansas City where new employees were trained and business proceeded as usual, but Talbot was increasingly more interested in pursuing his jewelry business. In 1916, then, Talbot Reel and Manufacturing Company sold out to Leroy Harris, and William was no longer with the company. It is not clear when or how the Richardson Reel Company of Chicago entered the picture or if they simply assembled parts or tried to match the quality with their own production. In any case, there were no ads found after 1926 and few marked Richardson reels are found. Like other companies with expensive reel, WWII was a deal breaker with the glut of inexpensive reels soon on the market. The earliest reels were numbered in the single digits with an X after, and some higher quality later ones had double digits. Some of the named reels are Club, Comet, Ely, Mars, Meteor, and Niangua. Trade reels were made also, for Gus Habich, Schmelzer, Simmins, Vim, and VLA. There was also 2 sizes of fly reels named Ben Hur. One estimate is that Talbot made at least 15,000 reels, all of the finest quality. (For more information, see ORCA Reel News back issue, New Year 2000 article by Jim Brown) For pictures courtesy of Ron Gast, see https://luresnreels.com/talbotkc.html

TELECAST

TELECAST,

TERRY, SILAS
TERRY CLOCK CO.

TERRY, SILAS,  Terry Clock Co. of Waterbury, CT were manufacturers from 1871 to 1880 and from 1880 to 1882 in Pittsfield, MA. http://www.antiquefishingreels.info/Articles/TerryReels.pdf (Link is courtesy of Steve Vernon)

THOMMEN

THOMMEN (Record reels)

THOMPSON

THOMPSON,

TRIMLINE

TRIMLINE,

TROWBRIDGE,

TROWBRIDGE, Boston, MA.  (This is a retailer – move to Distributor page)
Image of a salmon-size Trowbridge brass and ebonite fly reel behind a more antique-looking Trowbridge raised pillar reel, courtesy Paul Manuel.
 
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TRUE TEMPER

TRUE TEMPER (TT), was a old hardware maker who bought out Montague Rod Co.,  Ocean City Reel Co. and Bronson Reel Co., in the 1950s and 1960s. They continued selling the Montague rods with their TT name on them,  still made at the Montague factory. The reels were to be sold with the original reel makers names on them up through the 1960s and slowly changed out their names and added theirs.  Some of the reel trade names were  Aristomatic, Coaster, Dynamic, High Tide, Lagoon, Lakeland, and Cascade. On the Bronson reels, the last Bronson name on a reel was 1967. In 1968 TT would print BT on the Bronson reels which stood for Bronson / True Temper. This would only happen for a couple years. They had Shakespeare make a few open faced spinning reels for them also for a short time.  After that they started outsourcing their reels from Japan.  To see some TT reel pictures and info about them see our sections in our site in the “Bronson Reel” section, under “More Bronson Reels and Info, also TT”  and click on True Temper and the Unispins.
TT stopped selling rods and reels in the 1970’s. They are is still in business today selling their line of garden hardware!
TT has been bought and sold now many times,  the current holder of the company is Griffon Corporation,  see this site for the history of TT.  http://www.amestruetemper.com/about-us/our-history.aspx   R. E.

TULLY, THOMAS CO

TULLY, THOMAS CO (Duco, Perfect, Princess, Uniqua, St. George and Felton Crosswind reels)

U

U.S. NET & TWINE CO.

U.S. NET & TWINE CO.  of New York, NY was a mfg. from 1894 to 1898.

ULRICH MANUFACTURING CO.

Ulrich Manufacturing Co. of Centerville, Calif. (now called Freemont).
Ulrich Manufacturing Co. were the Makers of the UCO Steelhead Spin-Fly reel. Patent #2,649,259 (1953). One of the objectives of this reel was to was to produce a correct spinning  action with all the advantages of inexpensive modifications of a conventional fly reel . It is believed they only made this one model, as I’ve never seen another.  Posted for  Mark Williams
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UNION HARDWARE CO.

UNION HARDWARE CO.,  was a mfg. in Torrington, CT from 1923 to 1960,  sold many different reels,  some only the box had the name and number,  first picture is a different Samson reel than the next 4 pictures,  next is a Sunny Brook,  which is the most commonest found and then an unmarked Union Hardware!  U. T. K.   and Utica were name brands of Union Hardware. Pictures are courtesy of Arne Soland, OR. Last reel pictured is of another Union Hardware. This is an odd ball only marked UH it is an oval bakelite shape and the metal parts are of brass and painted black.  It also has hinged jewelled end caps so they will not become lost,  very scarce reel! Last picture is courtesy of Jonathan Kring

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U.S. LINE & TWINE CO.

U.S. Line & Twine Co. of Manhattan, NY was a manufacturer associated with U.S. Net & Twine Co. of New York, NY. U.S. Twine & Net made mostly saltwater reels while the latter seemed to make fresh water reels.

 USTONSON, ONESIMUS

 USTONSON, ONESIMUS,  London tackle maker who was making multiplying reels by 1770. (Picture courtesy of Paul Manuel)
         

 

 

UTICA,

UTICA,

UTILITY MANUFACTURING COMPANY

UTILITY MANUFACTURING COMPANY (Utility Electric and Machine Works), (Wheeler, Oregon) The Master Kaster pump reel was patented in 1936 by Joseph Calvin Berry, but it appears to be the brainchild of Dr. Harvey Rinehart who was looking for a rod reel combination that his arthritic patients could use. The handle above the reel much like a foregrip that could be “pumped” to retrieve line, and there is a “release” button to free line for casting. The two sizes, #2 and #3 are quite rare with only about 500 made with the #3 the rarest of the two. (For more information, see ORCA’s Reel News back issue The New Year 2000, an article by Arne Soland)

V

VERNLEY

VERNLEY,

VERNON,

VERNON,

VOM HOFE, EDWARD

VOM HOFE, EDWARD,  of New York, NY was a mfg. from 1867 to 1940.
Perfection reel picture courtesy of J.Schottenham
 
 

 

VOM HOFE, FREDERICK & SON

VOM HOFE, FREDERICK & Son, of Brooklyn, NY was a manufacturer from 1867 to 1882. Picture courtesy Paul Manuel
 
 
 

 

VOM HOFE, JULIUS

Vom Hofe, Julius Of Brooklyn, Ny. was a manufacturer from 1882 to 1939. Refer to The Fishing Reels Of Julius Vom Hofe 1883-1937 By Champion, Don; Larson, Todd E.A., available in the Orca Online Store. Picture courtesy of Lang’s.
 
 

W

WALKER, A. L. REEL CO.

WALKER, A. L. REEL CO. (Farmingdale, N.Y.) High quality fly reels that had aluminum end rings and plastic side plates. (Pictures courtesy of Bill Graves)
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WALTCO PRODUCTS

WALTCO PRODUCTS (Chicago) Maker of the ny-o-lite reel, a gimmick by Dupont to promote the use of nylon. The spinning reel was made almost entirely of nylon, and came in combinations of three colors. For more information see the September, 2009, issue of the Reel News or Bill Sonnets’s piece from Todd Larson’s blog. http://fishinghistory.blogspot.com/2012/10/deconstructing-old-ads-waltco-ny-o-lite.html

WEBER LIFELIKE FLY COMPANY

WEBER LIFELIKE FLY COMPANY (Stevens Point, Wisconsin- 1921) After over a year as manager at Frost Fishing Tackle Company, Oscar L. Weber decided to make it on his own (with a number of investors) to form the Weber Lifelike Fly Company. They would eventually do so well that they would buy out Frost in a few years. Fly reels had names like Futurist, Kalahatch, and Henshall. Some were made of bakelite or cloth/glue composite substance. There was even an all-nylon reel called the Weberkraft.

WELCH, JACK

WELCH, JACK,  over the years, Jack Welch served as a factory supervisor,  reelsmith,  reel designer,  inventor and holder of several rod & reel patents,  among other things. The early part of the 20th century saw him employed at both B.F. Meek & Sons and W.H. Talbot, where he no doubt learned a few things about high-grade reel production.
In 1919 he was hired by James Heddon’s Sons to supervisor their new reel making operations, where he would stay on until about 1931. During his tenure, Heddon produced some of the finest precision reels ever built, many of which were from Welch’s own designs.
After leaving Heddon, Welch started producing his own line of hand-made casting reels, made solely in his basemen workshop. He built both level-winding versions and non level-winding Tournament models, supplying many famous tournament casters of the period. They were of the highest quality, and coupled with the fact that production was very limited (only offered from about 1932-1936), are extremely valuable and sought-after by today’s collectors.  Research by Mark Williams.
 
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WHEELER & MCGREGOR

WHEELER & McGREGOR, Milwaukee, Makers of the first level wind reel commercially available. (Pictures and information courtesy of Ron Gast.) http://luresnreels.com/wheeler.html

WHITES AUTO FISHER

WHITES AUTO FISHER, Diamond City, Ark. The reel that looks like an automatic fly reel has a trigger that actually sets the hook letting the wound reel bring in the fish. It can be hung on a tree, log or anything near the water.

WILBY

WILBY,   (All-aluminum fly reel, low quality – 1940’s) A 1945 ad in the Milwaukee Journal by Burgharts for sporting goods listed the features of the reel. The reel and box are only stamped “Wilby”.

WILLOUGHBY SHEET METAL COMPANY

WILLOUGHBY SHEET METAL COMPANY, (Makers of the Willoughby Indiana style reel, Indianapolis) 1960-1985.

WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO

WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO, (of New Haven, CT.)  Known briefly as “H-I”, this company went into manufacturing reels when they bought Hendryx in 1919 and continued until they sold the reel division to Horrocks & Ibottson in 1931.  Barney and Berry was one of the many names used on fishing tackle by Winchester Repeating Arms Co. Originally a 19th century Massachusetts producer of metal products, they were purchased by Winchester in 1919. Winchester stamped the Barney & Berry name on fishing products from 1924 until 1930.   Armax was also a trademark of the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. and used on fishing tackle from 1922 until c1930. Most of the Winchester reels were available to sporting goods jobbers with the Armax label, so this trademark can be found stamped in fly reels, multipliers and salt water reels. Although identical to the Winchester models, Armax reels are usually worth quite a bit less than those marked Winchester. One identifying feature of Winchester-made reels is a fine line found under the yardage stamped on the foot of the many trade reels made by Winchester. Some of the known trade companies are: Pennell, Hendryx, UTK, Barney and Berry, Basscaster, Franklin, Crown, and (Allcock Laight & Westwood reels with underlined yardage mark were probably post 1931 by H-I). (For more information see ORCA Reel News back issue Winter 1995). Picture of Winchester #1312 raised pillar fly reel courtesy Paul Manuel.
 

 

WORDEN

Worden Belly Reel  (Yakima, Washington)  The Belly Winder reel was first developed by Clarence G. Lindgren of Yakima, Washington. Lindgren patented his reel on November 6, 1948 (No. 2,574,216). The patent drawings and description shows a reel very similar to the finished product. It is unknown at this time if Lindgren ever produced his reel. The belly reel eventually ended up being produced by Bob Worden of Granger, Washington. Warden manufactured this reel and a series of spinning lures as the Yakima Bait Company.

Y

YAKIMA BAIT CO.

YAKIMA BAIT CO. (1941) Makers of the Worden Belly Reel, a reel actually warn as a belt. The reel was designed by Clarence G. Lindgren of Yakima, Washington but was produced by Bob Wordon of Granger, Washington. The spool on your belt could hold a whopping 400 yards. All you had in your hand was the rod, and you could purchase a “Jimmy Green” rod with no seat that would be a match for the reel. With your reel handle at your belt, however, it would seem awkward especially for a large fellow. In ads the name given was the “Wordon Jet Cast Belt Reel,” but the nickname “Belly Reel” seems to have stuck.  The company was first founded in 1934 as Worden’s Floating Spinner Company. Some Information provided by the company’s site where more details may be found. http://www.yakimabait.com/company-info/about/ (Also see the Winter, 1999 back issue of ORCA’s Reel News.)

YALE METAL PRODUCTS CO.

YALE METAL PRODUCTS CO.  (New York, NY, 1914) was a reel “branch factory” of Pequea Works of Strasburg, PA. What may be confusing, however, is that Yale reels were also made by other companies including Meisselbach, Rochester, and Ocean City. It’s difficult to categorize a company that is both a maker and distributor.  Many of the reel names associated with the company  have the word “King” in them, from Surf King to King Trolling Reel. Other names have “Yale’ with them like Yale Gem Reel and Yale Casting Reel. The Good Luck name is another. (For more information, see ORCA Reel News back issue New Year 200 or pictures and in-depth information courtesy of Ron Gast) http://luresnreels.com/yale.html

YAWMAN & ERBE

Yawman & Erbe was bought out by Horrocks & Ibottson in 1909. Image of early (pre-key wind) Y&E automatic reel courtesy Paul Manuel

 

 

 

YOUNG, J. W. & SONS

YOUNG, J. W. & SONS (Redditch, England) Manufactures of the Allcock Aerial and all of the “EX” reels, Gildex, Rapidex, Trudex, Windex, Seldex, and Landex. See complete history on J. W. Young’s home page. http://www.jwyoungs.co.uk/history.htm

Z

ZERO HOUR BOMB CO.  (ZEBCO)

ZERO HOUR BOMB CO.  Zebco:  Z=Zero, E=Hour, B=Bomb, Co= Company, Tulsa Ok, R. D. Hull was hired by the Zero Hour Bomb Company in the 1947-48 time frame to design a working model of his new reel, a Closed Face reel that was named the Standard.  It went into production on 13 May 1949 which was a Friday, so much for bad luck. In the 1st 50 years, the Zebco Reel Co. produced 220 million reels. The last reel produced at the Tulsa OK plant was the Red Rhino which took place on the afternoon of 2nd February 2001, only the folks at the plant that afternoon got one of an estimated 300 reels and each has the name of the person on their COA,  (Certificate of Authenticity).
The Standard reel changed the face of fishing forever,  as now Dad could and would take the Family fishing with him as he didn’t have to spend the entire day taking bird nests out of a casting reel.  So for the past 60+ years, most of us started out using a closed face rod/reel to begin our fishing fun. We will soon be on our 4th generation of young fisher persons the majority of which will start their fishing life with a closed face reel.
As was stated earlier the Standard reel was the first reel for Zebco then the model 22, 11, and in 1954 the Model 33 was introduced.  In the first 33yrs that the 33 was made 22 million were produced.  That is a lot of reels and there is a good number of them still catching fish.
In 1962 Zebco bought the Langley Reel Co. to expand its line of reel to include two casting reels the 310 and 330 and several spinning reels.  Side note to this:  The spinning reels sold by Abercrombie & Fitch prior to 1962 were produced by the Langley Reel Co. and after 1962 By Zebco Co. through the late 60’s early 70’s.
There are many, many different models of the Zebco Reels: closed face, open faced spinning reels, casting reels. And even fly reels.  The Zebco Cardinal reels were produced by ABU of Sweden and sold in the U.S under the name Zebco.
(Research and pictures are courtesy of Richard Braun – (The Zebco Guy) and Jim Madden. Also see ORCA Reel News back issue Fall of 2000 article by Paul Winstead.
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ZWARG OTTO COMPANY

ZWARG OTTO COMPANY,  (St. Petersburg, FL) 1899-1958 – A German dentist who immigrated to the U.S. in the 1920s. He took a temporary job as a machinist for the Edward Vom Hofe Company in Brooklyn  NY. He stayed at this reel making job and eventually worked his way up to foreman of the company’s reel production. After the sale of the Edward Vom Hofe Company in the 1940s, he purchased much of the Vom Hofe machinery and tooling and started building reels with his own label in Brooklyn in 1946.  At this time he also repaired Edward Vom Hofe reels and refinished bamboo rods. In 1947 he moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, establishing the Otto Zwarg Co, where he continued in the machining business.  The reels produced by Otto Zwarg are very similar to those of his old employer, Edward Vom Hofe. They are very high quality, and due to the limited number produced, they are certainly rarer than those of Edward Vom Hofe. According to Zwarg collector and historian Norm Pinardi, Zwarg reels can be dated by the letter prefix in the serial number. A=1946, B=1947, etc.  At this time he also repaired Edward Vom Hofe reels and refinished bamboo rods. In 1947 he moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, establishing the Otto Zwarg Co, where he continued in the machining business. At this time he was building fishing reels only as a minor part of the business.  Although the company remained in business, no reels were produced after the death of Otto Zwarg.  Photo  of Maximo 6/0 courtesy of Brian Perrone.
   

 

 

 
 
 

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