100+ year old snelled hooks w/ gut leaders

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
Mike N
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3763
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 1:50 pm
Location: WV

100+ year old snelled hooks w/ gut leaders

Post by Mike N »

Here are a few century-plus old snelled hooks in triangle packaging. The “snell” knot is a hitch knot used to attach a gut leader through the eye to the shaft of a hook. Hooks tied with a snell knot provide an even, straight-line pull.

Some here have “double” gut leaders and others are single gut leaders. Gut leaders are actually strands of pure silk from the “gut” of a silk worm. Most were made in England, but the small pack in the middle was sold by Wm. Mills & Son, NY.

Mike N.
ORCA Founder, 1990
Richard Lodge
Super Board Poster
Posts: 1199
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2003 10:00 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Re: 100+ year old snelled hooks w/ gut leaders

Post by Richard Lodge »

If these are from the "gut" of the silkworm, where does the term "cat gut" come from, Michael? That always puzzled me (and worried me, when I looked at my cats) but I never bothered to ask Google. So I will "Michael" the question, instead.
;-
User avatar
Mike N
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3763
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 1:50 pm
Location: WV

Re: 100+ year old snelled hooks w/ gut leaders

Post by Mike N »

Richard Lodge wrote: Mon Jul 13, 2020 5:25 pm If these are from the "gut" of the silkworm, where does the term "cat gut" come from, Michael? That always puzzled me (and worried me, when I looked at my cats) but I never bothered to ask Google. So I will "Michael" the question, instead.
;-
From Forbes magazine September 2018

“ The word catgut is derived from the term kitgut or kitstring (the string used on a kit, or fiddle). Misinterpretation of the word kit as referring to a young cat led to the use of the term catgut.

[Nowadays, catgut comes mostly from the intestines of cows, sheep pigs and horses.]

“At slaughterhouses, the intestines are usually slit in half, thirds, or quarters, lengthwise. This would make different thicknesses for different uses. These are then soaked in a series of solutions and caustic solvents, which dissolves away all the tissue except for the strong collagen fibers. Once all these fibers are clean and pure, it is then stretched, twisted, and allowed to dry under tension. What remains is catgut string; pound for pound, one of the strongest strings there is.“

There are three main industries where catgut is still used.

1. surgical suture material; today replaced with newer materials, though still used, mainly in Third World countries.
2. Tennis racket strings;
3. Violin strings.
Mike N.
ORCA Founder, 1990
User avatar
RonG
Super Board Poster
Posts: 1468
Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2003 8:49 pm
Location: Frostproof, FL
Contact:

Re: 100+ year old snelled hooks w/ gut leaders

Post by RonG »

I didn't know that.
Post Reply