Unknown 16/0 reel

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54bullseye
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Unknown 16/0 reel

Post by 54bullseye »

I just got this reel in a trade and was impressed by the workmanship put into this reel it was well thought out ! It is very heavy and I didn't think it was made of aluminum but a magnet will not stick to it so I guess it must be aluminum ? The side plates are cast then machined and spool appears to be cast then machined and is one piece again very heavy !! It has a very heavy industrial paint finish and it's still in good shape. The side plates are 7 1/2" and spool is 4 3/4" wide. Here are some pics of reel.










I took reel mostly apart but did avoid the lever drag assembly as it was working fine. The reel is direct drive and line is pulled in from bottom of reel like the early reels of Fin-Nor, Lee's and others. The drag seemed very sticky and when you backed drag off all the way to release line it was way to hard to pay out line so I knew it had to come apart. Reel came apart very easy some one thought to put a good amount of grease on all screws PERFECT !! The handle has a neat two position option by pressing spring loaded button in center of handle you can make a short or long throw on handle. Pics below.







The drag was a series of brass or bronze discs sandwiched between some stainless steel discs held in place by an aluminum bracket with gear type slots. The aluminum bracket / retainer was the only design flaw I found the teeth had corrosion on them and that is mostly the problem with the drag functioning poorly. I cleaned teeth out then cleaned all drag discs and put all back together and now I have good free spool and drag has way more pressure and is also very smooth !! I wouldn't hesitate to use this for BIG fish Tuna, Marlin or big Sharks I think it would handle all !!!! Only down fall is the 1 to 1 retrieve !! The reel also has double dogs that work perfectly see in pics. Here are pics of drags and inside of reel.

Thanks for looking !! John Taylor










I also meant to add that it has the old style rod brace like on a lot of Kovalovsky reels plus it once had a rod clamp on it. Any one ever seen this reel before or one like it ??? Any info would be great !! I would guess it was made between late 1940s to early 1960s but that is strictly a guess !!

John Taylor
Jay White
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Re: Unknown 16/0 reel

Post by Jay White »

Nice John!
Last edited by Jay White on Fri Jan 18, 2019 3:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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1badf350
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Re: Unknown 16/0 reel

Post by 1badf350 »

Better call Aamco John! That looks like the inside of a transmission!
Very Very cool and looks well built and stout!
-Chris R.
Nick in NY
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Re: Unknown 16/0 reel

Post by Nick in NY »

Nice piece John! About 25-30 years ago I met an old timer from the Boston area that had a reel he swore was Pfleuger BUT it had 7" side plates and a spool width of only 2". What was Pfleuger on his reel was the handle nothing more but it had very similar characteristics as yours. I believe it also may have had a pull handle! It may have been by the same maker. I never purchased it and never heard of it again. ..regardless a very cool reel!
Tight Lines Nick in NY Holzman reels collector
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john elder
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Re: Unknown 16/0 reel

Post by john elder »

Super reel, John and thanks for a great post! I have to say that after looking again, that foot just screams Kovalovsky! I'm not saying he did it, since nothing else does, but i think whoever made it went to school on Arthur's reels!
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Deepfins791
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Re: Unknown 16/0 reel

Post by Deepfins791 »

Larry Lauve photographed that reel many years ago. Maybe he could help with the history.

John
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54bullseye
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Re: Unknown 16/0 reel

Post by 54bullseye »

Well I guess that reel has been around the country a few times as Ed owned it years back and he doesn't remember who bought it from him but it wasn't Steve ! Steve said Larry had been after it for a while. I wonder what happened to that rod clamp in pic I would like to have it !! I will call Larry and pic his brain. Thanks for the info John !!! John Taylor
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reeltackle
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Re: Unknown 16/0 reel

Post by reeltackle »

Its great to see that reel again, thanks for sharing John! Here are the photos I took of the reel back in 2002 when I found it. I don't remember who I bought it from but I do not believe that it was another collector. I believe the reel was a field find but I could not say for sure. I also do not remember who I sold it to but I will try and check my records.

This is the only example I have ever seen of this reel and it really is unique unto itself and I would not attribute it to any know maker. The reel is held together with internal hex screws so I initially thought it was a later reel until I did a little research and found that hex screws were being produced as early as 1910. The drag lever action is reminiscent of the Fin-Nor reel and also a bit like the Kovalovsky "Zane Grey". If I were to guess on the time period it was made I would say the mid 1950s.

The reels finish is similar to your gym locker if you were around back in the 60s and 70s. It is a shame that it was not marked with the owners name. Over the years I have had numerous high quality reels that were unmarked by the maker. All I can think of is that perhaps their designs infringed on some existing patent and they did not want to get in a patent dispute.





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Dr. Rob
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Re: Unknown 16/0 reel

Post by Dr. Rob »

Very interesting. Thanks for showing!
What a curious blend of elements and influences. As Chris mentioned, the drag consists of repurposed automotive or industrial clutch components, no doubt about that. ( I have been saving a stack of them m'self, for similar reasons). This leads me to believe that this dictated the substantial size of the reel. The clutch was of such size, and so thusly...
There is nothing indicative of any particular time period as far as i can see. Could be 60's, 70's, 80's... anything.
Really neat piece. I'm a little curious about how the clutch actuating mechanism works.

.
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54bullseye
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Re: Unknown 16/0 reel

Post by 54bullseye »

Dr.Rob
I never took the clutch activating assembly apart it worked perfect and I have gotten in trouble with springs flying and ball bearings falling out blindly so where it worked good I left it alone "but I to wondered what made it tick" Lol !~~! The Drags needed attention they work great now. John Taylor
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m3040c
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Re: Unknown 16/0 reel

Post by m3040c »

I find the story contained in this post amazing and the cast of owners and travels of this reel also amazing. The most unusual trait of this reel is the fact that it is direct drive. That can be a tell of a home made "One Off" reel. I cannot think of one big game maker that uses Direct Drive other than the oversized fly reels like a Fortuna.
The stand is a Kovalovsky copy. The handle can also be seen as a Kovalovsky design. If I had to say anything positive, I would say "Experimental". I feel that the pedigreed of it ownership is a very important piece of its history. Absolutely fantastic piece John, it could not be with a more dedicated collector!!
mike cass,,, if you can't collect it, it must be food
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john elder
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Re: Unknown 16/0 reel

Post by john elder »

Mike, several others have used direct drive or when wanting to multiply, did so as to keep it retrieving “from the bottom of the reel, including Fin-nor, Stevens, Garey, the mentioned Hardy, and Schaffer that I can immediately pull up...probably more. Certainly seems like a lot of cranking but patience is the byword when pulling in a Grander.
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m3040c
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Re: Unknown 16/0 reel

Post by m3040c »

Mike, several others have used direct drive or when wanting to multiply, did so as to keep it retrieving “from the bottom of the reel, including Fin-nor, Stevens, Garey, the mentioned Hardy, and Schaffer that I can immediately pull up...probably more. Certainly seems like a lot of cranking but patience is the byword when pulling in a Grander.
I have to study more...……………………<:O(
mike cass,,, if you can't collect it, it must be food
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Re: Unknown 16/0 reel

Post by DC_Photog »

Amazing piece of history, John, thanks for sharing!
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