Antique Fishing Reels
"...I can think of no other hand-powered machine which has undergone such remarkable evolution and yet must still be powered by hand, even in this age of the electric tie rack. That evolution reflects the reelmaker's attempts to compensate for the hand's deficiencies. The modern casting reel automatically compensates for line deceleration during casting and prevents backlash; it winds the line evenly on the spool during retrieval; it applies drag to the spool when a hooked fish attempts to swim away. All of these functions once were performed by the angler's fingers."
From the Preface, Antique Fishing Reels, by Steven K. Vernon, I found this introduction the most beautiful and charming introduction to the world of old fishing reels. Hand-powered machine. Perhaps this is the concept. A mechanical tool which doesn't need any battery or source of energy but the person who is using it. I don't know about you, but I love this concept. Similarly to old mechanical photo cameras and manual coffee grinding machines, there are tools thought by men for men in a time when time itself was closer to the human pace and life itself was yes (at times) much harder and yet boldly looking ahead. Because, as I grow older, I feel History a little bit more closer and I start to capture the period we are living in and so the persons who came and lived before me and us... So, to start with, here is a list of important manufacturers of fishing reels:
These are really the BIG companies of the past (and for some of them also today). As you know, rarity is THE word in collecting anything, including antique fishing reels. Large companies like the ones listed above produced for the mass market but some early items might be made by hand in a limited quantity and so their value is higher.
Other important antique reels manufacturers are listed below:
These are important manufacturers but their production was (considerably) less in shear number. And then we have of course the delightful myriad of smaller antique reels manufacturers for us all to admire. Here is the list:
And then the not so old manufacturer, yet still inimitable modern fishing reels which can be a "modern fishing art" collection on its own:
And of course this is just a tentative listing.... ...any fancy for more resources like books and DVDs? From the antique fishing reels page, back to how I started my old fishing reel collection
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