Jack Welch hand-made tournament reels

[Mike N]

At age 30 or so, in 1920, Jack Welch joined James Heddon’s Sons where he designed some of the finest level wind reels ever produced. Welch struck out on his own in 1931 and began hand-making his own line of level-wind reels as well as smaller, narrow-spool tournament casting reels that measured only 2” in diameter with an interior width of only 1-1/4”. The 1930s was a time of enormous popularity of tournament casting.

Here are two of the narrow-spool versions in my collection each with slightly different tiny handles. The single grasp reel is stamped serial no. 29 and the one with dual grasps is stamped serial no. 77. The latter came with an old tag claiming it was made in 1933.

I’m looking for help from other Jack Welch reel owners answering the following questions:

1. Were the hand-made level wind reels and narrow spool tournament reels given sequential serial numbers, or was each style numbered separately?

2. What are the lowest and highest known serial numbers for the tournament reel line? Construction dates of each?

3. What did the tournament reels retail for and were they sold only through Welch or through retailers?

3. Does anyone have any dating information for each serial number?

Thanks.

Mike N.

[Mike N]

To partially answer my own question, it looks like anecdotally, at least, the serial numbers on the tournament reels are two-digit and the level wind reels are three-digit. Of course, my sample size (8 reels- 5 level-wind and 3 tournament) is quite small and the tournament reels may simply have been made earlier than the level-wind reels.

My search of Langs auction catalogs found only one narrow spool Jack Welch tournament reel, serial no. 51. That’s consistent with the two above.

Conversely, I found five level-wind Jack Welch reels, all with 3-digit serial numbers: 0153; 275; 298; 0121; and 243.

I would love to see some other numbers.

[Ron Mc]

Mike, thanks for posting those beauties.
That's a heck of a sample size for Jack welch reels.

[RonG]

Hey Mike, here's the two I have. I think you're right about the 2 vs. 3 numbers in the serial number. These two are numbers are 25 and 0171. It looks like he was optimistic at one time thinking 4 numbers would be required.

[john elder]

I didn’t get my Welch levelwind off Langs, but apparently, the fellow i bought it from did… serial # 0121!

Mike, there is a nice article about Welch in issue #4 from 2014 of the Reel News, if you haven’t seen it.

[Mike N]

Thanks everyone for the additional information.

It does appear that the Welch tournament reels had two-digit serial numbers, while his handmade level wind reels had three-digit.

Ron G makes an excellent observation that the use by Welch of a four-digit serial number beginning in “0” for the first 100 or so level-winds likely inferred that Jack thought his production might go into the thousands. He modified that and removed the “0” prefix for serial numbers in the 200 hundreds, it appears.

In 2016 Warren posted here that he believed Welch didn’t start making his level-winds until around 1950. [“ This Welch level wind reel is the only reel that I can think of that he made for fishing also, and I think he waited until almost 1950 to begin making it, (Most listings for this reel date it back to the 1930s, but I don't agree.)”]

Link: viewtopic.php?p=87939&hilit=Jack+Welch#p87939

I’m not too sure about that given the autobiographical information on Ron G’s website:

https://luresnreels.com/welch.html

[KeysReels]

Mike,
I have 2 tournament reels...a narrow spool reel and a wider spool reel with a width of 1-5/8". The serial number on the narrow reel is 33 while the wider reel is 54. The narrow reel has the small double handle and the wider model has the S handle. Hope this adds to the information.
thanks.
Bill Graves. ( Keysreels)

[Mike N]

Great information, thank you.

I just got these photos from another Welch collector. They are consistent with the above. His level wind reel is serial number 250 and his tournament casting reel is two-digit, #67.

[Mike N]

Jack Welch handmade reels (16 reported) serial number summary (ca.1931 to ?)

Narrow spool tournament (5) : ##22,25,29,33,67,77

Wide spool tournament (1): #54

Level-wind reels (8): #0121, 0153, 0171, 238, 243, 250, 275, 298,316

[Dave Erickson]

My Jack Welch level-wind reel is serial number 238.

[Mike N]

My Jack Welch level-wind reel is serial number 238.

Thanks, David. I updated the reel sample count, above.

Mike N.

[RonG]

I also have ones on my website that I once owned that have serial numbers 22 for tournament and 316 for level-wind reels.

[Mike N]

Jack Welch handmade reels (16 reported) serial number summary (ca.1931 to ?)

Narrow spool tournament (6): ##22,25,29,33,67,77

Wide spool tournament (1): ##54

Level-wind reels (9): ##0121, 0153, 0171, 238, 243, 250, 275, 298,316

Updated with Ron’s additional reels. Sixteen (16) Welch reels now. I will continue to update as more are reported.

[RonG]

That's good info Mike.

[leland99]

I have the following level wind, wide spool reels: 0103, 0129, 0133, 252

[Mike N]

UPDATED: KNOWN Jack Welch handmade reels (20 reported) serial numbers summary (ca.1931 to ?)

Narrow spool tournament (6): #22,25,29,33,67,77,

Wide spool tournament (1): #54,279

Level-wind reels (13): # 0103, 0121, 0129, 0133, 0153, 0171, 238, 243, 250, 252, 275, 298,316

[colby sorrells]

Mike,
I am aware of but do not own, Jack Welch wide spool tournament reel, non-levelwind, #279.



Purchased directly from Jack Welch in the 1950s along with 4 more.

Keepin' It Fun!

Colby

[kyreels]

I spoke to Jay Klenk and he reports the following serial numbers: 266 for a level wind and 60 for a tournament narrow spool.

[Mike N]

UPDATED 1/16/23 based upon the above:

KNOWN Jack Welch handmade reels (24 reported) serial numbers summary (ca.1931 to ?)

Narrow spool tournament (7): #22,25,29,33,60, 67,77,

Wide spool tournament (2): #54, 279

Level-wind reels (15): # 0103, 0121, 0129, 0133, 0153, 0171, 238, 243, 250, 252,
266,267,275, 298,316

Here is a larger view of the incredible box Colby posted above:

[kyreels]

I spoke to George McCabe and he reported Jack Welch NS #267. This reel came from Dick Wilson to George.


George McCabe

Here is another photo of my Jack Welch reel along with a Heddon 3-35 tournament reel that was probably done by Welch. It has magnesium spool flanges, a large light weight wood arbor and a small magnesium handle. It is unbelievably smooth and fast. A fantastic 3/8 accuracy reel, even with the level wind! I got it at Allentown from a guy from Chicago

.

[Mike N]

Thanks, Matt. I added George’s reel to the summary above.

Twenty four surviving Welch reels are now documented by serial number, including 15 level wind, 7 narrow spool NLW tournament, and 2 wide spool NLW tournament.

Another identifying feature would be the type of handle on each reel, although after-market handles make this an entirely new area for further discussion about JW. Of the Jack Welch reels pictured on this thread, there are 4 handle variations shown— a small aluminum handle with dual ivory-like celluloid (?) grasps; a small aluminum handle with a single ivory-like grasp and counterweight; a typical length aluminum handle with dual ivory-like celluloid (?) grasps; and an atypical “S” type handle with one ivory-like grasp and counterweight.

[colby sorrells]

A little more on Welch reel #279



This reel shows a cover where the levelwind gear should be and you can also see the holes in the tailplate BUT the reel was sold as a non-levelwind reel! Was Welch running out of parts and made do with what he had left?

Keepin' It Fun!

Colby

[Mike N]

A little more on Welch reel #279



This reel shows a cover where the levelwind gear should be and you can also see the holes in the tailplate BUT the reel was sold as a non-levelwind reel! Was Welch running out of parts and made do with what he had left?

Keepin' It Fun!

Colby

Great observation, Colby. That would also explain why it has a 3-digit serial number (279) usually used by Welch for his level-wind offerings. We listed it with the wide-spool, non-level wind tournament casting reels. I added an asterisk (*) to 279 to help future researchers. See below.

Also, we know Kentucky makers like BC Milam used German silver parts if need be to complete a brass reel.

Great find, Colby.

Narrow spool tournament (7): #22,25,29,33,60, 67,77,

Wide spool tournament (2): #54, 279*

Level-wind reels (15): # 0103, 0121, 0129, 0133, 0153, 0171, 238, 243, 250, 252,
266,267,275, 298,316

*may have been modified by Welch using level-wind parts.

[kyreels]

In 2016 Warren posted here that he believed Welch didn’t start making his level-winds until around 1950.

I purchased all the Creel newsletters from Warren for the NAACC and ACA. Recently, in reviewing the written history for Jack Welch, I ran across the 1950 Feb Creel which Warren had circle in pencil. It was the announcement from Jack for the new reels he was producing.



Colby has been working on the history of the Welch reels, which was long and varied. This thread helps to really solidify parts of it surrounding his hand-made reels and is invaluable. But there are other aspects of Welch history which need to be clarified with source documents (not authors, but factual historical sources). I look forward to seeing the additional information.

[Mike N]

Very interesting, Matt. It’s been generally stated without authority I’ve seen that Welch left Heddon and struck out on his own in 1931.

Was Welch in fact working at Talbot starting in the 1930s after leaving Heddon and prior to the 1950 announcement?

When did hand made production of reels with the “Jack Welch” name on it begin? 1950? Earlier?

Even if Welch made a $75 profit on each of the 275 reels he handmade over a 20 year period, that’s still only $20,600. (Which is ok I guess in 1930s thru 1950s dollars.)