The purpose of this post is to alert collectors to the possibility of reels on the market with fake/forged/fantasy markings to make it look like a Meek Kentucky style reel. (I am assuming this specimen has nothing to do with the transition from Meek to Horton). This may be old news to some of the longer term reel collectors in this forum but it is a first for me.
A Facebook friend in the UK showed this reel that he has had for about 20 years asking questions about it's history and value. It came from a flea market and it looks like somebody tried to make it look valuable. At first glance, just seeing the outside, I didn't notice the problems but had some concerns, like the font used to mark the "3" and the lack of a serial number. "Stig" also saw the FB posts and raised a red flag based on the handle and exterior details. The reel was opened to see the guts and the Pflueger witness mark on the main gear stood out to me. I assume that this a fake/forgery/fantasy made from a Pflueger reel. The owner would be interested in replacing the faceplate with a plain one (I don't know how easy it would be to get one that fits). He likes the reel but not if it is a fake. One of my big concerns is that this was done decades ago so she knows how many are out there?
Last edited by Paul M on Thu May 25, 2017 3:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ha! Check out those witness marks on the gear! Don Champion did an expose on that as a marker for Pflueger reels...I agree with Ron...a shame, given it's such a nice reel and would probably bring more than the average #3 L-ville reel to the right collector!
ORCA member since 1999 Honorary Life Member
Specializing in saltwater reels...and fly reels...and oh, yeah, kentucky style reels.....and those tiny little RP reels.....oh, heck...i collect fishing reels!...and fly rods....and lures
