Could this be a Priory?

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Alchemist
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Could this be a Priory?

Post by Alchemist »

Picked this one up on online. 11ft and appears to be a powerful avon-barbel-type rod. What do you think?

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No makers logo or model, but someone has played around with it in the past and may have stripped it. It has been badly re-whipped in a wine thread, but there's one original red whipping remaining. The ferrules are quality, with the males metal-capped at the ends. Varnish is very thin.

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Something rang a bell, so I compared with my 10ft Priory float rod, (top). Identical length handles. No whipping above the winding check, but maybe whoever rewhipped it may not have bothered to replace it.

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Stepped butt-caps.

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Reel fittings. The top band is wedged quite tight and cannot be moved down without force.

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Same thread, (allowing for a very slight difference in tone due to varnish type or age).

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OK, it may all just be coincidence, as the types of fittings were available to manufacturers at the time. Whatever it is or was, it's a quality rod and I'm looking forward to using it once I've restored it.

As for my 10ft Priory float rod. It's whole cane butt and middle, with split cane top. I've come across lots of this type of rod by various makers. I suppose they were cheaper in their day and therefore, more common. Some can feel a bit top-heavy, but this one is different - very light in weight and beautifully balanced. Needs a little work to take out the set and rewhip one inter ring and the tip ring in the right colour.

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"Leave only footprints"

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NickM
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Re: Could this be a Priory?

Post by NickM »

At 11' split cane throughout and on the heavy side it looks very much like Priory's Throop which certainly is a bit of a beast in a nice way. Dimensions aside, the butt cap and reel seat rings look identical although one of the ferrules looks different to mine. I get the impression that Priory did small production runs and details like winding checks and whipping vary, certainly were rebadged by other companies. I still don't know what the original rings would have been on my rod. Anyhow enjoy.

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Vole
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Re: Could this be a Priory?

Post by Vole »

I lkie that float rod! Ten feet is an unusual length, most bottom rods were ten feet, six inches, though I've no idea why.
The only famous, light ten-footer I've heard of is the Lucky Strike, which was sold as a "Boy's" rod. I wonder if Priory, similarly, went for the pocket money/birthday present market, and, like Allcock's, "builded better than they knew"?
"Write drunk, edit sober" - Hemingway.
Hemingway didn't have to worry about accidentally hitting "submit" before he edited.

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