Mel Stringer Reel Company in Hollywood, CA?

[john elder]

ORCAn Charlie Braum picked this reel up with a group of others a few weeks back and sent it along to me for dissection. It's an interesting reel that I, at least, had never heard about and from archive searches, Charlie found nothing but "fish stringer" when he ran searches for the Mel Stringer reel. Paul Manuel made inquires to Jim Schottenham, who searched and found papers of incorporation for the company, filed in 1935. Given the paucity of reels to be found, i'm guessing it wasn't all that successful!

I'll mover this to Restoration later, but thought it might catch the eye of someone here that would have info about Stringer. it's not a high end reel, but I've seen worse. When it arrived, the drag was jammed; screw was broken off and nut lost; clicker not working; and gear post wobbled badly. I'm embarrassed to say I'm not sure of the material used for the reel...may be nickel silver or more likely monel:



Opening from the face plate side revealed a very simple mechanism, with long spring wires giving action to an anti-reverse at the base of the main gear. The drag stack was equally simple, with a main gear that lacked the normal indentations on both faces that normally hold the drag washers; washers (4 composite and one brass) were stacked around the main gear, with a brass spacer on which the star drag acts:





In the pic with the drag stack removed, you can see the major structural flaw in that the AR gear has rubbed against the base because of play that developed in the peened drag post. I tightened this when I put if back together, but it should be soldered, since under use, i'm sure it will develop again.

Unlike most reels similar to this one, the Stringer reel has a spindle that is removable from the spool and is held from turning because it is hexagonal, with clicker gear affixed to the rear end. a spring-loaded plug is in the end to seal the bearing oiler;






I fixed a broken screw end on one of the pillars and replaced a missing nut where it comes through the face plate, which I won't bore you with here. Long "nuts" on the ends of the three pillars hold the reel together and also provide spacers to support the face plate. The reel cleaned up pretty nicely....Charlie, Paul and I would love to find out more info about this company!

[Paul M]

Using a method taught to me by the GREAT Alan Baracco and with some luck I found a relevant patent.

The Gazette listing is here https://hdl.handle.net/2027/wu.89047000 ... %3Bseq=683



and the full patent docs can be retrieved using Pat number 2,054,306 at the USPTO website.

[Alan Baracco]

Ah, Grasshopper Paul,

You have learned well, congrats....

Actual USPTO P, issued to Stringer when he resided in Pasadena, CA:

atent

[Alan Baracco]

So much more to learn...Deke, you on it?? Middle name Whitford.

Alan

[john elder]

Great info guys! That patent drawing pretty much matches Charlie’s reel! There are surely more examples of his reels out there. Given the wear on this reel, it may be that most saw early retirement! I would guess the primary market would have been folks pier fishing at Santa Monica and other spots in the region.

[Paul M]

Looking at the info found by Jim S and posted on the FRR Reel Makers page in the "S" section, there were several employees in the Corp so it probably wasn't a hobby operation. There was a bit of money spent on the dies/stamping equipment to mark the foot and handle and obviously there were some patent attorney and filing costs. Finding an Obit might reveal a bit... like the name of a younger relative that might still be around for an interview.

[Alan Baracco]

For the good of the order, I could attach snips but will just narrate:

Melvin Whitford Stringer, Jr. was born on News Years Day, 1903 to Melvin Sr. and his wife Grace in Los Angeles.

The Mel Stringer Reel Corporation was formed in 1935, Directors were Kleiner, Larrabee, Hunt & Rose.

Reel patent issued September 15, 1936.

Stringer married Evelyn Dalgliesh, a Canadian woman April 2, 1937, he was 33, she was 24, having immigrated to the US in 1923.

The 1940 US Census shows Melvin & Evelyn living in Pasadena, no children, occupation for him listed as a Timekeeper in an office.

The Santa Monica City Directory lists Melvin & Evelyn at 234 Bay Street in 1958.

Melvin Stringer, Jr. died September 21, 1977 in Pasadena, aged 74 years.

The 1940 Census information might indicate that the Mel Stringer Reel Corp. was short-lived.

That is all I know, can forward snips if interested.

Alan

[colby sorrells]

Enough here ( and to come) for an article in the Reel News for those that don't visit here. Kid and Deke, put it together. Looking for newspaper stuff but nothing so far.

Colby

[Alan Baracco]

Fellow researchers,

Colby, yeah I was thinking the same thing...anyone that contributes becomes a co-author!! How many ways can you divide the stipend of $25!! Working title: "The Stringer Reel Corp., a REEL TALK research project".

Alan

[colby sorrells]

Everyone benefits! Still amazes me how quickly all of this stuff can be found now. I still remember the hours in front of a microfiche machine reviewing old newspaper pages or time spent going through the Official Gazette hoping to find something. Finding one of the actual reels makes it really fun. Lots of small companies out there. ORCA is slowly documenting each one.

Keepin' It Fun!

Colby

[Alan Baracco]

ORCANs,

The plot thickens!! For now do NOT take anything I posted in my narrative of MWS Jr.'s connection to either the patent or the reel company as gospel, there is a complication involving MWS Sr. So much fun!!

Alan

[Richard Lodge]

Couldn't agree more! A very interesting reel, a lot of collaborative researching = an excellent and interesting Reel News article!
RKL

[Alan Baracco]

Richard,

Thanks for the encouragement, all of us working on trying to sort out the actual owner of the 1936 Patent and the Mel Stringer Reel Corp. (myself, Paul M., Deke and Colby at this point) are applying our brain power to determine the facts.

Problem is, there are two Melvin W. Stringers, Sr. & Jr. Whobody did what is difficult to decipher at this point but we have some avenues of research to pursue.

Would welcome other researchers with information to join us.

Alan

[Maru]

Maybe look into the attorney. Never know.

Looks like you have things figured out on the patent but If you hit any snags with the patent office, PM me

[Paul M]

Knowing the Inventor's home address might help figure out which Melvin Stinger is which. If the full patent file wrapper exists at the USPTO then the application form would contain that info. I was unable to find a way to download the Application for this old patent. I don't know if the paper or a Zip file exists for everything ever on file for this patent but that would help.

[Maru]

Working on it.

[colby sorrells]

This is going to be a fun story when its done. Looking forward to seeing it in THE ORCA REEL NEWS.

Keepin' It Fun!

Colby

[john elder]

Well, this is really embarrassing ....just call from Doug Whittington reporting that he just bought a Mel Stringer last week off ebay!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-VINTAGE-M ... 7675.l2557

Now, how in the world, with about 10 of us rifling the internet, looking for Mel Stringer tidbits, did we all miss this! Doug says it's like Charlie's reel, but in near EX condition...will likely post pics tomorrow.

[colby sorrells]

You don't find what you're not looking for!

Glad a second example showed up.

It is an interesting story. Lots of fun history.

Coming to a ORCA REEL News near you!

Colby

[Alan Baracco]

ORCANS,

Colby is right, we are closing in on an epic story of a true renaissance man in Mel Stringer Sr., not Jr. as originally thought. Working title of a future REEL NEWS article is : "Indy racing with Barney Oldfield, Barnstorming, Inventing and the Creation of a West Coast Fishing Reel, the Mel Stringer Story"

[Paul M]

Recruiting Facebook users to help us find something on Mel Stringer Reel Corp. Nothing to lose, IMHO.

[Jonathan P. Kring]

I like the reference to The Indy 500 as I live about a mile from th famed oval. I have a slight collection of Indy 500 stuff mixed in with my reels. Most not old.

[Maru]

So it looks like I need to make a trip to the archives for the applications. There is a tab reference to them. Setting up a lunch with my buddy then put on the white gloves and dive in.

Will advise

[john elder]

Here are pics of doug’s reel for comparisons... pretty similar!

[Teal]

Well folks ... I bought John Taylor's Mel Stringer reel in the box and became interested in it enough to dig into the history and now I think I'll compile all of this information, along with some photos I found of him and other information, into an article for Richard. It really is a fascinating story that touches on a lot of things I'm interested in (including my automotive history publishing company).

I'll be reaching out to everyone involved soon!

-- Dr. Todd