Joe Coxe "SWORDFISH" Reel

Use this forum to share your stuff so round up your favorite reels! Questions can still go to the Reel Talk - General Forum
Post Reply
User avatar
reeltackle
Super Board Poster
Posts: 900
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 10:11 am
Location: Florida
Contact:

Joe Coxe "SWORDFISH" Reel

Post by reeltackle »

`
`
Here is a very special J. A. Coxe reel that you just won't see every decade. This scarce J. A. Coxe "SWORDFISH" reel is an extremely early beefed up version of the Los Angeles Coxe "Screw" version 9/0 big game reel.

This special Coxe reel had several features that you don't find on your typical Coxe reels including beefed-up bronze gears and a beefed-up bronze foot. The "SWORDFISH" also has two illustrated bearing covers, one on the front and one on the rear side-plate unlike the typical "Screw" version of the Coxe reel which only has a rear bearing cover. Also, the bearing covers have knurled sides that turn independently of their tops and when turned reveal holes that match up with inner holes so you can oil the inner workings of the reel. On the standard "Screw" version of the Coxe reel the rear bearing cover is simply there for disassembling the reel.

The foot of the "SWORDFISH" reel is stamped with the following:

~ Line capacity: 24 - 500
~ PAT. APLD FOR
~ The serial #: 2124 - (The serial numbers started at 2100)
~ Joe Coxe's Initials - JAC - Indicating he personally made the reel.

Many years ago I saw period, printed information about the "SWORDFISH" reel but I have long since forgotten where I saw it and which publication it was in. I'm not sure if it was an old catalog or a Coxe promotional piece. If anyone has any further information about these reels I would love to hear from you.

This is the first "SWORDFISH" I have had the pleasure to hold in my hands and play with. I have only seen three others and this is the first one I have had the chance to own. A great piece of big game fishing reel history from California's earliest, arguably finest and without a doubt most controversial (big game - thank you S.V. see below) reel maker - Joe Coxe.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image
Last edited by reeltackle on Thu May 29, 2014 5:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
john elder
Star Board Poster
Posts: 8541
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 2:44 pm

Re: Joe Coxe "SWORDFISH" Reel

Post by john elder »

beautiful, Ed! Nice score! I've only seen one other and that's in the Farrior collection. I had in mind that it had a metal swordfish logo on the back plate, but maybe not.
User avatar
reeltackle
Super Board Poster
Posts: 900
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 10:11 am
Location: Florida
Contact:

Re: Joe Coxe "SWORDFISH" Reel

Post by reeltackle »

John,
Mike Farrior, along with several other collectors and the Ohio Historical Society, loaned me Zane Grey reels when I curated the "Zane Grey - The Fisherman" show for the IGFA Museum several years back. One of the reels Mike loaned me was an L. A. Coxe "Screw" model reel that was a present given to Carrie Finn from Zane Grey and had an elaborate swordfish plaque on the rear side-plate. I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts this is the reel you are remembering (see below). I have a hard time forgetting that reel too! I'm not sure if Mike has a "SWORDFISH" reel but with all the great Coxe reels in his collection I would bet that he did.

Photo of part of the IGFA Museum "Zane Grey - The Fisherman" show also below.

Also photo of Zane Grey's 16/0 Coxe reel from the show.

Remember kids ... always take good pictures of every reel that ever passes through your hands.

Mike Farrior's Coxe reel from Zane Grey to Carrie Finn
Image

Part of the IGFA Museum's "Zane Grey-The Fisherman" show.
Image

Zane Grey's personal 16/0 Coxe reel.
Image
User avatar
Steve
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3940
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 6:11 am
Contact:

Re: Joe Coxe "SWORDFISH" Reel

Post by Steve »

Thanks for the chance to see those spectacular reels, E.P. But I have to take issue with one teeny snippet in your post:
California's earliest...reel maker - Joe Coxe.
An Austrian-born guy named Joseph Singer was a gunsmith working at Tuft-Lyon Arms Co. in LA in 1891, more than a decade before Coxe became a salesman for the same company. In 1893, Singer patented a rod/reel combo similar to the one patented by Follett. Ok, I've never seen an example and can't prove it was manufactured, but it's unthinkable that Singer, who opened his own sporting goods shop within a year or two, wouldn't have made some for sale. Even if he didn't, Chapin was making reels farther north by the turn of the century.
User avatar
Brian F.
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3536
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 1:23 am
Location: Hilo, Hawaii

Re: Joe Coxe "SWORDFISH" Reel

Post by Brian F. »

Niiiiice reels!
User avatar
reeltackle
Super Board Poster
Posts: 900
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 10:11 am
Location: Florida
Contact:

Re: Joe Coxe "SWORDFISH" Reel

Post by reeltackle »

Steve wrote:Thanks for the chance to see those spectacular reels, E.P. But I have to take issue with one teeny snippet in your post:
Because we were talking about a big game reel maker ... I assumed people would know I was referring to big game reel makers ... wrongly of course ... so ... to correct myself ... and be more specific ... and therefore more historically accurate... I hope ... California's earliest big game reel maker ... is that better S.V.? :bow:
User avatar
john elder
Star Board Poster
Posts: 8541
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 2:44 pm

Re: Joe Coxe "SWORDFISH" Reel

Post by john elder »

You are absolutely right about Mike's reel, Ed! I will see him tonight and ask about a swordfish reel.
User avatar
john elder
Star Board Poster
Posts: 8541
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 2:44 pm

Re: Joe Coxe "SWORDFISH" Reel

Post by john elder »

Man, I’ll tell you, it’s pretty hard to find a big game reel that Mike Farrior does not have in his collection…and if it’s not there, he used to own it! Here is his 9/0 Swordfish Coxe, with markings very similar to yours, Ed. Mike indicated that he had only seen one other, but figured there were likely more to find. Mainly Presentation reels but this one obviously spent a lot of time at the rail!


Image
Image
Image
User avatar
Brian F.
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3536
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 1:23 am
Location: Hilo, Hawaii

Re: Joe Coxe "SWORDFISH" Reel

Post by Brian F. »

haha, "Hey, since it's out of the case, why don't you..." Nice reel!
User avatar
Steve
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3940
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 6:11 am
Contact:

Jaleoxe Game

Post by Steve »

Find the "reel" swordfish:
Image
User avatar
Midway Tommy D
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3135
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 11:23 pm
Location: Eastern NE

Re: Joe Coxe "SWORDFISH" Reel

Post by Midway Tommy D »

Find the "reel" swordfish:
It's pretty obvious the one in the middle contains Pinocchio DNA...or maybe a dirty scratch so the image would actually emulate its name?

Tom
User avatar
john elder
Star Board Poster
Posts: 8541
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 2:44 pm

Re: Joe Coxe "SWORDFISH" Reel

Post by john elder »

yes, Mike reported that he had seen another with a swordfish, but I believe the latter is tuna! (Edit...okay, lets try this again).

Ed's reel has one of each..plus and minus sword. I have to look at Mike's back plate later...can't really make out if he has one of each or if both his are "tuna" from the pic.

Ed, note that there are only 2 numbers off on the production #s for the two reels. I wonder how many were really made. I'm guessing that sly old joe did something like we used to do when we started a checking account. Since no one would believe you were handing them check number 3, we would have the bank start the numbering at 1000 or 2000. I'm guessing the number of this particular reel was closer to 50 than 5000.
User avatar
john elder
Star Board Poster
Posts: 8541
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 2:44 pm

Re: Joe Coxe "SWORDFISH" Reel

Post by john elder »

Just looked...both mike's fish are swordless
User avatar
reeltackle
Super Board Poster
Posts: 900
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 10:11 am
Location: Florida
Contact:

Re: Joe Coxe "SWORDFISH" Reel

Post by reeltackle »

MY theory on the serial numbering system of the Coxe "SWORDFISH" reels -----

According to Joe Coxe in the book "Men, Fish & Tackle", he started making reels in 1919.
It is known that the "SWORDFISH" reel was one of his earliest efforts.
Since I started looking into these reels several years back, the serial numbers I have seen all started with 21 and then the other two numbers vary as with Mike's reel and my reel.
My theory has been that the 21 (the first two numbers in the serial number) stand for the year the reel was built, 1921, and the second two numbers represent the individual reel's number in the production order ----------

Hence, in the case of my reel, built in 1921 - reel number 24.
Mike's reel would also have been built in 1921 - reel number 22.

I find it interesting that Mike's reel has a rear-mounted clicker button and my reel has no adjustable click. Most likely, the click was an option.

Again, I have seen literature on the "SWORDFISH" reel but it was so long ago that I have forgotten everything except that at one point I did see it. The info is out there somewhere!

Below are photos of two other "SWORDFISH" reels that I know about. I did not take the pictures, nor have I seen the reels in person.

The first reel is in used condition, I do not have a photo of the reel seat hence, I do not know what the serial number is. The reel does not have an adjustable click ------

Image

Image

The second reel has serial# 2141. I can't tell for sure from the photos if the reel has a rear-mounted click or not. The rear oil port has a tuna and not a swordfish. The star drag has thicker tips at the end of the star points and a plunger style drag release in place of the spring release drag mechanism found on my reel and subsequent standard "Screw" and "No-screw" model reels. You can get a second perspective of the plunger by looking at it in the reflection of the side-plate. I have see the plunger style drag on other Coxe reels but forget exactly how it works.

Image

Image

Image

Image
Post Reply