Penn sideplate art

ORCA Online Forum - Feel free to talk or ask about ALL kinds of old tackle here, with an emphasis on old reels!
Post Reply
Shellbelly
Advanced Board Poster
Posts: 246
Joined: Thu May 20, 2021 2:21 pm

Penn sideplate art

Post by Shellbelly »

I have been working on several Penn X49's and noticed subtle differences in the engraving. I put the plates under a magnifier and pick out the little klingons with a wooden skewer. Examples are cloud formations, number of birds, slight differences in the boats. I want to believe these changes could help date the reel plate, not necessarily the reel since I'm not the original owner. Anyone noticed this? Yep, kinda geeky, but it's a reel thing that I can't shake off. New guy today so no decorations yet.
User avatar
m3040c
Ultra Board Poster
Posts: 2485
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 10:52 pm
Location: Long Island, New York

Re: Penn sideplate art

Post by m3040c »

The Penn 49 side plate you are describing was used from 1939 to 1951. That is a time span of 13 years. Because of the war, 3 productions years are lost. So the tail plate you are looking at had ten actual production years of pre and post war products. I never put them under a microscope to see variations but it makes sense that there were some.

Here is a 1941 Model 49 Tail plate.


Here is a post-war 1950's plate.


This is a 1950's Model 49A, Export model.


In 1952, The Penn Model 49 Deep Sea Reel became the Penn Model 49 Super Mariner, changing the tail plate for the next 50 or so years.


Since these reels were very good selling products, the had to be many engraved molds Penn was using, so variations were very possible or even probable. Maybe you can post photos of variations you have found.
mike cass,,, if you can't collect it, it must be food
Shellbelly
Advanced Board Poster
Posts: 246
Joined: Thu May 20, 2021 2:21 pm

Re: Penn sideplate art

Post by Shellbelly »

For some as yet unknown reasons, I'm not able to drag/drop any file types of photos from my desktop into a post or my profile. In any event, my 249's and 49's are each the same and specific to the model #. The 149's have the differences. I misspoke about the birds, all plates, so far, have 5. When I find the right, early convertible 349 I'll move along into an earnest hunt for a Sailfisher. Thank you for sharing your reels and the info about them. I can almost see other folks bringing down theirs to look at the graphics!
User avatar
RonG
Super Board Poster
Posts: 1468
Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2003 8:49 pm
Location: Frostproof, FL
Contact:

Re: Penn sideplate art

Post by RonG »

Uploading photos to this message board is easy. Follow the step by step example in the link below. You have to be in the "Full Editor and Preview" mode by clicking on the link in the posting block.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=15596

Ron
Shellbelly
Advanced Board Poster
Posts: 246
Joined: Thu May 20, 2021 2:21 pm

Re: Penn sideplate art

Post by Shellbelly »





These two 149 plates show the differences. One is a used plate and the other is NOS. Note the differences of the inside as well. What date range do you think these are in? On yours, the clicker is different...just another Penn thing that keeps us on our toes.
User avatar
Wayne B.
Super Board Poster
Posts: 1024
Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2009 7:46 am
Location: Virginia Beach
Contact:

Re: Penn sideplate art

Post by Wayne B. »

My guess is the art is the same on both end plates. The one with less detail can either be wear on the end plate or wear on the mold resulting in the differences in detail.
Wayne Benson
ORCA Member, 2009
Waynesreelcollectibles.weebly.com
Shellbelly
Advanced Board Poster
Posts: 246
Joined: Thu May 20, 2021 2:21 pm

Re: Penn sideplate art

Post by Shellbelly »

Hi Wayne. I wish the pictures and lighting were better. The plates are pretty crisp. Do you have any ideas about the timing of the differences in the inside. One is wide open and the other isn't. I'm not trying to go nowhere with this query. I want to be able to authenticate things and make them as true as possible while we still have parts in the world. I keep a spreadsheet on significant changes I have to make to bring a reel back where it belongs. I can't fix 'em all, but maybe I can fix mine and learn more stuff. There are so many frankenreels out there. Handles, for example are a nightmare. Thank you for stopping by! Your site is a great reference for me. I'll soon start a 130 Sailfisher project and will have questions for the group.
User avatar
john elder
Star Board Poster
Posts: 8541
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 2:44 pm

Re: Penn sideplate art

Post by john elder »

This is little help with your 49 question other than the time frame is probably the same, but i thought this early Penn 155 side plate art was particularly striking. Have had s number of 155s over the years but this is the first of this vintage i recall:


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
Shellbelly
Advanced Board Poster
Posts: 246
Joined: Thu May 20, 2021 2:21 pm

Re: Penn sideplate art

Post by Shellbelly »

Thank you John! Striking is exactly appropriate in both fishing and artwork terms for that 155 and many others. I've wondered who was the Penn person assigned to decorate plates. There had to have been sketches and where are those? So many questions about these plates. It's kind of surreal to hold them. Somebody out there is saying, "c'mon guys, it's just a hunk of bakelite." Ha....
Richard Lodge
Super Board Poster
Posts: 1199
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2003 10:00 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Penn sideplate art

Post by Richard Lodge »

Hmmm.... I think my spider-sense is telling me there is a Reel News article in that Penn endplate artwork.
Post Reply