Spalding Reel

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Ron Mc
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Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Ron Mc »

Jim Schottenham wrote: Fri Oct 22, 2021 9:09 am As for the builder of the Spalding reel above, I'm going to suggest Slote/Clark Bros. as the maker(s). For those members that can't access the 2015 Reel News article, Steve Vernon was kind enough to provide readers an on-line article that outlines the connection between Slote and the Clark Brothers:
http://www.antiquefishingreels.info/Art ... evised.pdf

A few similarities to this hard rubber example:
I wish you guys would post more oblique perspective photos like Jim just posted.
You can see so much more in a single photo than you can in a unlimited number of plan-perspective photos.
Plan perspectives are good for close-ups of markings, but otherwise, we know the face plate is round, and we'd like to see its 3-d relation to the rest of the reel.
fwiw, most do the same thing on FFR with fly reels.

The gorgeous Spalding is a heck of a find.
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Re: Spalding Reel

Post by spaldingers »

Jim,
Do you think the reel you provided an image of which has the "rubber side plates" was made by D.W. & J. D. Clark? It definitely has some unique characteristics that match the Spalding trade marked reel in question. Thank you for directing us to the, "Clark Brothers" article, its interesting and helps to explain why there are so many mystery reels from the period.
Thanks for rescuing us!
Best,
Jeff
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Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Steve »

I agree with Jim. And Ron Mc, I'm going to start a new thread based on your photo plea. Same thing has irked me for years.

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Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Mike N »

A vintage box of Spalding flies with baseball logo:


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Ron Mc
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Re: Spalding Reel

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JVH Spalding Kosmic
1884 patent
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Image
Image
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m3040c
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Re: Spalding Reel

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As for the builder of the Spalding reel above, I'm going to suggest Slote/Clark Bros. as the maker(s). For those members that can't access the 2015 Reel News article, Steve Vernon was kind enough to provide readers an on-line article that outlines the connection between Slote and the Clark Brothers:
Thank you. Fabulous article!! :bow: :bow: :bow:
mike cass,,, if you can't collect it, it must be food
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Re: Spalding Reel

Post by David Lehmann »

Is there any reason Fritz Vom Hofe is being ruled out as the maker for this reel? Just wanted to muddy the waters even more!
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Re: Spalding Reel

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The owner of the reel mentioned to me that he will be putting the Spalding reel, mentioned here at the top of the page, on eBay this coming Saturday. Just passing on the info, I have no skin in the game here.
mike cass,,, if you can't collect it, it must be food
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Re: Spalding Reel

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I just stumbled upon this interesting and circuitous discussion about Spalding and the company's diverse sporting goods offerings. Couldn't resist showing off my recent impulse auction bid ("whaddya mean I won???"). These little referee horns or whistles caught my eye and I couldn't resist, although the only relationship to the fabulous reel in this thread is the Spalding name on the larger one. The large one is 6" and the smaller horn, attached to a leather grip, is 3 1/2" long. The third photo shows the reed mechanism in the Spalding horn. The smaller one is marked Lowe & Campbell Athletic Goods Co. M308. Made in England. The Spalding horn has the company name and is marked "Made in Gt. Britain."


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Re: Spalding Reel

Post by kyreels »

I don't doubt that the Spaulding horn is for sports, but it is interesting that there are similar horns made for boaters use in fog and signaling situations. Here is a Frankfort Horn, about 6 inches, thought to be made by Bowers, who made the reel and rod parts in Lexington, KY. Not sure why they labeled it Frankfort. Here is some historical reference to boat and coach horns https://history.ky.gov/news/a-boatmans-horn. While many were large, the smaller pocket horns were much more pervasive.

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Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Richard Lodge »

I'm sure these could have been used for boating or any kind of sports -- or anywhere that a person needed to get someone's attention. The leather wrap fits snugly and fits in with the idea a sports referee could have used the smaller one during a game. Beats wearing it on a lanyard around your neck, perhaps.
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Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Eric J »

I think it’s pretty obvious being marked ‘The “Acme” Improved’ that it is a Roadrunner call.
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Re: Spalding Reel

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it works !
Image
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Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Richard Lodge »

Nice roadrunner shot but where's the coyote?
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Re: Spalding Reel

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he can't catch the RR, in spite of the fact roadrunners are really dumb.
Had a rebar planter of a rooster out front that a RR came to flirt with every day.
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Re: Spalding Reel

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In case anyone is interested............

https://www.ebay.com/itm/154797407143?f ... -sex6vuLVk
mike cass,,, if you can't collect it, it must be food
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Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Mike N »

m3040c wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 10:18 pm In case anyone is interested............

https://www.ebay.com/itm/154797407143?f ... -sex6vuLVk
The starting bid of $1000 with $50 shipping seems a bit optimistic, but it is a very nice reel and one never knows.
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Re: Spalding Reel

Post by m3040c »

The starting bid of $1000 with $50 shipping seems a bit optimistic, but it is a very nice reel and one never knows.
I agreed that the starting bid was high. What surprised me was that is sold substantially higher than the starting bid.
mike cass,,, if you can't collect it, it must be food
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Re: Spalding Reel

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m3040c wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 2:23 am I agreed that the starting bid was high. What surprised me was that is sold substantially higher than the starting bid.
According to the listing it "sold" for $1,000, but bidding was obviously closed early.

Disappointing.

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Re: Spalding Reel

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According to the listing it "sold" for $1,000, but bidding was obviously closed early.

Disappointing.
It was ended early because of offers and counter offers. We will never know where it might have gone if the bidding would have gone to the end.
mike cass,,, if you can't collect it, it must be food
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Re: Spalding Reel

Post by Teal »

The seller is a really nice guy and he's happy with the price he got and where the reel ended up.

It would have been interesting to see what it would have brought as a hammer price. I have a bamboo fly rod collecting friend outside the ORCA orbit who told me he was going to put down a "serious" bid on it (to go with his Kosmic fly rods) for what it's worth and his bids are serious indeed. All it would have taken was one other person to really want it and there would have been fireworks.

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Re: Spalding Reel

Post by spaldingers »

Hi Richard,
Your smaller whistle with leather strap was used by football officials dating back to at least the 1910s.
The longer whistles were used by basketball referees also as far back as the 1910s, but there were about four more styles of horns and whistles they had to choose from as well.
Hope that helps,
Jeff
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Re: Spalding Reel

Post by spaldingers »

Here's an update on the Spalding reel thought to have been made by the Clark brothers. Years ago Dr. Todd Larson told me that the firm of Merwin, Hulbert & Co. of New York (sporting goods retailers) was no more than an outlet for A. G. Spalding & Bros (commonly known as Spalding) and in fact, the lions share of their catalogs are an exact match to Spalding's. I have attached a page from their 1889 catalog showing what appears to be the same exact Spalding reel that was posted here a few days ago. The 250 yard version which the reel in question was, retailed for $23.00 in 1889 and was described as an, "Extra Fine German Silver Multiplying Reel, full steel pivot, steel shank."
I also found another very similar example; perhaps the same exact reel, in a slightly larger size in the Nov. 2008 Lang's Auction catalog. Other than the handle being slightly different, everything else looks to be an exact match. This reel sold for about $1900.00 in their auction. I have included an image and description that I'm pretty sure Jim Schottenham would have authored. As you can see, the description states that this reel had the owners name and a date of Sept. 1881 were engraved into it. So that leaves us with a date of manufacture between 1881 and 1889. Who knows, perhaps this model was made prior to and after those dates as the Clark Bros. were in business from 1874 - 1899 or so.
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Re: Spalding Reel

Post by spaldingers »

Spalding / Clark Bros. reel
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Re: Spalding Reel

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