Can anyone ldentify?

[Ray Hencken]

A friend showed this reel to me and asked if I knew who made it. I have no idea on this one. With the exception of the spool which I believe is aluminum, the rest of the reel appears to be stainless steel. I thought it might be a one off made by a very competent machinist. Some of the parts have a gold or brass hue in the pictures, that is reflection. The entire reel is shiny silver. Any thoughts are appreciated.

[john elder]

Ray, perhaps that finish is the product of time on a wire wheel and/or polisher??

[Retropeche]

I would hazard a guess that it is French or European continental and has had the original finish, or what was left of it removed then polished. There were dozens of small engineering companies who got involved in spinning reels in the 1940's. I will have a look through my books when I have more time

[Ray Hencken]

I saw no hint or trace of any finish. If someone removed the original finish and then polished it without any evidence left behind then they did a heck of a job.

[Eric J]

“A” for Alcedo?

[Midway Tommy D]

Shows a little French ancestry to my feeble eyes. I'm away from my Wright's Price Guide right now but I'll do a little research next week. I have a suspicion, though.

[Steve]

I went though Ben's last edition and couldn't find a match. Agree that it's similar to some French reels, but there are features also on some Italian and Spanish reels, too. This should be fun.

[Retropeche]

I saw no hint or trace of any finish. If someone removed the original finish and then polished it without any evidence left behind then they did a heck of a job.

Maybe A is for Acetone

[Retropeche]

I have checked Bernard Caminaud's books on French reels and it does not appear in either.