Help with unknown reel ID

[john elder]

Paul Schaeffer sent along pics of this reel for ID. It is full of markers, but for several different reels. It is:

-named “Meteor”, but not Bronson or Talbot
-has underlined yardage mark on foot, but the foot style is that of Pflueger
-clicker buttons are flat on top, indicating either Winchester or Horrocks-Ibbotson.

So, Winchester trade reel? H-I trade reel? Anyone seen a “Meteor” like this??

[Reelman2]

The line under the yardage number should be a dead giveaway.

[Midway Tommy D]

The line under the yardage number should be a dead giveaway.

Or possibly a replaced foot?

[Bill Muth]

Hendryx would have been my guess.

[reelsmith.]

Hendryx would have been my guess.

Agree.

Dean.

[kyreels]

It resembles a model 2242 Winchester made by Hendryx (the underline yardage is a Winchester indicator, not definitive), but the Winchester catalogs do not show the Meteor name.

[john elder]

Thanks for the input, guys! It sounds like an issue of chronology. Still curious about that foot with underlined yardage, but may be something Hendryx used on trade reels.
At any rate, i suspect it could be wrested from Paul’s grasp by cash or trade if it’s one of interest to you.

J

[fishinkev]

Hey everybody in ORCAland! I was reading this thread and thought I'd contribute...for what it's worth (not much!).

It's definitely not a "replacement foot", as one suggested, as I have the same make/model reel in my collection - I posted pics for further evidence and review.

I too was wondering about the make and history. As usual, knowledgeable ORCA folks chimed in on this thread with some good food-for-thought. On that note, I also did a quick search on Ebay for similar reels - there were quite a few examples that were VERY similar in appearance. All were considered "Hendryx" reels, but none have the same click/drag buttons (i.e., the flat-top style seen on Winchester reels), none have the foot yardage underlined (i.e. the Winchester 'signature'), and none are named "Meteor". Based on early catalog and pictures, it appears to the Winchester model #4231, except for the counterbalance on the crank. Furthermore, according to 'Reel Geezer's' post here [ viewtopic.php?t=10362 ] one of the many trade reels made by Winchester was "Meteor".

So, what is the verdict - a Winchester-made trade reel, post 1919 (i.e., after their acquisition of Hendryx)?

[fishinkev]

For some reason, the pics didn't upload. I'll try again....

[Eric J]

Interesting that those drag and click buttons are exactly like the counterbalance weights on some Montague reels.

[Alan Baracco]

Group,

For info, Meteor was a Bronson Trademark.

Alan

[fishinkev]

Thanks for the TM intel, Alan. The "Meteor" reel(s) in question predate the mid/late 40's trademark granted to Bronson. I'm still thinking mine is a Winchester-made trade reel, but I'm far from expert on this stuff.
I wish I could post pictures of the reel.

[fishinkev]

[colby sorrells]

fishinkev
Be sure to note the first use date on the trademark, in this case October 1934. So the reel could have been made dating back to 1934 with that trademark. Companies often didn't seek a trademark until well after they actually started using the mark. The company can put any first use date they want to so I believe they are a much better idea of when the mark was actually first used on the item.

I did some quick checking and found Meteor reels starting in 1935 and going through 1945 in the old newspapers. Also Talbot had a Meteor model, dating back to at least 1908, but they didn't have a trademark on the name. It was also a different reel from the example discussed and shown above.

No doubt others know much more than I do about this particular reel.

Keepin' It Fun!

Colby