Ocean City Fortescue

[ak-fish]

A friend just brought by a German silver, 250 yard Ocean City Fortescue. It's a neat reel in pretty good condition -- mechanically perfect but with significant tarnish. He asked me to find out a value and age so I turn to the experts on the ORCA board. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[SWIM JIG]

cool-thumb yay-banana USA Well Lawsons third edition price book page 119 list them from $15.00 to $40.00 in excelent condition, myself I have always liked that reel, they are well built will do some serrious fish handling, and easy to maitain! To clean the surface tell him to get some semachrome or metal glo polish and some clean flanel cloth and start to polish it, it will clean up quite well ! he can get semichrome at most motrcycle shops or antique shops, or jewler shops. I have several of these reels and use them on Lake Erie . Col. M. lorens your OHIO conection, aka SWIM JIG

[Reel Geezer]

The January Issue of The Reel News has an article about the Fortescue. In it I explain the variations and values usually found for the reel.

[ak-fish]

Now I'm embarrassed! The January Reel News was sitting on my nightstand. How I missed that story I'll never know. And I'm not nearly as old as the reel. Thanks for a great story, Phil.

[Ron Mc]

IMO, any nickel-silver reel is a smart collectable because of their durability.