Montague foot before Montague?

[David Lehmann]

I recently acquired the following reel. The foot appears to be identical to a Montague foot and differs from similar Vom Hofe feet. The reel has a lot of features of a mid-1880s to early 1890s product. So, did U.S. Net and Twine use this foot before Montague? Malleson? I am pretty sure the foot is original to the reel (where the reel came from, riveting similar to other rivets, fit, etc.).

So what do you Vom Hofe, Montague, Malleson, etc. collectors think?

[Don Champion]

That is a JVH reel with a stamped foot that is the first example of the Montague foot. JVH used the foot prior to Montague. I have an example of that foot on a JVH reel that is stamped with his name and it is clearly a JVH reel. I pointed this out in the JVH book some time back and also on several post. Jim Schottenham had a similar example at a National a couple of years back. On this example the "ears" stick out from the foot somewhat instead of being bent right at the foot as in later examples. On some of the smaller versions there is no seperation between the ears on one side but rather a rectangular piece bent up that has sharp corners. You will also note that on the JVH raised pillar reels there is a larger radius at each pillar than on a Montague. In the next generation of the Montague foot the "ears" are bent right at the foot but with square ends on the foot. The generation of stamped foot that follows that has a radiused end on the foot. On their earliest reels Montague used a cast one piece foot. There are many differences between the stamped version foot that JVH and Montague used than those of USN&T, Pflueger and others.

[Teal]

Don is 100% right as usual. I have a reel marked H.H. Kiffe and Julius vom Hofe with that exact foot, dating from the 1890s and pictured in one of the Kiffe catalogs.

-- Dr. Todd

[David Lehmann]

Thank you for the info! I have JVH reels with the later "sort of Montague-style" foot, but not with this "dead on" Montague foot. It almost makes one wonder if Montague bought equipment from JVH to make the foot. I compared the JVH foot next to an early Montague example and they appear to be identical.

[john elder]

Here’s an unmarked reel from my herd that i believe is a JVH product with that same foot. Not sure it has the nuances indicated by Don, but the casual inspection just looks Montague to me.

[Don Champion]

John - your reel is a JVH also.