A Few Additions From The NFLCC Springfield, IL National

[leland99]

It's always fun to seek out new reels for the collection at the NFLCC Nationals. This year was no exception. I have not had a chance to start much research on the two unusual brass reels, but they rate very high on the coolness scale. Thanks for looking.

[Jason]

Very interesting.

[RonG]

That's a nice haul Bryce.

[john elder]

Neat! Bryce, Do you know anything about those last two? How does that spool divider come into play? Is it intended that you have two different lines, you think? (Yes, Will go read about it, but thought a little dialogue would be a nice add to the post).

J

[Jason]

I believe O.P. Taylor was a young fisherman from western NC. He was raised by his Paw and Aunt Bee to later become a movie director. Maybe Im getting my facts mixed up.

[kyreels]

Those two brass reels are very interesting and some of the coolest primitive reels I have seen. The bottom reel has a lever to allow free spool as I recall. Maybe Bryce can fully explain all the functions.

[Paul Roberts]

Very cool reels there.

No, I believe you may have hit the nail right on the head, Jason.

[Brian F.]

Nice! They must have been fun to find!

[Jay White]

The two brass reels are very interesting! Great find!!

[reelsmith.]

.
Great pick-ups, Bryce !

Once upon a time the Ingram reel was mine. Then it went to Kerry Chatham. I don't recall ever seeing another.

Those brass reels are too cool !

Thanks for sharing.

Dean.

[Jim Schottenham]

Great reels, Bryce! If my memory is correct, those two brass reels originated from Dave Gaustad's collection. Maybe he remembers a bit about them.

[john elder]

Yes, I think those were Dave’s. He sold them to a fellow in Florida, and that fellow must’ve passed them on. He didn’t really have much input about how they worked or what the mission was. At least I never got it out of him! I still don’t quite understand what that split spool is all about.

[Mike N]

Love them all, but the two brass models are outstanding. All kidding aside,I love seeing a maker like “O.P. Taylor” that I’ve not encountered before in over 35 years of reel collecting. That’s what keeps it interesting.

[kyreels]

I still don’t quite understand what that split spool is all about.

On the Redifor Tournament reel, the split spool was to put line on one side and thumb the other side. Thumbing the line is uneven and can affect the cast, it was thought that thumbing the smooth spool was more accurate. You can argue that the brass reel is an early tournament reel. Given its size, it would be a potential surf casting monster tournament reel.

[leland99]

Neat! Bryce, Do you know anything about those last two? How does that spool divider come into play? Is it intended that you have two different lines, you think? (Yes, Will go read about it, but thought a little dialogue would be a nice add to the post).

J

Hello John, great questions. My presumption was for two different lines. Hopefully time and research will help me find something.

[kyreels]

My presumption was for two different lines

The most obvious answer is probably that which models what already exists and is known. While anything is possible, we have never seen any fishing reel made for two separate lines. We have seen several double spool reels where the second spool is designed for spool control (thumbing).

[colby sorrells]

viewtopic.php?p=86353#p86353

Well there was at least one!

Keepin' It Fun!

CS

[kyreels]

If you live long enough, you do see everything, even if it is comedic.

[Midway Tommy D]

Interestingly enough, 1964 wasn't that long ago in the scheme of old conventional reels. I wonder how the reel actually worked? I would imagine it took some getting used to.

[leland99]

Here is more information on the primitive brass reel that I have nicknamed “Mr. Gadget”. The reel weighs 14.6 ounces, the plates measure 4 inches long and 2 1/2 inches high. The width of the reel measured to the exterior edges of the plates is 3 inches. The handle is thin 2 ¾ inch brass with a bone knob and a brass or copper counterbalance. The reel is a multiplier with an estimated 5.25 to 1 ratio.


The interesting mechanical features of the reel are the spool rim brake and the free spool clutch.

Some photos below show the spool rim brake consists of a brass bar in a horizontal position along the interior of the tail plate, inside a rectangular brass frame. There is a round cam with a small lever, and the cam connects to a spring that fits around the bar. When the lever is rotated forward, the bar slides until the brake rests against the edge of the line spool. The spring tension holds the cam/bar in the disengaged position.




More photos show the free spool clutch. The clutch resides on the interior sides of the reel, with a frame of inverted L-shaped end pieces. On the L-shaped pieces, there are two bars (lower front and lower back) and one “bar” on top. The bar on top is a hollow tube with the handle shaft extending from the handle through the tail plate. The 3 bars are about ¼ inch in diameter, and the handle shaft is about 3/32 inches in diameter. The lower front bar serves as a pivot around which the frame rotates. The lower back bar serves as the thumb bar, and when pressed downwards, allows the frame to rotate backward to disengage the handle drive gear from the spool pinion gear. The holes on the plates are elongated to allow the handle shaft to move forward/backward as the thumb bar is pressed and released. There is a spring on the right side of the frame whose tension keeps the reel handle engaged with the spool.






Another feature worth noting is shown in the photos below regarding the gearbox. The gearbox is ¼ inch wide with interior and exterior face plates, and pillars, forming the main structure. The ¼ gap is covered with a very thin brass strip, which extends all around the gearbox, starting and ending at the rectangular spool shaft housing. The brass strip is meticulously wrapped around each pillar. In the photos, you can see portions of the exposed thin edges of the brass strip.






Additional photos provide views of the wired-on foot, tail plate spool shaft housing, and cutouts on the front pillar for spool clearance.






Although the reel is of moderate dimensions, the features appear fragile and light-duty when considering the handle shaft size, wire foot attachment, and the free spool mechanism. In contrast, the two brass spool shaft housings are large and heavy-duty. The craftsmanship and effort to produce this reel make “Mr Gadget” a nice addition to my display.

[RonG]

The Ivory handle knob contrast with the aged patina of the reel in the first photo is wonderful.

[kyreels]

Yes, those Ivory Knobs should be an Irish folk song, so good.