Wanted: James Haywood reels

[Richard Lodge]

The 2018 ORCA convention in Harpers Ferry was great, but there wasn't a Haywood reel to be found. If anyone has one they want to part with -- or has an old brass English reel that you think could be a Haywood reel -- please let me know. I'm including a couple pics to give you an idea of what a Haywood reel (sometimes marked H (star) R and the city of Birmingham written 'Birm'm." These reels are NFS.

Thanks!
Richard

[Paul M]

Nice BH! I have never seen one like that.

[Steve]

I've always hoped and prayed that this is American-made. Britishly influenced, perhaps? Richard, any chance of seeing the guts of the Haywood BH? Does it have a crank collar?

[Richard Lodge]

I can rip it apart later this week and I'll post photos then, Steve. It is a neat little Haywood.

[sdlehr]

Hmmm, a non-American ball handle reel..... I thought (based on previous posts read here) that BH reels were clearly US-made and definitely not British. It looks like that thought may need to be adjusted. Looking forward to the photos of the guts next weekend.

[Paul M]

Hmmm, a non-American ball handle reel..... I thought (based on previous posts read here) that BH reels were clearly US-made and definitely not British. It looks like that thought may need to be adjusted. Looking forward to the photos of the guts next weekend.

Sid, here is an illustration of a BH in a pre 1900 Heaton catalog:



[PS Oh yeah and there is a Kentucky style reel illustrated too.]

[Steve]

To add to the can of worms Richard opened: I asked a noted, but shy, authority if he had seen any British ball-handles like Richard's. His reply, along with two photos:

"Very interesting. The short answer is no, I haven't, at least not a multiplier. The photos attached show two single-action, ball-balanced-handle, sliding stop reels. The one on the right I'm pretty sure is American with all brass screws, brass post with no washer holding crank knob, a machined one-piece foot and painted wood crank knob; the stop slides into a hole drilled into the flattened ball. The one on the left looks very British (steel screws holding headplates, two-piece foot consisting of sheet metal foot attached to centrally-widened bridge by three iron or steel pins, supporting brass brass pins on either side of the screw holding the rear headplate) until you get to the crank. The balance ball on this one is also flattened but not pierced; the sliding stop simply blocks the crank. The crank knob is also held by a brass post, unusual in Brit reels; the posts were usually iron or steel, sometimes with brass washers, sometimes just peened over. American crank posts seem to have been mostly brass. The crank knob is rosewood and shaped in a very typical American way. Knobs on early Brit reels were very seldom hardwood, usually brass, bovine bone or ivory. The pillars on both reels are secured by rounded nuts. I'm not sure which way to go with this one. Both cranks appear to be original to the reels.

As for the Haywood shown, it's unusual for a Haywood reel for two reasons: first, the screw securing the crank is iron or steel and every Haywood reel I've seen, and I've seen a lot of them, has featured a brass screw; second, the crank knob is apparently bovine bone but oddly shaped and scribed for a later Haywood. (One of the few facts in Chapman's book that I found useful appear on the single page he dedicated to Haywood. He says that between about 1850 and 1860 a man named Ryder was involved in the Haywood business just before it tanked, hence the H*R.) These anomalies might indicate that the crank was a retrofit during the reel's working life. Replaced cranks are often found on these early reels, including a few Ustonson reels I've seen. It seems odd that, at this point, Haywood would cast these cranks exclusively for the American market, but it's not impossible.

Hope I've managed to confuse the issue. It sure confuses me."

Well, that unsettles that, eh?

[Richard Lodge]

OK, since none of you troglodytes are offering up Haywood reels for me to add to my tiny collection, and since Steve asked to see the inside of my ball-handle Haywood, I took it apart today. Be forewarned, it's pretty ugly in there, with some green crud, some ancient grease, and part of a ham sandwich James Haywood left in there the day he made the reel. But here you go. I welcome your observations (and your Haywoods )

[Steve]

More from our shy authority:
"I don't doubt that the reel's a Haywood (attachments) but the crank could be a replacement, maybe by an American owner. No way to tell.
PS. Campbell's Fly Fishing Tackle, pp 116, shows a large, most likely Brit, multiplying reel with a ball-balanced crank. He estimates 1855-65 but I would guess much later, maybe 1890s. This resembles the one shown in the Heaton ad."

[Steve]

part of a ham sandwich James Haywood left in there the day he made the reel.

Richard, I wanted to be sure that the sandwich had been invented in time to be partially left in a Haywood reel, so I did a little research. Haywood certainly could have been eating sandwiches, but what surprised me was that the sandwich was another Montagu invention.

[Richard Lodge]

Thanks for the info, Steve. Finding part of a "ham Portsmouth" inside the reel just doesn't sound quite right, eh?

[TimW]

Hi, Doing an internet search for Haywood reels I came across this old post of yours. I have a reel just like the one shown in the original post that I'm interested in selling.

BTW, there is a large auction of other antique rods and reels from the same collection here,

https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/Dis ... CAcuGk99uG

The Haywood reel that I have is not part of the auction, let me know if you're interested. Thanks.

[manoverboard626]

I have the same reel pictured as a reference photo, and another. I'd like to get some info on them if at all possible please? And what they could be worth? Thanks for your time.

[Richard Lodge]

Hi Manoverboard - How about posting some photos and a little more about the reels? thanks.

[manoverboard626]

I don't really know how to do this correctly,I thought I did it when I sent the question!? Sorry,thanks.