Penn sample bakelite chips!!

ReelMan1988 · Post by **ReelMan1988** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 7:43 pm

http://orcaonline.org/images/pixel.gif ... t=4&page=1

Got it through langs, I believe this is priceless! Will sit nicely in the collection! There is some nice stuff still on the site, get it now!

m3040c · Post by **m3040c** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:35 am

That is a really great item you have there. Now this puts you in a position to pass some info to me, if you can. Each one of those colors have a ID number, could you match the colors to the picture of this strange Penn 85 I have and give me the numbers?

I recently purchased this Penn 85, it came in a early 1950's box and is unused. Basically it is new old stock of some kind of special reel that Penn put together. Maybe a salesman's reel or a experimental reel. I do not know how this strange multi colored reel has come to be but I own it.

This reel has side plates and a spool that I believed were never used in any Penn production reel but now that I see Penn had color chips for different color Bakelites, who know how many varitions are out there.

You have a great find there.

ReelMan1988 · Post by **ReelMan1988** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:17 pm

OK the back sideplate there isn't a color chip for it. But the rest there is...

Spool = It says BM- 7638

Front Sideplate = BM 17757

Your welcome.

You are the one to outbid me...

lol There were 2 on eBay 1 sold for $220 the other for $90. I went for both, got unlucky...

m3040c · Post by **m3040c** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:47 am

Thank you for the numbers.

I did not know who I was bidding against, all I knew was I wanted it and bid accordingly. I was also not aware that there was two. Was the other one exactly like the one I pictured

I can not imagine too many of these exist.

ReelMan1988 · Post by **ReelMan1988** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 10:24 am

Let me get you the auction #

It was identicle! I was amazed to see both around the same time.

What happened was the one which sold for $220 was on eBay earlier and I did not notice it untill the auction over. It went for $40. He named the auction properly and then made a big profit!

ReelMan1988 · Post by **ReelMan1988** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 10:33 am

Heres the link to the $90 one.

http://orcaonline.org/images/pixel.gif ... dZViewItem

m3040c · Post by **m3040c** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 11:53 am

John,

Thank you for the info, it is very important. Now I know that there is more than one and that some were used. Both reels came out of Southern California so they were probably a special order made for a particular Head Boat. More than likely used as rental reels.

Thanks Again and Happy New Year usa

Post by **Brian F.** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 2:32 pm

I remember someone on this forum mentioning a while back that the party boats ordered these off color Penns so that they could easily distinguish their gear from customer's stuff. The person had experience working on those types of boats. Was it Nate? Bill B? Try searching under the the "end of day reel" subject.

Post by **john elder** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 2:40 pm

I think Bud Chaddock would have some input on this...he used to work commercial boats. I'll see if I can get something out of him for this!

m3040c · Post by **m3040c** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 2:30 am

I know I have read somewhere that California head boat captains ordered reels in specific colors. When I read this, it was referring to the Penn Green 209 and stated that the 209's were ordered with a Green head plate and a Black tail plate. I did not realize that Penn would build a reel and make it available in any particular color the buyer wanted. I guess if the order was big enough, why not

The Penn factory was not so big that it would not cater to someone that was ordering a 100 or so reels, especially in the 1950's. The production line had much human contact, it was not like a computerized, robotic modern day production line. The Penn production line of the 1950's may even be considered "Hand Made" by today's standards.

I appreciate all the input on this color question. Very glad to see Brian and John Elder jumping into the discussion. It would sure be nice to get something positive about this topic.

So while we are talking about strange colored Penn reels, it seems the Penn 85 was the color platform for experimental colors. It makes sense. The 85 was all Bakelite and very popular. Here's another 85 that I have never seen in the common production market.