Many of us love engraved reels, especially those that show a lineage of several past owners and dates. It’s great provenance and was quite common at the turn of the 20th century.
I recently saw a fairly common Shakespeare reel on eBay engraved as a gift in 1929. It really gave the reel a personal history.
Has anyone thought of personalized engraving of favorite antique reel or two that has been in their collection for a few decades? It certainly can’t hurt the value if done well and would be cool to see that prior ownership 50 years from now. I assume those engraving kiosks at the mall or a local jeweler could do it.
Any thoughts on whether this would be cool or be a sacrilege? Does a reel’s owner in 2017 have the same right to engrave his/her name on the reel as the owner did in 1929?
Well, the Todd Larson book "My Best Kentucky Reel" is all about the original owner (Dr. Preston Scott) of a BF Meek Number 8 reel passing it onto Joseph Jefferson, Esq. Both owners are engraved, along with appropriate inscriptions. The reel later passed to Grover Cleveland.
I guess I don't have any issues with owners and users of reels who inscribe them, but I would not prefer any reel that had a collector name inscribed. I guess there could be exceptions. I would make an exception for anyone that inscribed my name on a really nice Ky Reel and then presented it to me for all the great things I do. But it would probably devalue the reel somewhat, unless there is a really good story to go along with it. Or I became really famous, probably for nefarious reasons.
Matt Wickham
Collector of Casting Weights, KY Reels and KY Tackle
Now there's an interesting question and one that I don't recall surfacing on Reel Talk, in the past. There will be as many answers to that one, as there are reels.
IMHO...Any present day owner of any reel, has the right to do whatever they see fit. However from a practical/collector viewpoint, I would think that as long as the reel being engraved is of little intrinsic value, adding an engraving "post manufacture" would not help/hurt value. For family or friends, it might increase heritage value or family provinance, but intrinsic value to the general public....probably not.
It might be a nice touch when passing an old reel down through 3-4 generations. I've thought of adding a plate on my Grandfather's old hunting rifle. Something in brass with his name and dates, my name and dates and space for three or four generations after that. That rifle is really of no significant value to anyone outside the family. Made in 1917, a plate with 2017 on it may some day help add lineage value.
Then there's high end reels, of significant value. Unless purchased "new" today, I wouldn't be engraving anything onto one. That would likely hurt the value. The same goal could be acheived by including a paper trail, reflecting historical provinance with the reel in question. That way, you don't hurt the original finish/patina and you accomplish the same affect via documentation.
- My 2 Cents -
Rick Heitman
- Bad Casts, backlash, no bites? Check the Nut holding the rod !! -
Certainly a quality original engraving on an antique reel improves its value, by making the past connection stronger.
Similar to having a rod or reel with an inked hang-tag and the original owner's name and address
Having a collection reel on the shelf and having it newly engraved could start a bad trend that in more ways than one cuts the connection with the past.
Similar bad form would be having a rod restorer ink you name onto an antique cane rod.
I totally agree with Ron. But let's not forget...a rod, reel, rifle or apple peeler from 1850 (in original condition) holds more value than one from 1950....and always will. Did the engraving of the Shakespeare in 1929 hurt the value of that reel....depends on who's interested in it today. Did it hurt value or increase value? Depends on who's interested in it today. Some would likely not touch it, others might pay an arm and a leg for it.
But if you took the same reel from the same year (in the same condition) and engraved "To Ron M. Christmas 2017" onto it......what happens? That same person, will likely put it back on the table and move on. Not that Ron isn't a great guy....although he'd likely shoot me with my Grandfathers rifle, if I did that to one of his reels (or one of mine for that matter).
Upon Review.....Ron would likely beat me with the rifle....and save a perfectly good bullet.
Rick Heitman
- Bad Casts, backlash, no bites? Check the Nut holding the rod !! -
In 1929, the engraving devalued the reel compared to purchasing another new reel.
The opposite might be true of a presentation reel given, e.g., for Tournament win.
The quality engraving certainly endeared the reel to its recipient.
In 2029 (and today), the original engraved reel will be (is) worth considerably more than a like reel without the engraving, because it carries the link to the joyous recipient.
Once a reel can't be purchased new, the original engraving should increase the reel's value.
Adding a new engraving to a vintage or antique reel (or cane rod) is just kind of narcissistic.
There was a period when people would use one of those little vibratory engravers to put their social security number on reels in case it was stolen. Can you imagine. I have a few reels where someone's name is scrawled in with a nail or awl or something. Just because the engraver has good penmanship does not mean it is desirable.
-steve
oc1 wrote:There was a period when people would use one of those little vibratory engravers to put their social security number on reels in case it was stolen. Can you imagine. I have a few reels where someone's name is scrawled in with a nail or awl or something. Just because the engraver has good penmanship does not mean it is desirable.
-steve
Boy, that was a flashback to one of my uncles, retired Army, wounded in N. Africa in WW II fighting Rommel. Everything metal thing he owned, and I mean everything, he etched with his last name with one of those little engravers. [As an aside, he complained one day that a neighbor had more bumper stickers on his car than he did. So the next day I found myself helping him bolt a 6’ piece of 2x12” board onto his rear bumper. Game over. A very competitive man, indeed. I miss those old timers.]
The reel on ebay belongs to me. As does the photo I took of it. I assume you guys know there is a sub-set of collectors that specialize in collecting old reels of any make or model that are engraved. And certain engravings are more desirable than others. If I remember correctly, the reel I have on ebay is a Model 1924 Shakespeare Standard Professional, german silver, and was one of Shakespeare's top of the line reels back in the day. But somewhat common so far as collector items go.
But the ebay reel is a one of a kind. The only one like it in the whole world:-))And I would not mind keeping it if I did not need to downsize a little. I've always been a fan of personalized fishing gear. This is a pic of one of my favorites.
Maybe a mark that shows whose collection the reel was part of may be a valuable addition some day when the collector becomes famous. How valuable is a basic unmarked late 19th century brass Conroy-ish ball handle reel? How valuable would it be if it had a mark that showed it was owned by Theodore Gordon or James Henshall?
Mike...back to your original question. YES, the current owner of any reel has an absolute right to do anything they'd like, to any reel that they have in their collection. And don't let anyone ever tell you, that you don't. Just ask yourself first...."Is this my reel, or does it belong to the generations to come?"
Note: I do not condone what the mad doctor did when he created Frankenstein, but 'ol' Frank today, is one of a kind." He ain't human anymore, but he's definitely unique. Loved by some, feared by others.
We can only share personal opinions.....it's YOU that has the answer.
Rick Heitman
- Bad Casts, backlash, no bites? Check the Nut holding the rod !! -
This is a great thread. I've always been drawn to engraved reels because they really are personal tools at that point. Someone cared enough about 1) the reel itself; 2) the person the reel was given or presented to or 3) the act of giving the reel to have it engraved. I did a quick google search on the presenter of the Shakespeare reel Mike started the thread with. The name Harley Prickett comes up here: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/128170152 having lived from 1888-1968, and is buried in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The date range seems right for this reel. Who knows is this could be the same Harley Prickett? But it's interesting to ponder.
Richard Lodge wrote:This is a great thread. I've always been drawn to engraved reels because they really are personal tools at that point. Someone cared enough about 1) the reel itself; 2) the person the reel was given or presented to or 3) the act of giving the reel to have it engraved. I did a quick google search on the presenter of the Shakespeare reel Mike started the thread with. The name Harley Prickett comes up here: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/128170152 having lived from 1888-1968, and is buried in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The date range seems right for this reel. Who knows is this could be the same Harley Prickett? But it's interesting to ponder.
Richard— thanks. I have always loved research that connects a real person to an old reel. Search engines make any serious effort more fruitful and efficient than ever. I will always pick a reel engraved with the name of an original owner over one that does not have that provenance.
I have seen many EVH reels the have fancy cursive engraving, filled with red paint/ink ( some usually lost or covered, with time) like shown here. It is consistent enough that I wonder if VH offered that as a service? Anyone seen an ad that indicated they did?
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
This thread might have turned into more "show and tell" than anything else, but it's fun.
Here's a neat brass English reel I picked up a few months ago on -Bay. I've showed it on the board before, but it fits this theme (although no way can I ever top Ron's amazing engraved Kentucky reels! ).
This was owned by Dr. William Smith, who lived or worked on Dowgate Hill in London and died in 1848, according to an edition of the Medical Times newspaper of the time.
I like dates marked on old reels. The dates on this reel are just 3-4 years later than the production of this Hardy Silex (marked internally with a Dingley D mark). I would like to learn the story behind this unusual inscription.
[quote="Paul M"]*** I would like to learn the story behind this unusual inscription.
Paul- Hkamti is a town in northwestern Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). I would hazard a guess that this was a presentation between either British soldiers or railroad employees.
From the book The Soldier's Burden: “In 1914 Burma, now named Myanmar, was a British possession that had been taken by conquest over a 60 year period from the 1820s to the 1880s. Burma was made a Province of British India and ruled from Rangoon on the southern coast.”
