I also collect narrow spool and tournament reels, as well as Kentucky reels. Sometimes a reel fits in all three categories, but it is not hard for me to select one category. I don't think the Frankenstein category is needed. It all depends on your definitions, and how they change and mature over time. I have had some great discussions with Colby Sorrells on what is in his narrow spool collection. Here is a quote from him:
Just for me the reels I collect have to be mass produced, narrow spool, tournament casting reels. There's been a lot of discussion about this in the past by many others. FOR ME, it is simply a way to define the type of reel I am looking to collect.
In some ways it is an intent. I believe it was Phil White that first talked about this in an old ORCA Reel News article (I'll have to find it). I think it was Phil that said a lot of old, small reels (many which would be considered narrow spool) were in fact made for fly fishing use and never intended as tournament casting reels.
The Noris is certainly a narrow spool reel but I don't think it was ever intended to be used as a tournament casting reel.
So the reels I am looking for also by definition would have been made between 1930 and about 1972. Again, please understand this is just my definition.
The 1930 date was established by the casting clubs, allowing the use of a leader (or trace) that year for the first time. This is pretty well documented in the casting newsletter and articles. So that is the start FOR ME.
The end is a little cloudy because there were certainly casting tournaments after 1972 and certainly narrow spool reels sold for tournament casting use after 1972. That's the reason I include a few reels made after 1972 but that's about the time they ended.
My definition of narrow spool reels would include some of the earlier reels by Shakespeare from around 1910, which I justify as not strictly hand made and intended for wider usage. But that is pretty arbitrary and fuzzy I would think.
I also include almost everything used in tournaments, including salt water or surf casting tournaments. That turns out to be large also.
One issue you encounter if you collect such broad categories is you can end up with 100's of reels. I have decided to start grouping reels into the best 36 of each category. That was an arbitrary number I ended up with because the reel displays I like happen to fit 36 reels nicely. Anything extra goes on the shelves and sometimes creeps back into the case or goes to trade or shows.
