First, this is an interesting reel story. Second, I could use your help. Third, I may help you identify an unknown reel. So here goes! I received a reel from a fellow in England with the following letter. He toured Canada last spring and stayed at my mother-in-laws bed and breakfast in Alberta. This came out of the blue:
"The fishing reel was made by me while I was an apprentice with a Company called H.M. Sullivans Ltd of Leo Street, South East London around 1954. The company was looking for work after World War Two. Between 1940-1946 the company worked for the War Department.
Drawing were produced with Sample Reels made in three or four different sizes and sent to companies in Australia and Canada. The response was very good but unfortunately the Chief Engineer was of the old school and did not think it was the sort of work the company should be undertaking, so put a stop to any further developments.
The Company before World War II was renowned all over the world for making of Scientific Electrical Instruments.
The reel has never been used and has spent the last 50 odd years in one loft or another, and I can think of no better place for it then in your collection of fishing memorabilia. I hope that the reel survived the journey in one piece. We very much enjoyed our holiday in Canada and Joan and Murray made us feel very well when we stayed with them.
Kind regards John Skipper Chichester West Sussex UK
This is a well-made reel. It is not marked, but I have the company, date, maker and points of shipment. How do you evaluate something like this that never went into commercial production, but an unknown number were shipped to Canada and Australia. I will sent pictures to someone from ORCA who would be willing to post them under this message. Perhaps one of you has this in your unknown drawer. Richard
Proto-type Reel
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Jim Schottenham
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