“BIG reel keep on turnin’ ...

[JoeW]

... Proud Mary keep on burnin’ “

Yup, I call this one “Proud Mary”! -- 2 lbs 6 oz. 4 1/2” X 4”

Frame, pillars, foot, spool, shaft- all brass
Handle- wrought iron
Knobs- aluminum
Strong click with on/off button!
No drag, brake, or LW
Foot is soldered to bottom two pillars
2 1/4 to 1 multiplier
No markings whatsoever



Saw it sitting up on higher shelf behind the counter at an antique center. From what I could see, with just the handles peeking out over the shelf, it looked like a fishing reel, a big fishing reel! It could also have been a coffee grinder laying on its side! (I have often mistaken coffee grinders, pepper mills, and pencil sharpeners as reels!) Asked to see it. Owner took out a step stool and brought it down. Geez! It WAS a reel!

Very well made, shows a lot of careful work. Handle is an “S” shape and both endplates are covered with delicate scrollwork or machining. The maker must have had access to some metal working equipment and knew how to use it.

I’ve had the reel for several years and am still trying to decide whether it was handmade by a single maker (or a “homer” as I’ve heard them called!) or if it was commercially manufactured, maybe in small numbers by a small shop. Your opinion?

As far as dating goes, I can’t find any clues except for the design and the gear ratio. I’m guessing 1890-1910 or so, at the dawn of the fishing tackle Industrial Revolution?

Third puzzle- what the heck was it used for! The dealer couldn’t recall the origin, could have come from anywhere in NY or up and down the East Coast. Not used for casting obviously, so maybe deep water or pier fishing in the ocean- Billfish or shark? I do not see any signs of salt water corrosion at all though! Musky or big catfish? This would be a very large reel for even those fish I think. Was it just made and put on a shelf, never to be used? Once again- your ideas please.

I’m stumped as to the “story” this reel is trying to tell!

Best- Joe Walkowski

[Reeltyme]

Joe, Have you ever cracked her open and checked the gears to see if they were machined or hand cut? Very curious monster? Given your location and the time frame this probably came from, I'm thinking it may have also been on one of the great lakes for possibly sturgeon? Those boys can up there on the big side. A very well put together reel! This one's right up my alley!

The knobs are throwing me off a little. Might they have originally been wood and replaced at a later time?

[RonG]

Nice looking reel. Way to go!

[Midway Tommy D]

Neat reel, Joe! My thumb and forefinger hurt just looking at those grasps. I'll bet a guy could get some serious blisters from those things!

[Tightlines666]

Looks like a specialty reel setup for snagging Paddlefish back in the early part of the century..
Just a wild guess.

Cool looking reel.

[JoeW]

Hey--- thanks for the replies!

What reeltyme said had me look again and then got me thinking. The big aluminum knobs look original to the s-shaped handle- patina matches, no sign of replacement, and the ends of the screws holding the knobs on are pounded flush with the handle so I don't think they could be removed. Now... it bothers me that the handle appears to be iron- isn't that unusual for an otherwise all brass reel? I'm thinking the entire handle was either a replacement for a broken brass one, or (like tightlines says) it was custom made or modified for some serious crankin', like on paddlefish, where the owner thought he'd better have something stronger than brass! The rather crude handle/knobs just don't fit in with the more skilled and careful work on the rest of the reel. Sound good?

Now, still one question: is the main part of the reel factory, or a "homer" (maybe by a guy who made a couple reels like this- I would think the maker here had at least some experience in reel making). Hunches, wild guesses, gut feelings appreciated! You guys are infinitely more experienced than I am- does the reel remind you of any commercial maker you know?

And Tommy D- If the owner ever had a fish running out line quickly and tried to slow the reel by grabbing the handle, I think he'd have more to worry about than blisters! More like broken fingers! Geez- big reel like that and no drag, no thumbstall, nothing! Had to be tough to be a fisherman back then!

And reeltyme- no, haven't tried taking it apart! Whenever I do that and put a reel back together, I either am short a couple parts or have a couple left over! Heck, I've even been known to take the globe off a light to replace the bulb, remove the burned out bulb, and then replace the globe without putting the new bulb in!

Thanks again for the replies- nice way to have my morning coffee. Best--- Joe Walkowski (WNY)

[Teal]

As I have a small but growing collection of hand-made and homemade reels, I would venture a guess this fits into that category. In the 1910s-1930s (which is when I'd guess this was made) every city of any size had talented machinists who could easily have turned this out in their spare time. This is especially true in places that had a connection to the aeronautical or automobile industries (like Hammondsport, NY) which attracted talented machinists from around the nation and Europe.

A good machinist could turn this out using only after work hours in a week. I think the key to IDing it as hand made is the fact that the components are tightly made (very well turned pillars, buttons, etc.) but the finish is not perfect. Most machinists spend their time reading calipers and micrometers and worry far less that their final product is perfect looking -- I have a dozen reels like this one that work perfect but have rustic looks to them.

It's really a nice reel. I like it a lot!

-- Dr. Todd

[Teal]

Here's an example of what I'm talking about. A fairly rough looking hand made reel.



Well machined, but poor finish work. You'd think it wasn't much to look at until you flick the handle (not even that hard in this clip):

Amazing tolerances on this reel. Like yours, I think its a bench made machinist's after work special.

-- Dr. Todd