REDIFOR Darling Flegel Double Tournament Reel...

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John Savu
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REDIFOR Darling Flegel Double Tournament Reel...

Post by John Savu »

DARLING/FLEGEL DOUBLE TOURNAMENT REEL

It is 1904, you are a patent attorney, avid angler, and probably a little eccentric, what do you do?

While your wife, Harriet Taylor Upton, is pushing for equal voting rights for women, you decide to rival the Meeks, Milams, Talbots, etc.. and create your own tackle company, the Redifor Rod and Reel Co., incorporated in 1907, in my hometown, Warren, Ohio. You want to produce reels and rods that will be "READY FOR" any angling situation that may arise.

As a patent attorney, you buy established patents, and you enlist the skills and knowledge of tournament casters Ben Flegel and Louis Darling. Because of this collaboration, you create some of the highest quality reels, of the early 20th century.

The use of a new alloy, magnalium, in reel making, the creation of a self thumber/antibacklash mechanism, an advanced free spool mechanism, and the most "Rube Goldbergish" factory tournament reel ever created, the Darling/Flegel Double Tournament reel, helped put Redifor on the map.. In its infancy, the reel won major casting tournaments in New York, and Paris, France.

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RonG
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Re: REDIFOR Darling Flegel Double Tournament Reel...

Post by RonG »

That's the best Redifor reel ever!
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John Savu
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Re: REDIFOR Darling Flegel Double Tournament Reel...

Post by John Savu »

And THANKS for selling it to me, MANY years ago! John
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leland99
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Re: REDIFOR Darling Flegel Double Tournament Reel...

Post by leland99 »

That is one very interesting reel!
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Packing these reels into my nest hole: Talbot, Milam, Meek, Horton, Heddon, Wm Shakespeare Jr, and small diameter skeleton fly reels!
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Mike N
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Re: REDIFOR Darling Flegel Double Tournament Reel...

Post by Mike N »

A true classic, John.

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john elder
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Re: REDIFOR Darling Flegel Double Tournament Reel...

Post by john elder »

Wonderful reel, John! Any idea how many of those might still be out in the wild? Is there any hope of tripping across another??

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Specializing in saltwater reels...and fly reels...and oh, yeah, kentucky style reels.....and those tiny little RP reels.....oh, heck...i collect fishing reels!...and fly rods....and lures
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John Savu
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Re: REDIFOR Darling Flegel Double Tournament Reel...

Post by John Savu »

John,
We can always hope there are more out there. I have always thought , since the reel was used to win a major championship in Paris in 1912, that there could be one somewhere in Europe. One did turn up in Europe and those are the only two I know of.

Now, if we could stumble upon the very elusive Redifor Model A,
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John Savu
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Re: REDIFOR Darling Flegel Double Tournament Reel...

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