Meek #34 Free Spool

[Hank Mc]

Recently picked up a BF Meek and Sons # 34 Free Spool. I have seen #34 free spools before, but they were always Hortons. Was the Bf Meek and Sons #34 a low production reel? Just wondering

[Mike N]

Your reel was probably made before 1916.

From Ron Gast’s luresnreels.com website:

“There are three grades of reels marked "B.F. Meek & Sons." The most expensive were simply marked No. 2, No. 3, etc. The mid-grade reels were the Blue Grass line. They were marked Blue Grass No. 3, 4 or 5. The inexpensive line were take-apart-type reels and were marked with the No.'s 25, 33 or 34. The reels were marked "B.F. Meek & Sons" until 1916 when the company was sold to Horton Mfg. in Connecticut.”

[Bill Muth]

My recollection is that Meek introduced the No. 34 around 1915, just prior to the Horton acquisition in 1916. They are pretty scarce, but do turn up occasionally.