Ball handle reel with 25 under the foot

[Richard Lodge]

I'll trek into the basement a little later to take some measurements, but wanted to share pics of this neat little ball handle reel I got in the mail last week while I was away at ORCA. Only marking (at least on the outside) is the 25 under the foot. Any ideas about maker, age, country or planet or origin always appreciated.

[Steve]

Saw that on ebay, I think. Wise choice!
1. Er...um...It's not a ball-handle.
2. It's a very unusual left-handed model of what we usually would consider a fairly common, unidentifiable reel.
We've seen zillions of right-handed versions of these over the years, and I don't think anyone has IDed the maker(s) with any confidence. Age could be 1860ish-1890ish.

[reelsmith.]

1. Er...um...It's not a ball-handle.

Maybe it was and has been castrated ?

Dean.

[Steve]

Maybe it was and has been castrated ?

Its cast rating is very low compared to the Kentucky reels.

[Jason]

Very cool. The foot and crank knob look American to me. Don't a lot of reels with no crank collar get attributed to Malleson? I'd call it a Mallesteinkopfenhof.

[Steve]

Don't a lot of reels with no crank collar get attributed to Malleson?

Maybe, but on what basis? Don't a lot of GS and HR reels get attributed to Van Hoff?

Malleson with:


Malleson without:

[Richard Lodge]

Wow. Youse guys are tough. "Er... umm..." It's not a ball handle. How about a new category: Modified wannabe ball handle reels?


And not on eBay. ElsewhereBay, but I ain't telling.

[BILL HOERTER]

Richard, Your reel does have a little ball on the rim lever so I assumed that is why you called it a ball handle.Thanks for all of the great pictures taken at the ORCA Tulsa show.