Nice Little Raised Pillar find from Yesterday... With a ?s

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Steve M
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Nice Little Raised Pillar find from Yesterday... With a ?s

Post by Steve M »

I managed a nice field find yesterday (some may have seen the pics from Joes). With some good direction from a few regulars on each board (Thank you Dean and Richard), I have gathered that it is most likely a Malleson- I did a very lite cleaning, via the Q-tip and mild soapy water method, and thought I might run a few pics here and ask a few more questions- First- I did not wet the line while cleaning, and think I may leave it on the reel- Would it be a good idea to check for any underlying corrosion, before letting it rest for a spell in the display case? (cant see anything up on the rim, but you never know what really lies beneath till you get there!)- To clarify- If there is any sign of pitting, or oxidation , should one clean the spool of any of the ill effects, to slow down the degeneration? I generally remove the line from my reels, just kind of liked the way this one looked with line on- Plus I figured I might spare the clicker the wear and tear (Although I guess I could cut the line out with some Razor blade Surgery, which may be a bit less harsh on a 100 year old click!)-
Next- Might any one have a specific referal, via the internet or Book wise for more info on Malleson Reels- I have the more common Lure guides and also Orelle's "Fly Reels of the Past, but there is not a lot of information to be found- Just working to gather a bit more back ground on my new treasure- Be happy to hear any information to be offered. Here are a few pics... Not For Sale!


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Steve M
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Nuts.... Here is a link to the pics

Post by Steve M »

-Well its been a while since I posted a pic, here and it seems to be a different deal now- Here is a link to the album with the pics!

http://orcaonline.org/images/pixel.gif?8526406


Give that a shot if youd like!
Steve
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Brian F.
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Post by Brian F. »

Steve,
Thank you for sharing and that indeed is a very sharp looking reel! I'd be inclined to check under the line but I don't really think the clicker would suffer much from pulling line out (and putting it back in, if you do find something that would make the reel look better with line on). Pull up a chair...I'm sure others will help with the rest of your questions!
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Steve
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Post by Steve »

That IS a sharp looking reel. I'd like to hear why people think it's a Malleson.
reelsmith

Post by reelsmith »

Like my good buddy Henry Caldwell says "...blame it on Malleson."

My exact words were (On Joes board) "...possibly a Malleson."

Same bullet knob and one-piece foot as on every Malleson I've had ...but I've only had three.

I've had two reels identical to Steve's ...both were marked "Kiffe" ...who was a seller, not a maker. Yes?

Anyhow, Malleson is just a guess. At least its a better guess than Zebco.

:-)

Dean.
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Ed Clark
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Post by Ed Clark »

That is a nice reel! I won't even try to get into the maker - that is a tough one. I would like to comment on the removal of the line though. I do not like to leave line on any of my reels. Without beating up the clicker removing the line - I would suggest carefully taking the reel apart and removing the line while the spool is out of the reel. My thoughts are that if there is some corrosin on the spool at least you can stop it from corroding more than if the line is left on.
reels4me,member

RP Beauty !

Post by reels4me,member »

That little baby is terrific, sure wish it was in my stable of RP reels. If
you`re a "Fan" of ORCA why not become part of our family ? That
might let us see it in person at one of our Annual meetings. Join !
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Steve
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Post by Steve »

Dean, do you have any pictures of your old Mallesons that you could post? Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought the only reels that could be attributed to him with a lot of confidence are those with his patented gear train and, perhaps, some cheaper reels with those little arrow-shaped click levers. He seems to have made the patented reels in a wide range of styles, so it would help to examine the features of those styles. For that matter, does anyone else have pics of patented Malleson reels they could share?
reelsmith

Post by reelsmith »

Me? Pictures? Nah... I sell reels as fast as I get them.

Take a look at page 298 of Graham Turners book. There is a picture of a multiplying Malleson fly reel about the same size as Steve's reel. They look suspiciously similar to me.

I'm not saying I am attibuting Steve's reel to Malleson with confidence ...but I think it is a possibility.

Dean.
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Harvey
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Post by Harvey »

Dean, There is a reel that is very simiular to this one in the 1885 Kiffe Catalogue Same hourglass shape handle and the same looking knob ln another reel. I don't get the part about a "Multiplier"? Steve's reel look direct to me. On another note, there is a reel listed as a "Kiffe's patrent muliplying " reel but is doesn't say anything about made it. It is listed as #702 thru #709 and from 40yd to 300yd. Now a set of them would make a nice display.
"H"
reelsmith

Post by reelsmith »

Hi Harvey !

Malleson made a multiplying fly reel and as far as I know it is the only fly reel to bear his name. It sort of looks like Steve's reel, but it has a raised back that holds the gearing. It also has a full-handle, rather than a half-handle and a cool little arrowhead at 12:00 that clicks back and forth as you wind the reel. It's very distinctive and shares the bullet shaped knob, has similar framing and the foot is very much the same.

Boy, what have I gotten myself into !

:-)

Dean.
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Jim Schottenham
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Per Steve's request............

Post by Jim Schottenham »

Here's a pic of the only fly reel I have with Malleson markings, and aside from a few NY ball handle reels (Conroy, Bissett & Malleson), the only reel I know of that Malleson "signed":
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Here's a shot of the gear train - sorry for the fuzzy shot:
Image

Jim S
Last edited by Jim Schottenham on Wed Nov 09, 2005 9:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Steve
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Post by Steve »

The two Malleson multipliers shown in Chapman's book appear to be the same style as Jim's reel. Just for the record, here's a shot of a round version, also made of plated brass. The tailplate is simply a round version of the one on Jim's reel, but it doesn't have the patent stamping.
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The engraving in the Kiffe ad that Harvey cited was used in ads that seemed to show up everywhere in the mid-1880s. Here's an example from American Angler, 1884, the year after the patent was granted.
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What do we really know about Malleson's reels? He may have been responsible for whatever reelmaking was accomplished by Conroy, Bissett & Malleson, and he took charge of their Brooklyn reel factory when the firm split in 1881. He applied for his patent in the next year. Although he remained in the tackle business after his 1889 bankruptcy, it doesn't seem likely he would have continued to make his own reels. So I doubt he was making his own reels for more than 8 years, which is a relatively short span.
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Brian F.
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Post by Brian F. »

Come to think of it, Steve's reel looks a little like one of those mystery Pflueger reels.
Guest

Post by Guest »

Wow- Thanks to all of the folks that have shown interest in my reel find!- I also greatly aprec. the attempts at identification- What ever it may be, it is for certain, a fine looking thing!- I will continue to monitor the post for any other info- As a side note- There is a good pic of a Malleson in the newer Whites Volume 2- Now I realize this is far from a solid source on many fronts (price, and IDs included) but thought people might want to see the pic. On Page 182 , he also has a pic of what is listed as a Leonard (WM MIlls) Fly Reel, that minus the handle shape and slightly raised tail plate oposite the crank side, looks very similar to my reel- Just more to chew on!- I'd like to see a scan or two from the Article that Brain refers to with the unidentified Pfluegers, if some one has the capability to post it. And finally, I did renew my membership to Orca, as was suggested! Thanks all!
The search go's on- Steve!
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Steve
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Post by Steve »

Good eye, Steve. cool-thumb Now all we have to do is ask Karl how his reel is marked. The caption hints that it has a Mills marking.
Steve
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Post by Reel Geezer »

Re: Brian's comment about the mystery Pflueger fly reel. That was my first thought so I looked it up a few days ago. Sorry, but it doesn't fit the description. The Pflueger has squared off pillars, a counterbalanced crank and a click button. The rubber being recessed like it is was similar, but otherwise there are too many nays. I can post the photos, but it really isn't necessary.
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Brian F.
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Post by Brian F. »

Yes, Phil, Bob Miller had the same observations and agreed that it is not likely a Pflueger.
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