I just picked this up on the auction site for $6.50 (shipping was more). It is a pre-1910 Universal, but made for left hand wind.
What I think is interesting is that the headplate was stamped with the Shakespeare name and the crank shaft collar installed before the holes were drilled for the screws. They just rotated the headplate 90* and then drilled the holes, probably just reversing the part in the jig that indexed the holes. It had to be done this way at the factory, and just gives another glimpse of the order of steps in which these reels were made.
Are there any other examples like this out there?
Well I already have to walk that back! The Universal has 3 screws holding the headplate on and they don’t align with the pillars. Anyone could have rotated that headplate. I guess I paid $6.50 for a $2 reel!
When things look too good to be true, they usually are. I've bought a couple "left" handed reels from collectors or auctioneers who should know better only to open them up and find the gear post broken off or modified to allow the change. The same is usually true with reels that have unusual handles. Still, its sometimes worth taking a chance to find something cool.
I received the reel today, and took it apart for a cleaning. This is the only Shakespeare I know of that uses 3 symmetrical holes to hold the face plate on. It can be rotated so the crank is at 4 o’clock for RH, 8 o’clock for LH, and can even be aligned with the crank arm at 12 o’clock high. Maybe this is why it was called the Universal???
