If you like red chimney boxed reels....

[Paul M]

Here is a combo recently given to me for my Canadian collection. It is a fairly common Union Hardware LW trade reel but in a box sold by the Canada Needle and Fishing Tackle Co. Limited (CNFT) circa 1921. The label on this box is pretty scarce and this is the best example of this particular label I have seen. As far as I know CNFT didn't make their own reels, they only sold US and British trade reels.



I have been curious for a while about the CNFT Imperial brand logo with the lion head because it isn't directly registered to Canada Needle in Canada. Searching for the image didn't produce results after many hours of effort. Stumbling further around the internet I discovered that this logo was actually a 1915 British trademark registration for another needle company called R. Turner & Sons, Limited. I presume they were one of several British needle companies involved in the formation of CNFT.



The key to finding the logo registration was searching for the text in an unusual latin phrase hidden in tiny type in the scroll at the bottom of the logo. It was fun to finally figure it out.

I have an earlier CNFT imperial logo box (note the different location) for a South Bend reel but didn't realize what I had at the time.



So, now I am asking you folks to let me know if you come across more examples of reel boxes with this Imperial logo.