Help with baitcaster ID, please?

[Steve]

A friend sent photos of this Recreational Products, Detroit, Airflo 350 reel. At first glance, I thought it was a Shakespeare, but the spool's flange-to-arbor connection makes me think Bronson. Can someone please ID the maker?

[wrong99]

I don't see any Bronson components, although the foot is "somewhat" similar. The handle is Shakespeare, but the rest is anybody's guess.

[Steve]

The feature that made me think Bronson is shown by the arrows:

Here's a Bronson New Deal from ORCA's Bronson site. I can't recall seeing this construction on other major-brand reels.

Is it conceivable that Rec Prod assembled reels from parts they bought from various suppliers?

[wrong99]

I'm sure that was likely the case.

[Eric J]

The Betts & Boddeus reels, Great Lakes reels, and Lou Eppinger reels where from Detroit. I’m not sure if Orchard Industries ever made reels, I kind of doubt it.
It sure looks familiar though!

[Steve]

Thanks for the tip, Eric. Turns out that some of the Great Lakes reels and also some H-I reels have spools like the ones in the pics above.
An H-I reel in an ebay seller's photo:

[wrong99]

Many of the reels sold through H-I were supplied to them by other manufacturers like Bronson and Shakespeare. The reel shown above was produced by Shakespeare.

[Steve]

The reel shown above was produced by Shakespeare.

Yikes! That would explain why this Kalamazoo Tackle Co. reel looks so familiar (pic also stolen from ebay):