I tend to prefer American made stuff but I'm a sucker for old reels in nice shape. I recently acquired two nice old Japanese spinners that appear to be unused.
One is marked Fjord and the other Olympic Atlantis 2800.
Any information on these reels would be appreciated.
Here are some pics.
Japanese Spinners Fjord and Olympic Atlantis 2800
- john elder
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Re: Japanese Spinners Fjord and Olympic Atlantis 2800
“Mimicry is the sincerest form of flattery”. I suspect that if they are like other Japanese copies I have had, they work well and would certainly outlast the plastic “disposable” reels sold now.
ORCA member since 1999
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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: Japanese Spinners Fjord and Olympic Atlantis 2800
Fjord is an American trade name for a company on the West Coast who's name escapes me right now.
Olympic was an innovative Japanese reel maker best known for first popularizing the skirted spool spinning reel. Several pro anglers I know (of very big reputation) were sponsored by American reel makers in the 1970s and 1980s and used their sponsored reels on camera; the second the camera went off, they switched to Olympics. The Olympic OM-40 is one of the finest light spinning reels I ever used. These were not cheap imports, but precursors of the high end Japanese reels we see so often today.
Olympic was an innovative Japanese reel maker best known for first popularizing the skirted spool spinning reel. Several pro anglers I know (of very big reputation) were sponsored by American reel makers in the 1970s and 1980s and used their sponsored reels on camera; the second the camera went off, they switched to Olympics. The Olympic OM-40 is one of the finest light spinning reels I ever used. These were not cheap imports, but precursors of the high end Japanese reels we see so often today.
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Re: Japanese Spinners Fjord and Olympic Atlantis 2800
Seems like a Japanese company in the 30's started making many different names in Reels (copies and their own ) which eventually evolved to include Fjord,Dolphin.Compac,Olympic, and a Gob of others which as I recall and definitely a Maybe is now Daiwa .
- Midway Tommy D
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Re: Japanese Spinners Fjord and Olympic Atlantis 2800
It's a tangled web they weaved in the early days manufacturing and naming fishing reels over there Japan. Open yours up and show us their innards, Skip. Sometimes that tells a lot about the origin. Many are basically the same reels with different sideplate names and/or emblems. Most were cheaply made with standard pot metal gearing, but some were higher quality worm gear designs.
I pretty sure you're referencing Ueno Seiko Co., Ltd. You can see some history and evolution timelines over here.Harry Verdurchi wrote:Seems like a Japanese company in the 30's started making many different names in Reels (copies and their own ) which eventually evolved to include Fjord,Dolphin.Compac,Olympic, and a Gob of others which as I recall and definitely a Maybe is now Daiwa .
Love those Open Face Spinning Reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco)
Tom DeLong, NE
ORCA Member - 2027
Tom DeLong, NE
ORCA Member - 2027
Re: Japanese Spinners Fjord and Olympic Atlantis 2800
**Midway Tommy D wrote:It's a tangled web they weaved in the early days manufacturing and naming fishing reels over there Japan. Open yours up and show us their innards, Skip. Sometimes that tells a lot about the origin. Many are basically the same reels with different sideplate names and/or emblems. Most were cheaply made with standard pot metal gearing, but some were higher quality worm gear designs.
I pretty sure you're referencing Ueno Seiko Co., Ltd. You can see some history and evolution timelines over here.Harry Verdurchi wrote:Seems like a Japanese company in the 30's started making many different names in Reels (copies and their own ) which eventually evolved to include Fjord,Dolphin.Compac,Olympic, and a Gob of others which as I recall and definitely a Maybe is now Daiwa .
Looks like brass pinions and cast crowns.
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- Midway Tommy D
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Re: Japanese Spinners Fjord and Olympic Atlantis 2800
Those look pretty standard for most of the Japanese made reels during that time frame, i.e. '60s & '70s.Looks like brass pinions and cast crowns.
Love those Open Face Spinning Reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco)
Tom DeLong, NE
ORCA Member - 2027
Tom DeLong, NE
ORCA Member - 2027
Re: Japanese Spinners Fjord and Olympic Atlantis 2800
What John the Elder said.
you can tune a piano,but you can't tuna fish.
Re: Japanese Spinners Fjord and Olympic Atlantis 2800
Interesting difference in the gears, though. the Fjord has an angle cut pinion and straight crown teeth. And the crown gear teeth are actually diamond-shaped, fatter in the middle than on the ends. Meanwhile the Olympic has straight cut teeth on the pinion and angle cut teeth on the crown, conventional in shape.Midway Tommy D wrote:Those look pretty standard for most of the Japanese made reels during that time frame, i.e. '60s & '70s.Looks like brass pinions and cast crowns.
I too agree with John Elder, these are solid reels and run smooth.