Does anybody know anything about this reel. I was told it was made by the KALAMAZOO FISHING TACKLE CO. which was aquired by SHAKESPEARE in the early 1900's.
Willie
Baytown,Tx.
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Old Reel
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Harvey
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Wilie,
You are somewhat correct. It is a Shakespeare trade reel and it was sold thru Kalamazoo Tackle Company. Shakespeare did purchase the KTC in the early 1900's from Bert and Jay Rhodes but they disolved the company at that time. In the early 30's, Shakespeare started KTC so to sell to the jobbers and for an out in selling trade reels. Your reel was from the 60's timeframe.
Hope this helps a little.
Harvey
You are somewhat correct. It is a Shakespeare trade reel and it was sold thru Kalamazoo Tackle Company. Shakespeare did purchase the KTC in the early 1900's from Bert and Jay Rhodes but they disolved the company at that time. In the early 30's, Shakespeare started KTC so to sell to the jobbers and for an out in selling trade reels. Your reel was from the 60's timeframe.
Hope this helps a little.
Harvey
Do I have this straight?
Harvey:
I don't collect KTC or Shakespeare but am always interested in reel lore. From reading your post it sounds like Shakespeare bought KTC dissolved it, then started it again. It that correct? Just curious.
Dave
I don't collect KTC or Shakespeare but am always interested in reel lore. From reading your post it sounds like Shakespeare bought KTC dissolved it, then started it again. It that correct? Just curious.
Dave
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Harvey
- Super Board Poster
- Posts: 1086
- Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2003 6:17 pm
- Location: Ft. Lauderdale
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Correct!
The original Kalamazoo Tackle Company was owned by two brothers, Bert and Jay Rhodes and an uncle Fred. They were in business of making lures by at least 1896 because it was Jay that invented the "Gem Clip" or paper clip hook hangers for baits. Story goes that they used plate hardware at the world's fair in Chicago and was selling Rhodes baits. They ran out of hardware so Jay went to a piano factory and bought some piano wire and fashioned the Gem Clip. sometime later, the Rhodes boys sold out to William Jr and he obtained the patent for that hardware. (I don't remember the dates in my head but it was somewhere around 1904/5/6)
Uncle Fred went to work for Shakespeare and the other two went into the oil business supplying the machining and auto industry with lubrication. (And William probably lubricated all three in the buying of their company!) Jay Rhodes became quite an inventor with over 100 patents by the time if his death in 1926. His most famous was the 'Dripless Oil Spout"
There is a law suite that involves Enterprise and Shakespeare around that same time over this hardware. Maybe the Pflueger guys can help on that one.
So, The KTC is no longer around but Shakespeare still retained the rights to the name. Around 1934, Shakespeare set up a shell company in order to sell tackle to jobbers and the trade reel industry. Shakespeare had always sold retail , but they saw the competition making great strides in the jobber market. They just changed the design a little to their existing reels to save money and sold them thru KTC. All the reels were made in the kalamazoo factory but the offices were acrossed the street from the plant. This practice lasted till the late fifties.
Hope this cleared the fog somewhat.
Harvey
The original Kalamazoo Tackle Company was owned by two brothers, Bert and Jay Rhodes and an uncle Fred. They were in business of making lures by at least 1896 because it was Jay that invented the "Gem Clip" or paper clip hook hangers for baits. Story goes that they used plate hardware at the world's fair in Chicago and was selling Rhodes baits. They ran out of hardware so Jay went to a piano factory and bought some piano wire and fashioned the Gem Clip. sometime later, the Rhodes boys sold out to William Jr and he obtained the patent for that hardware. (I don't remember the dates in my head but it was somewhere around 1904/5/6)
Uncle Fred went to work for Shakespeare and the other two went into the oil business supplying the machining and auto industry with lubrication. (And William probably lubricated all three in the buying of their company!) Jay Rhodes became quite an inventor with over 100 patents by the time if his death in 1926. His most famous was the 'Dripless Oil Spout"
There is a law suite that involves Enterprise and Shakespeare around that same time over this hardware. Maybe the Pflueger guys can help on that one.
So, The KTC is no longer around but Shakespeare still retained the rights to the name. Around 1934, Shakespeare set up a shell company in order to sell tackle to jobbers and the trade reel industry. Shakespeare had always sold retail , but they saw the competition making great strides in the jobber market. They just changed the design a little to their existing reels to save money and sold them thru KTC. All the reels were made in the kalamazoo factory but the offices were acrossed the street from the plant. This practice lasted till the late fifties.
Hope this cleared the fog somewhat.
Harvey
Thanks Harvey
Thanks Harvey! Most interesting. Still foggy though, might be the couple of toddies I have had tonight. Better than pills and Doc says two a day won't hurt me. Some days I have more, missed a few days from birth to 18, (not many since though!)
Dave
Dave