Imperial spinning reel

[Steve]

The Imperial 711 is marked "Made in U.S.A." According to Ben's 2011 edition, pg. 192, it was made by Langley, ca. 1959, while other Imperials were made in Japan. Does anyone have any more info on this creature? Seems unusual for the Japanese to outsource their manufacturing.

[Midway Tommy D]

I don't think it was outsourced by the Japanese. As best I can tell Langley produced trade reels for a couple of companies. There's not much info on how or where they were sold but along with the black Imperial 711 Langley manufactured a red Penquin 100, '59 (2011 Edition pg 306) and a black Spin Chief 150, '59 (2011 Edition pg 382). All 3 had the same body style and used Langley 777 internal parts but the 3 bodies are shaped a little different than the Langley and Zebco 777s. Zebco bought out Langley's reel manufacturing in 1962. I have always theorized that Zebco had no interest in continuing the manufacture of those 3 models after the Langley purchase so the Imperial and Penquin models were modified and then made by the Japanese. It seems the Spin Chief just faded into obscurity. I suppose, though, since information about these reels is so scarce, that there's a slight possibility Langley provided only the internal parts and some other company manufactured the bodies. Nevertheless, I'm sure the Zebco purchase was a major factor in ceasing production of those models.

Below are some pics for comparison. As you can see the bodies of the Imperial, Penquin & Spin Chief have a distinctly different shape than the Langley & Zebco 777s:

[Steve]

Thanks, Tom!

[john elder]

Well, this doesn't address Steve's question, but is close enough to the Langley mix that i thought i'd add it. I picked up this combo that I thought might have a story... Langley-designed 830 in a Langley 830 box, but labeled as a Zebco 830! Seems sales wait for no man!

[colby sorrells]

I'll get the Missouri Kid to join in on this discussion. John, is your 830 a full bail or pig tail? Colby

[Alan Baracco]

Langley Peeps,

Well Colby, I guess we have to add Tom's name as an author for "LANGLEY FIELD TESTED TACKLE", very good description of how the Spin Chief, Penguin & Imperial came to be as Langley trade reels.

Colby and I described what we knew at the time we wrote the BOOK, Page 68. We had not seen an example of the Imperial at that time, but will cover it in a BOOK update we (mostly Colby, since it is hard to write and do research while balancing a laptop, drink a Mai Tai and watch the sunset at Poipu Beach all at the same time, Aloha!).

As Colby and Dr.Todd know, I have questioned when these reels were made, who made them and who they were made for, not having any definitive evidence of any of that. Since Langley introduced the Model 777 in 1959, it would have to have been after that. Spin Chief was a registered Trademark of Berkley Co., but not for reels, and the image on the reel is not the image on the TM. Likewise, Penguin was a Trademark for Western Hoegee Co., but not for the image of the penguin on the reel and the TM was not for reels. Imperial was a Trademark for a company in SF, CA which slips my impaired brain at the moment, but not the same image as on the reel. The Japanese Penguins are common and entirely different than the US made reel.

A box is known for the Penguin, but it has no identifying Company on it, neither does the box papers. If anyone has a box for the others, we would like to know.

Tom points out some of the possibilities, made by Langley as Trade reels, continued by ZEBCO (not likely in my opinion), made with Model 777 parts by former Langley employees after 1962, etc. The search goes on for definitive asnswers.

Colby posted this just to cut into my beach time, I am sure, but I am returning to the job at hand as soon as I post this.

Alan (also known as MK)

[Midway Tommy D]

Thanks for the expanding on my suppositions, Alan. One of the oddities about those 3 models, and body styles, that has always intrigued me is that their manufacture seemed to all of a sudden just vanish.

[Alan Baracco]

Tom,

Another possibility....if the WERE made by Langley the sale to ZEBCO in 1962 would have sent all of the parts (for all Langley tackle being made at that time) to the landfill. Although we have not been able to verify the actual deal between the companies, there is no evidence that ANY Langley tackle was sold after 1962. An employee did take over the repair business.

Think of a couple of semis pulling up to the San Diego dump with Dynamatics, Dynaflos, closed face spin cast reels, etc. All in nice shiny boxes!!! Oh, and a few hundred cases of Matador lures!

As Colby would say, keepin' it fun.

MK

[john elder]

Colby, it's a full bail.

j

[Alan Baracco]

Deke,

Hard to say if your Model 830 package came out of the ZEBCO factory but I doubt it. Langley produced the 830 from 1956 to 1959, then changed to the 830A in 1960 and the 860B in 1962. These latter two reels came in different colors that the maroon 830. I do not know off the top of my head if the 830A and 830B had their own boxes, but you probably have a 1956-59 box and a post 1962 reel. Both in great shape.

Let me know if anyone has 830A and 830B boxes.

This is an informative thread, in my opinion, thanks to Steve for getting it rolling.

Alan

[Midway Tommy D]

Every time I try to convince myself that Langley provided the internal parts for these 3 reels to some other maker I always come back to the textured finish. Langley had the red textured on the 830 (below) similar to the Penquin and they used the black texture like the Imperial & Spin Chief on multiple models, i.e. 777, R810, 822H. I really think those 3 reels almost surely came out through the Langley assembly line.

[Steve]

This is an informative thread, in my opinion, thanks to Steve for getting it rolling.

Alan, I welcome a chance to display my ignorance.

[john elder]

Tommy, for what it's worth, my black 830 has a textured finish, so i don't know what that says re where it was manufactured. This came out of a small sell-off of grandpa's tackle at a garage sale here in San Diego. In my quest to make an interesting story, i envisioned it being made in the death throes of the Langley operation here...put in a leftover Langley box, and eventually sold or given to Grandpa Whomever. Might this have been a Proof-of-Principle reel made for/by the new owners? Perhaps the timing just doesn't work and it is as Alan suggests, a blend of two eras. I just thought, given the hodgepodge of tackle, hardly any of it in boxes, it was really odd this reel would be in a "correct" model box.

[Midway Tommy D]

Zebco used the "crinkled" (Zebco's terminology) finish on all their converted Langley models except, I think, the large 870. Every Zebco 870 Spinator I have seen had the shiny "baked enamel" (again per Zebco) finish. Zebco used the "crinkled" finish on their 777, 850, 822, 830 & 860 models. Zebco also used shiny "baked enamel", along with the 870, on their later 822 & 830 models.