Mystery reel with freespool clutch

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Steve
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Mystery reel with freespool clutch

Post by Steve »

Can anyone help ID this unmarked casting reel? The sliding button frees the spool. Thanks!

Steve Vernon
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reeltackle
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Re: Mystery reel with freespool clutch

Post by reeltackle »

Nice little reel Mr. Pie, sure wish I could help you with it but it is a new one on me. Will be anxious to see if anyone can help you with it.
Ed Pritchard
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Re: Mystery reel with freespool clutch

Post by Jay White »

Have no idea, but what a great little reel!!
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Re: Mystery reel with freespool clutch

Post by oc1 »

Very handsome... whatever it is. If you open it up show us a photo of the clutch.
-steve
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Steve
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Re: Mystery reel with freespool clutch

Post by Steve »

a photo of the clutch
Ta-da! (It doesn't work very well. The main gear slides left to free the spool. Crank is pulled toward the right to reengage. Crude, but ineffective.)

Steve Vernon
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john elder
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Re: Mystery reel with freespool clutch

Post by john elder »

Given the chips and rough surface around the gear mechanism, it would appear to me to be a modification of some Montague, H-I or other commercially produced reel. The metal covering the face plate would be a replacement of what was once probably just a metal rim, if that's the case.

Always another question or two....what do the back plate and foot look like? yardage # on foot?
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Steve
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Re: Mystery reel with freespool clutch

Post by Steve »

Aargh! First, let me apologize for effing up the description. I've had this thing for years but didn't take it out before posting old photos. The crank is slid away to free the spool. The "sliding" button isn't; it's a pushbutton that allows the crank to snap back and remesh the gears. The tailplate button works a click.

Here are some new pics:

I agree that's it's a modification of something, but I think it's a modification of a reel that looked like that to begin with. That spool construction is unique. The foot is Shakespeare-Russellish but is relatively thick and has solder. Although it looks as if a top pillar was removed and the holes plugged, the pillar would have been in an odd location; the "plugs" just help anchor the metal covers to the rubber (or whatever). I posted the first pic hoping someone may have seen a reel like it, albeit without the clutch.

By the way, the clutch is an adaptation of a clutch that was designed for a wooden cod reel:

This thing is a prime example of how folks "adapt" patented designs. But I can't tell if the modifications were done to a commercially available reel or someone started from scratch, prototypically.

Steve Vernon
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Book: ANTIQUE FISHING REELS, 2nd Ed.
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Antique Fishing Reels
Kopf reels
Hendrick reels

"Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose."
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Re: Mystery reel with freespool clutch

Post by Harry Verdurchi »

Meisselbach had a similar Reel that the button dislodged the Handle /Main gear and thus Free Wheel. To Retrieve you had to Manually pull back the Handle to re-engage the gear.
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Tightlines666
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Re: Mystery reel with freespool clutch

Post by Tightlines666 »

john elder wrote:Given the chips and rough surface around the gear mechanism, it would appear to me to be a modification of some Montague, H-I or other commercially produced reel. The metal covering the face plate would be a replacement of what was once probably just a metal rim, if that's the case.

Always another question or two....what do the back plate and foot look like? yardage # on foot?
Sure seems H-I ish... looks like it would predate H-I though.

Cool reel, maybe not the best designed mechanism, but cool none-the-less.

John
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Steve
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Re: Mystery reel with freespool clutch

Post by Steve »

some Montague, H-I
seems H-I ish
Any pics of HI reel candidates?
Meisselbach had a similar Reel
HV, here's the Meisselbach:

Steve Vernon
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Book: ANTIQUE FISHING REELS, 2nd Ed.
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Re: Mystery reel with freespool clutch

Post by Harry Verdurchi »



Meisselbach 's Mechanism was better executed and built into and or around metal
Does the mystery Reel handle actually move when the button on the side is pushed or does the button slide back and forth ?
Last edited by Harry Verdurchi on Fri Sep 22, 2017 7:30 am, edited 6 times in total.
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john elder
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Re: Mystery reel with freespool clutch

Post by john elder »

Henry: From Steve, above:

"The crank is slid away to free the spool. The "sliding" button isn't; it's a pushbutton that allows the crank to snap back and remesh the gears. "
ORCA member since 1999
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Re: Mystery reel with freespool clutch

Post by Harry Verdurchi »

john elder wrote:Harry: From Steve, above:

"The crank is slid away to free the spool. The "sliding" button isn't; it's a pushbutton that allows the crank to snap back and remesh the gears. "
His is totally opposite from the Meisselbach but basically does the same thing .
Would like to see a pic of Steve's Reel with the Handle off .
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Re: Mystery reel with freespool clutch

Post by Harry Verdurchi »

Looks like a lot of play in the Spool and No Way to adjust it with no end caps that screw in or out and the cross bars look homemade .
Someone had a lot of time and good machining skills I would say. Probably broke a lot of side plates before coming up with the Iron Man plates on the side.
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john elder
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Re: Mystery reel with freespool clutch

Post by john elder »

Steve, a bit of poetic license required but this style of reel could serve as a base to make your reel, i think.... Barney & Berry from Winchester era. Handle style is similar; flat top clicker button is similar; screw hole pattern is pretty much the same. Back and front plates would be faced with that unique pattern of metal face; mechanism inserted by excavating on interior to make room for the free spool mechanism:

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Re: Mystery reel with freespool clutch

Post by reeltackle »

Looks like pretty much the entire reel is home made to me.

I believe that anyone who could fashion the "cage" that fits around both the front and back the reel could certainly make the rest of the reel quite easily. I don't really see anything on that reel that looks much like anyone else's reel except for an odd part or two. The spool does not look like other makers spools, especially the arbor, and most of the rest of the fittings look pretty unique too including the foot, all the buttons and bearing covers as well as the handle knob. Perhaps he just scavenged a couple of parts off other reels, lets say the handle for instance, and that is why the reel looks "vaguely" familiar to all of us.

Just an observation............
Ed Pritchard
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Steve
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Re: Mystery reel with freespool clutch

Post by Steve »

Observation appreciated, Dr. Pi.
The spool does not look like other makers spools, especially the arbor, and most of the rest of the fittings look pretty unique too including the foot
As mentioned above.
I believe that anyone who could fashion the "cage" that fits around both the front and back the reel could certainly make the rest of the reel quite easily.
Agreed, but I believe anyone who could do such a nice job on the "cage," crank, etc., would not have done such an amateurish job inside. Reminds me of some of the Blackburn drags that look as if they were retrofitted to nice reels in a junior high shop class.

Steve Vernon
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Book: ANTIQUE FISHING REELS, 2nd Ed.
Websites:
Antique Fishing Reels
Kopf reels
Hendrick reels

"Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose."
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