Odd Meisselbach Reel Factory Error?

[Ed Barrett]

This is a Meisselbach Takapart number 480 that was apparently manufactured in Newark, New Jersey. The line capacity of “100 YDS” was over stamped up side down across the lettering in the space and place of manufacture. How this oddity got past the reel inspectors is strange. Has any one came across such factory errors. I have JPEG photos that I will send to anybody who is interested. Ed

[joe klaus]

Ed:

I would dearly love to have your Takapart with the over-stamp. I love Mesisselbach but have developed such an expanded interest that I can no longer afford to be much more than an observer of the Meisselbachs.

But the Topic of your post motivated me to bring another Meisselbach oddity to the group's attention. I will be amazed if this hasn't already been noticed by "many" on this board and may even make it into the next ebay report.

Check out the Meisselbach 100. I've seen red and green ones, but not this color. What a beauty. I don't know the identity of "flyer 645" who was high bidder for the item. But I suspect it would have taken a bid in excess of 200 to take this reel away from him. I'll bet he was pleased as punch to take it for 105. Link is below.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 3692937531

[Reel Geezer]

First, Flyer 645 is Brian Carley of Florida who has a very extensive Meisselbach collection. He is one of those AOL people who seemed unable to post on this message board, and gave up.
The piebald Meisselbach 100's are quite rare. I have one sitting on my desk, and I know that Jim Garrett and Skip Brooks have one in their collection. I have always assumed they were "end of the day" reels (as Milt informed us they were called). Jim & Skip also have an apricot colored translucent plated 100. I am not aware of any other reels of this color.

In my files I have some photographs of experimental Meisselbach end plates including very Art Deco versions in red and green.

On my visit to the General Industries factory c1990, I was told that they manufactured most of the Bakelite plates for all the reel companies. They owned "Bakelite", having purchased Bakelund's(?) company, formula and patents. I believe that was in about 1908 that they made the purchase. I imagine these patents and rights ran out in the 1930s. I do not know for sure if that information was correct.

[Ed Barrett]

The Meisselbach reel with the mottled head plates is quite unusual.

This brings to mind a story that Mike Quinn, who worked for Penn Fishing Tackle Mfg. Co. and has since retired, told me.

It seems that the company had a janitor that used to sweep up the excess materials from the injection molding process and put it back in the system. Apparently a few “contaminated” head plates were inadvertently used. Needless to say, the janitorial duties were modified and the responsible individual sought other fields of employment other than at Penn.

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[Brian F.]

Ed,

The "End of Day Reel" term came from the South Bay auction descriptions of a number of unusual (one of a kind?) multi-colored Penn reels from the Heinze estate. I don't know if they got that term from Penn, came up with it themselves or if someone else suggested it when helping with the descriptions. The same kind of reels seem to occur with other manufacturers so that's why there was more curiosity.

There was a lengthy discussion about the term and how the reels may have come to be, with all kinds of theories being presented. Coming right from Penn, Mike's story pretty much clears things up and it sounds pretty funny actually.

So if General Industries made most of the bakelite plates for companies and Penn was making their own plates, does that mean Penn's plates generally are not bakelite?

[Steve]

Leo Baekeland invented Bakelite in 1907, patented it in 1909 (#942,699), founded the General Bakelite Co. about the same time, served as its President until it merged with Union Carbide and Carbon Corp. in 1939. He made the cover of "Time" in 1924.

Once Bakelite began to revolutionize the plastics industry, others developed similar thermosetting resins, e.g., Catalin, Melamine. My guess is that General Industries made a Bakelite competitor or made the real thing, so to speak, under license. "Bakelite" evolved into a generic label for the class of plastics.

[SWIM JIG]

Ok , the term (end-of-day 0 applied mostly to the glass industry, ie no waste! rather than throw out any left over glass , the companies allowed their glass makers to make items with the glass, ether the glass blowing machines or actual glass blowers using (pipes) My aunts worked in the libby owns plant in Toledo Ohio, not far where Phils brother lives to this day! My aunts worked in the Cutting and ingraving rooms, and got to keep some product, We have it to this day. As for the different (plastics or bakilite items, it was far less costly than metal and didnt get corrosion , In ELRIA Ohio,where gen. industries is to this day, they (played with the idea and with the help of the Harshaw Chemical company made this product and it became useful in the manufactor of automobile electrical parts and as electric became into more use and telephones it became a product that needed very little insulation if any at all. Light switches, dist. caps ing. rotors etc. ( they found by mixing different types of this Plastic it became stronger and had a certain amount of GIVE) expansion and contraction. It didnt require any lubrication etc. So they now made reels, and even some gear items for reels. As for the colors , well they gave their Bankers reels after all they needed loans, they used them for sales samples etc. and at the same time when these reels were used it was a good test of the (Plastic) What was said about PENN, its true, they like all companies didnt waste a thing, and the rewards to employees were one of the end of day reels! You will on occasion even find early battery cases made of this material, it was used in home battery powerd radios! pre 1930 era. We that find one of these reels do indeed have a unique item, and mostly one of a kind! I have some that my wifes uncle had a hand in when he worked for gen. industries, no they will not be for sale! they will be donated to the local ELYRIA Historical Society for all to see. We now that have this history are only the custodians for the future generations! I hope this helps some in why these products existed. Col. milton Lorens aka SWIM JIG your Ohio Connection

[Richard Lodge]

Hmmmmmm... I always thought the "end of the day" story came from either the plant where they made Marlboro cigarettes or from the janitor at the Hormel hotdog plant. You know, some guy would sweep up all the stuff that had been dropped or dumped on the floor that day (tobacco, gum wrappers, cigarette butts, whatever at the Marlboro plant; lips, snouts, cigarette butts, bottle caps, chewing tobacco, whatever, at the Hormel plant... ) and dump it all back into the hopper for the next day's production run. Enjoy those cigs and hotdogs, fellas!

[Lillawill]

Just a bit of Trivia

I was browsing old threads and thought I would pass on this tidbit form my marble collecting days. In the mid 1800's a marble maker in Germany would clean up the glass craps off the floor at the end of the days work and hand roll marbles form the various bits of scrap. These marbles would be given out the local childern who would be paitently waiting for them and they became to be know as end of day marbles. To find one of these marbles now would be better that finding most good reels. Just a bit to ponder

Bill T.