Paul Manuel has been collecting old reels and fishing tackle for more than 25 years and has been a member of ORCA for 9 years. Paul's "Reely Old Reels" collection contains a wide range of makers, styles and ages but he particularly enjoys early brass reels. His collection includes a few notable reels, possibly made back in the 18th century (...yes, that is somewhere between 1701 and 1800).
Paul recently wrote an article that discusses ways to identify the materials used in reel grasps of very old reels. His article appears in the July 2015 edition of our formal club publication The Reel News.
Paul is located in Toronto, Canada, and has accordingly developed an interest in vintage reels from Canadian makers and distributors. He says they are a lot easier to find in the field (at least in Canada) than the rarer antique reels by famous makers but they can be just as interesting!
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Paul's personal website and Facebook sites:
Http://www.reelyoldreels.weebly.com
Facebook Group: Antique Fishing Reels
Facebook Page: Reely Old Reels and Antique Fishing Tackle