Beetzsel reel from Washington DC??

[john elder]

I thought I'd start this post over rather than tagging on an old post from 2004, in hopes of getting some dialogue rather than crickets. I went searching the archives after purchasing and cleaning up another Beetzsel reel...but interestingly, this one is not stamped as coming from Warren, O. or showing relationship with Shakes or Pfl or other; rather, the reel is stamped Washington, D.C. Now, I know I saw a bit of discussion somewhere about this and given the extensive info in this old thread:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1061

I thought sure it was here...but no mention of DC found. I hope someone else can add to that info. It shows 5 patents on the back plate: May 9, 1906, May 35, 1915, Jan 16, 1917, Oct 29, 1918, and Nov 26, 1918.

Here are the post-cleanup pics:








here are thumbnail pics of the reel before cleanup showing the mechanism. Note that the reel did not work in reverse and that turned out to be because someone had put the main gear in 180 degrees off: that little tang is supposed to be the stop at the levelwind gear and the arm stops at the main spindle when mounted properly. When the button is thrown, a post goes through that hole and makes contact with the spool to serve as a "drag"....as with all metal on metal drag mechanisms, this one does not work with much authority:

[Brian F.]

Would Redifor collector (John Savu?) know?

[john elder]

i'm sure he would...I was just going to see if I could inspire him to come enlighten us.

[Brian F.]

There is some previous discussion on a Washington DC reel: search.php?keywords=redifor+washington&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=all&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

[John Savu]

Nice BEETZSEL/BEATS ALL reel. There are a number of variations of Beetzsel reels. Earlier 1915 to circa 1921 variations had no tail plate clickers. The earliest variation , if ever produced, did not have a FALLING line guide, it was in a fixed position. There was a hard to find early version stamped "20-16 Warren, Ohio," with no fish insignia.

I have never found documentation showing when/if Redifor produced the Beetzsel, or when if Shakespeare produced said reels. If my memory is correct, Shakespeare started marketing them around 1925 with the double handle.

Harriet Taylor Upton, George's wife, was a suffragette who took her fight for equal rights for women to Washington DC when she was given a political job and of course George went with her. The earliest advertising for the Washington DC Beetzsel was in 1921. A 1922 advertisement shows another DC address. It appears to me that the Upton's marketed the DC Beetzsels for needed income. The DC Beetzsels I have seen had a tail plate clicker as did the later Shakespeares. I have no documentation showing where they were made. I would think George may have had some of the last Redifors stamped Washington DC and took them with him. It is unrealistic to think they were made in DC

George Upton died in 1923 and in 1924, Harriet appears to have tried to sue Shakespeare over a patent infringement. When Harriet died, the bulk of her estate, consisted of four Redifor patents.

Most of this comes from memory, so hopefully I am real close on the dates. John

[john elder]

Thanks, John! I am truly amazed at how many ways I managed to misspell that name! I went back and stuffed in that "s"

[Paul M]

Here is one I picked up today marked Washington DC and the condition looks excellent- not yet cleaned:

[Ron Mc]

you Beetzsel fans know the falling line guide has returned, right?

Daiwa TW System on new baitcasters.
Narrow line guide for retrieve, it falls forward, with a wide-open loop for casting