wondering your thoughts on this value ect.

[kyote]

Hello all, I need some help and will post more about what I need. sorry for the long post but I think it will help.I came to the USA from the Canal Zone, (Panama' central america) when Jimmy Carter gave the canal to panama.
My grand parents went there when Rosevelt asked for men to go there and build and operate the panama canal after the french gave up.
Both my moms and dads folks did so. And I come from a very long line of machinist. ( that can be bad, as I know how are things are supposed to be done correctly, machinist operate in the 100 of thousanths where others use a yard stick.lol)
any way, my father's Dad was a senior locks master (only a machinst at the time could attain that high level at the locks, he was in charge during his shift of one set of the locks.) What I am telling you all here is facts that old timers told me from the canal zone, some I knew and some I did not, But they knew who I was.

Every one called him Dick. Yet his name was william B. Hall. I was told that he was one of the best people you could meet. never wanted for himself and gave the shirt off his back. He came down with Diabetes early in life. and the lock division abolished his job so he could retire early with full benifits and have a good retired life. (that is almost unheard of and would not happen today) he retired in Fifty two the year I was born. and passed away in fifty seven from prostate cancer. back then nothing could be done. with our meds today he would still be kicking.
His passion for fishing was rivaled by none. at night on the locks all went home except the lock master and security and the military guards. as there was no lighting in the canal back then. and the locks chambers would be full of ships waiting till morning to transit during day light. whaling was still in effect back then and whaling vessel would be transiting now and then. as a lock master it was customary to board any vessel and have dinner with the capt. and even sleep on board till it was time to move the ships from ocean to ocean. he would always go on board the smelly whalin vessels. he would even know when they were coming as the capts let him know and would trade shifts to be with them.
our family has an extensive sperm whale tooth collection.LOL. knife handles, fishing gear and other stuff even scrimshawed booked ends of whale teeth. all adorned with whale teeth and the handle on the pictured reel is made from a sperm whales tooth...poor whales.
anyway I am getting to the point of all of this.
he was so well liked by the top all the way to the bottom of folks around him he could do what he wanted.and his shift ran smooth.
all he wanted to do was make fishing tackle. and make it better then anyone else at the time.(deep sea for big fish) and when he started making gear there was nothing to go by. it was still being pioneered. and he was a pioneer way ahead of his time when it came to fishing reels,rods eyes, hooks ect.
some of the 1st ones I still have. very good but with out drags, held miles of line and operated like a winch with a big round heavy rod made of mahogany, black plam, or spilt bamboo. just play the fish for hours and wear him down and crank him in. I am sure some of you have seen where some one pours a bucket of water on the reel when the fish is running, keeps her cool as the firiction would get the reel handle blistren hot.
I gave one of the 1st reels made (that worked I guees as I can only asume some were rejects) to a friend that owns the tropic star lodge for their museum) I have the other but it is hidden in a bx from my latest move. but will revive this thread and post a photo.
he kept improving his reels and outfitted several boats that he went on. he was a member of the sail fish club back then in panama' and I have a lst of all the famous folks that went and fished with him posted by the sail fish club. one that I recall as it has came up many times in my life was Clark Gable. which came to panama' to fish. through these famous folks word got to penn reels who was still pioneering fishing reels and testing them mostly in Fl. that there was a man in panama' that was making the best reels they had seen are used.
so enetred Penn reels. (which has no mention of Dick) they went and looked at his reels and blue prints, he was more then happy to share. and wanted nothing. no patents, trade marks ect. just let me fish. he did not even like to brag about the fish he caught which I am sure could have held records. that was not him.
His Buddy Mr. schimt lost as a child in a rail road accident his left arm and leg. he was a huge man and his right arm looked like a redwood tree trunk. He loved fishing also. as a child visiting my uncles home in Fl., He took me to work one sunday. had something importent to do I guess. as it was closed weekends. across the st. from his building was The Barracuda fishing tackle company. which should have ben closed on sunday. Unk let me go look at the building as I loved fishing also and as a child knew well about barracuda tackle. to my suprise the front door was open. and I let myself in. and started looking around. seemed everything in side was locked up. but it was a two story building. Nothing much to see and I really wanted to see the place and maybe get free tackle.lol. so I said hello a couple times and started to leave when this gentleman came down the steps and asked what I was doing.
he took me to his office. he was the head dude of the place, I guess the owner.
Behind his desk was a huge framed photo almost life size of Mr. schmit and a huge marlin. I had seen this photo many times before with others that went with it at my granddads home. I talked to him about the photo and told him about Mr. schmit he gave me a cheap rubber coin purse with the ---- logo and sent me on my way.cheap Bas----. I should not have told him his spoons were crap and the hooks bent with a big fish strike.
any way the photo of the reel was his personel reel the handle is made from a sperm whale tooth. the holes in the bottom of the reel is so water could go through when they were pouring buckets of water on her to keep her cool when playing the big marlins.
The gear ratio seems to be 1:1 and the drag work and the thumb on the side is a release / drag more pressure applied, harder for the fish to take line.

In the last month. I have shown it to several custom pole builders trying to restore it and reel experts that of course rebuild and do maintence. mostly old timers. when they see it they seem to be awestruck for a minute then the questions fly. he made the casting, mold and everything him self even the eyes for the rods . he invented the drag, gears ect.
these folks when they hear the story seem to think this is the father of all modern reels today. and say the man who made it was way ahead of his times. he made many reels and poles for some of the big name fishing boats in panama', canal zone. if any one has any other info. please e-mail me with it.
he made lots of cool stuff. but that is for another time. thanks..Kyote
hope you enjoy this.


I can not seem to insert the pics. I will do it soon as I firure out how to do it. Maybe some insite? thank you.

[kyote]

http://www.swordfishingcentral.com/foru ... reels.html

well this might help. A link to another forum, Sorry, it has the photos. untill I figure out how to insert them here.

[john elder]

Kyote...unfortunately, one has to log onto that other site in order to look at the pics! if you send me 3 pics, I can post them here for you.

[Jason]

I guess it only worked while I was still logged onto the board.

[john elder]

that board won't allow you to do that...you are trying to get them to host your pics and they won't go for it. you need to send the jpgs to and I can post them for you.

[kyote]

thank you both for your help. I was wondering why I could not post the pics.
Again thanks.

[Dr. Rob]

[Dr. Rob]

Okay, lemme get this straight.. Your grandfather, Mr. William B. Hall, made this reel. He possibly did so while in Panama, sometime before 1957, when he died.

It is called a cradle reel; the type is quite well known and was made by several big game reel manufacturers. I don't know who was first, or really when the design fell from popularity.

Yours is neat; very nice. The star drag on the main shaft is kind of unique-- very few have had that. (Brian F, did you catch that?) The gear ratio is likely higher than 1:1-- more like 2:1, judging by the center distances between shafts and size of gear covers.

As Stuart at the other site noted, i don't think Penn would have had any interest in this, although Tycoon or some of the others around at the time might have. Ed P, are you reading this? Comment?


(PS: That's an interesting ocelot pelt in the background. The Fish & Game or WWF folks would go berserk at your house.)

[kyote]

Okay, lemme get this straight.. Your grandfather, Mr. William B. Hall, made this reel. He possibly did so while in Panama, sometime before 1957, when he died.

It is called a cradle reel; the type is quite well known and was made by several big game reel manufacturers. I don't know who was first, or really when the design fell from popularity.

Yours is neat; very nice. The star drag on the main shaft is kind of unique-- very few have had that. (Brian F, did you catch that?) The gear ratio is likely higher than 1:1-- more like 2:1, judging by the center distances between shafts and size of gear covers.

As Stuart at the other site noted, i don't think Penn would have had any interest in this, although Tycoon or some of the others around at the time might have. Ed P, are you reading this? Comment?


(PS: That's an interesting ocelot pelt in the background. The Fish & Game or WWF folks would go berserk at your house.)

Yes, Dr. You are correct. He made possibly 60- 70 of these reels. well before he passed away in the 1950's I would guess these reels were made in the late 30's early 40's.
and were made in the canal zone, Panama'

I read and have been in contact with Stuart, Very nice and helpfull man.
As he and you stated Penn had no interest in the reel. I was told differnt by a very old gent one night while setting at the Elks lodge in the canal zone. he was a retired C.Z. police sergent. and seemed to know my father and grandfather well. at least the fishing part about my grandfather and his reel making.
Trying to recall exactly the converstion as to not make any thing up is difficult.
What I do remember is him saying they were at the time the finest reels made. and folks from the U.S. flew to panama' to meet him and look at the reels and how they were made. Penn was mentioned. Now others may have been. but at the time, I had not heard of Tycoon or any other reel makers. and those names have not stuck with me.

Yes, Nice Ocelot skin, It was tanned with brains from the animal.
It has been checked out many times by the N.M fish and game dept.
and several taxidermist that work with the F&G dept.
In the one photo in the book cabinet bottom left 2 large sperm whale teeth and you can see others around in there.
and 3rd shelf from bottom in center is a small lobster claw. and on shelf above the claw a small whale tooth.
I have talked with U.S. customs about the teeth and several other federal agencies as I have some older not so nice teeeth I wanted to give to a custom knife maker to make handles for a knife. he would require paper work to have them in his shop proving where they were from and how old they might be.
nothing Illegal going on here at all.

thanks for your help and any other post will surely be welcome.

Kyote