Where do I find this? Is it in a old ORCA magazine? I have a printed copy but I am missing some pages.
Thank You Chad
WANTED Shakespeare code breaking by Phil White
- john elder
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Re: WANTED Shakespeare code breaking by Phil White
Chad, that article is in Reel News XII (4) 2002, p. 10-?. I suspect that issue is available through the ORCA store.
john
john
ORCA member since 1999
Honorary Life Member
Specializing in saltwater reels...and fly reels...and oh, yeah, kentucky style reels.....and those tiny little RP reels.....oh, heck...i collect fishing reels!...and fly rods....and lures
Honorary Life Member
Specializing in saltwater reels...and fly reels...and oh, yeah, kentucky style reels.....and those tiny little RP reels.....oh, heck...i collect fishing reels!...and fly rods....and lures
Re: WANTED Shakespeare code breaking by Phil White
From the late twenties until the late seventies, Shakespeare reels had a two letter date code stamped on the reel, usually near the model number. These date codes were not a part of the model number, but a way of tracking changes to the reel over time.
Let’s use the Shakespeare model 1920 Wondereel as an example. There are several different date codes for this reel. The first is HB and if you look at the chart below you will find the H falls under the 3 and the B falls under the 9 meaning this reel started production in 1939. The next date code for the same reel is GA, which was produced in 1940. The next date is GE, which was produced in 1946. This also tells us the model GA was produced from 1940 thru 1945.
The next date code for the Shakespeare model 1920 Wondereel is FK telling us it started production in 1951. Meanwhile, the model GE was in production from 1946 thru 1950. Then again, there was another date code FH, which correlates to 1953.
So, as you can tell, just because the date code is a certain year, it doesn’t mean the reel was built in that particular year. It means that year was the start of production.
Another good example of this is the Shakespeare model 1740 Tournament HE. Production on this model began in 1936 and the next change was FK in 1951. For fifteen years, this reel was produced without change yet many think the reel was made in 1936, when it could have been made at any time over the fifteen year period starting in 1936.
Shakespeare Reel Series Dating Formula
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
K J H G F E D C B A
V U T S R Q P N M L
Let’s use the Shakespeare model 1920 Wondereel as an example. There are several different date codes for this reel. The first is HB and if you look at the chart below you will find the H falls under the 3 and the B falls under the 9 meaning this reel started production in 1939. The next date code for the same reel is GA, which was produced in 1940. The next date is GE, which was produced in 1946. This also tells us the model GA was produced from 1940 thru 1945.
The next date code for the Shakespeare model 1920 Wondereel is FK telling us it started production in 1951. Meanwhile, the model GE was in production from 1946 thru 1950. Then again, there was another date code FH, which correlates to 1953.
So, as you can tell, just because the date code is a certain year, it doesn’t mean the reel was built in that particular year. It means that year was the start of production.
Another good example of this is the Shakespeare model 1740 Tournament HE. Production on this model began in 1936 and the next change was FK in 1951. For fifteen years, this reel was produced without change yet many think the reel was made in 1936, when it could have been made at any time over the fifteen year period starting in 1936.
Shakespeare Reel Series Dating Formula
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
K J H G F E D C B A
V U T S R Q P N M L
Al Stover
Re: WANTED Shakespeare code breaking by Phil White
Thank you for the help.