When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

ORCA Online Forum - Feel free to talk or ask about ALL kinds of old tackle here, with an emphasis on old reels!
Post Reply
meekfan
Big ORCA Fan
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Mar 18, 2023 10:56 am

When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

Post by meekfan »

I recently visited with Nick Hadden's wife and some of his friends here in KY and learned quite a bit more about him. If anyone out there bought a reel from Nick when he first started selling them (i.e., early serial no.), please let me know. I'm trying to determine what year he first started making them. Thank you in advance for your help.

Also, still searching for a German silver version of his reels. If you have one you would consider parting with, please let me know.
User avatar
Jason
Super Board Poster
Posts: 527
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 3:27 am

Re: When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

Post by Jason »

I wonder if he started making the 00 reels one at a time then later started making the 1" reels in batches?
meekfan
Big ORCA Fan
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Mar 18, 2023 10:56 am

Re: When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

Post by meekfan »

This is great information, thanks for posting. Does that ad have a date or source? Or was it mailed out to customers? Everyone I've talked to who knew Nick said he never advertised. I believe the 1" reels may have been made first in batches before the "00" reels were offered. He apparently planned to make those in batches as well as there were many 00 unfinished parts left over when he died. As I understand it only a few of his 00s were ever made.
User avatar
Jason
Super Board Poster
Posts: 527
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 3:27 am

Re: When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

Post by Jason »

That's just a picture I had saved on my computer from a couple years ago. I think someone was selling it on ebay or joe's lure site. You might want to cross post over there for info.
User avatar
Jason
Super Board Poster
Posts: 527
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 3:27 am

Re: When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

Post by Jason »

meekfan wrote: Wed May 24, 2023 9:33 pm I believe the 1" reels may have been made first in batches before the "00" reels were offered. He apparently planned to make those in batches as well as there were many 00 unfinished parts left over when he died. As I understand it only a few of his 00s were ever made.
That would make sense, all of the 00 reels sold recently seem to have serial numbers in the 40's. My GS 1" reel is SN 29.
User avatar
RonG
Super Board Poster
Posts: 1468
Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2003 8:49 pm
Location: Frostproof, FL
Contact:

Re: When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

Post by RonG »

These photos were posted back in 2020 showing Hadden German silver and brass KY reels. Sorry, I don't know the dates. You can see more variations on TackleFind.



Last edited by RonG on Thu May 25, 2023 6:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
meekfan
Big ORCA Fan
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Mar 18, 2023 10:56 am

Re: When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

Post by meekfan »

Thanks. I'd seen these previously in one of your posts. If you bought them from Nick, do you remember the year? Trying to figure out when they were made.
User avatar
Mike N
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3763
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 1:50 pm
Location: WV

Re: When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

Post by Mike N »

Nick really was an old school master craftsman. His reels are the same quality as those made by Meek or Milam. Does anyone have a photo of his machine shop or lathe and other tools he used?

There are about 10 documented auction sales of his reels on TackleFind. Here is a size “00” with serial number 41. The lowest serial no. I saw was 06 for a 1” version with wooden box.




Mike N
Mike N.
ORCA Founder, 1990
meekfan
Big ORCA Fan
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Mar 18, 2023 10:56 am

Re: When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

Post by meekfan »

Thanks for this information. I don't have a photo yet, but he used a Taig mini-lathe which is fairly simple and inexpensive. I've seen some of his hand tools which were typical of the watchmaker's craft. His shop was a small outbuilding at his former homeplace. I would have taken photos except the current owners were not home and two large and loud German Shepherds were guarding the property. Definitely old school craftsmanship with no Autocad, CNC or DROs. From what I have learned he was trained as a tool and die maker but was really an artist at heart. I'm currently gathering information about him and his work which hopefully can be published here in the near future, so any additional information will be helpful. Right now I'm having trouble figuring out the time period in which he made reels. His childhood friend Howard Fortune got him started but Howard can't remember what year that was.
colby sorrells
Super Board Poster
Posts: 609
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:15 am

Re: When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

Post by colby sorrells »

Just to help kick the can down the road a little:

Nicholas Hadden Jr
Born January 20, 1943 Montgomery County , Kentucky
Died February 10, 2015 Montgomery County, Kentucky

956 Oldham Road, Mt. Sterling, KY 606-498-4813

Self employed tool and die maker

Keepin' It Fun!

Colby
User avatar
Jason
Super Board Poster
Posts: 527
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 3:27 am

Re: When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

Post by Jason »

I looked inside my reel #29 and it is engraved with a date 2-91. Thanks for leaving us a clue Nick!

I'll send you an email with further details.


meekfan
Big ORCA Fan
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Mar 18, 2023 10:56 am

Re: When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

Post by meekfan »

That's great; glad you could take it apart. From this I would estimate he began making them somewhere around 1988-90. Unlikely he made 29 of them during the first two months of 1991. Anyone else able to find a date inside their reels? Thanks for checking.
User avatar
Ron Mc
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3384
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2004 7:49 am
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Contact:

Re: When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

Post by Ron Mc »

kudos to everyone posting stunning photos on this thread.

Don't take this the wrong way, the photo that's missing is a Hadden next to a Meek No. 3 for size perspective.
meekfan
Big ORCA Fan
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Mar 18, 2023 10:56 am

Re: When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

Post by meekfan »

I agree but don't have a no. 3 reel. Thanks.
User avatar
RonG
Super Board Poster
Posts: 1468
Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2003 8:49 pm
Location: Frostproof, FL
Contact:

Re: When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

Post by RonG »

After seeing Jason's photo of the inside of his reel, I just had to find out if my serial number 20 had a date. Unfortunately it did not. Per Ron's request, I took a photo of the Hadden reel beside a Milam & Son No. 3. The Hadden reel is a Milam clone.


meekfan
Big ORCA Fan
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Mar 18, 2023 10:56 am

Re: When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

Post by meekfan »

Thanks for posting. Jason's reel was made for the late Tony Dillender, a personal friend who was also a miniature reel maker. This reel will soon be on its way back "home" to Kentucky. I've already seen differences between a couple of Hadden's 1" NS reels. The plot thickens...
meekfan
Big ORCA Fan
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Mar 18, 2023 10:56 am

Re: When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

Post by meekfan »

More interesting information has come to light. The earliest 1-inch Hadden reel I have record of is no. 6 which is dated Jan. 1989 and the latest (so far) is no. 29 dated Feb. 1991. From this I would guess that he began making the reels in 1988 and had made 24 of them from no. 6 to no. 29 by 1991. That's about one per month although they were most likely made in batches of parts that were assembled later. Are there any others out there with serial numbers lower than 6 or higher than 29?

All of Nick's larger "00" reel serial numbers that are known are in the 40s and Nick may have begun this series with number 40. No. 41 is known as is what was most likely his last, no. 48 (undated) which was unfinished and still in his toolbox when he died. If that is the case, only nine of this size were made. Number 45 is dated Sept.1992 indicating his last reels were made that year or perhaps in 1993. If the assumptions above are correct, it appears that Nick Hadden only made miniature reels during a 5-6 year period from 1988 or 89 until 1992 or 93 while in his mid-late 40s, long before his passing in 2015 at age 72.
Doug Carpenter
Frequent Board Poster
Posts: 26
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2007 5:45 pm
Location: Frankfort, KY

Re: When did Nick Hadden start making miniature reels?

Post by Doug Carpenter »

Wonderful discussion here. Glad you are digging into the details of Nick and Tony. Will keep throwing information at you as I can.
Post Reply