A DAM 330N from the 70’s for loan

[Paddex]

Gentlemen

Recently there was a discussions about DAM reels and I would like to offer a DAM 330 N from the 70’s on a loan basis to be passed to any member who would like to borrow it. It would then be passed onto the next person.

Actually the reel is already in the UK and with Nobby, who was kind enough to service it for me. He was most generously and wanted nothing in return, thank you very much Nobby. So this is a combined offer by Nobby and myself.

Those interested might give a note to him and he will send the reel to the first person who would like to borrow it, the only costs involved are only the postage to send the reel on to the next interested person (should be about £3). If there is nobody interested, or after the last person to try it out, the reel goes to a lucky winner in a competition.

I think Nobby will kindly add some pictures and comments.

Phew, I'm glad this is out

kind regards und beste Grüsse aus Elstal
Andreas

[Mark]

I would just like to thank Andreas for his kind offer of the reel and to Nobby for the work he has done with it.

So who would like to borrow the reel first, don’t forget you will be responsible for posting the reel onto the next person.

[Loop Erimder]

I would

[Mark]

I would

And there we have our first member to trial the reel.

You need to PM Nobby with your address Loop.

[Loop Erimder]

I pm'd mr Nobby already to see if anyone has taken up the offer. Hopefully if I am the first then getting it by the weekend would be just perfect

[Nobby]

Yes Loop it's on it's way to you first post this morning!


Will you tell the forum where you are taking it, I wonder?


Will add some images shortly.

[Nobby]

I'd not handled one of these reels before and was surprised to see that inside it's very similar to an Abu Cardinal, a Young's Ambidex and even a Hardy Altex.
It also has a few features that are standard practice on modern reels such as the anti-reverse switch position and the way it works on the drum, or the clutch adjuster set in the front of the spool.

What didn't surprise me was the quality of German engineering....it's world-famous and with good cause.


Why this reel wasn't the first choice of carpers in the Seventies is beyond me...it is so well made. A little heavy, true but you aren't going to hold it all day and there are smaller models if youy need to anyway.


The clutch. A multi-disc, metal and composite affair that is smooth and will lock down hard if required..the big red adjuster is huge but you can work it with your eyes closed and it requires little effort to do so. It knocks the standard offerings from Mitchell and Youngs into a cocked-hat!
In fact it's sort of familiar to me because it's what I've been trying to do with Mitchell clutches this last year anyway.

The spool also has a couple of washers you can remove to adjust line lay on it as well....once again familiar territory to me this last few months, you might remember I posted on it in the Mitchell section a few months back....


A complete innovation to me was the bale arm. It has a setting on it for storage that allows the arm to swing right back to the stem and slacken the tension off the bale arm spring in doing so...pure genius! A reel spends a lot more time in storage then it does in use.

What appears as a white circle in this image has a triangular cam on the underside giving three settings of spring strength to the triangular spring.

The same square shaft that you press down to preserve the bale arm spring in storage is also the shaft that operates the bale arm and it has the aformentioned adjustable setting for how strong the spring that operates it is set.
I'm not sure how effective this is in practice but it indicates a mind determined to cover every application the reel might be used for and it might help if one were constantly casting and retrieving a lure for example.

The rotating head, or drum, turns upon a huge captive ball bearing race that exceeds the quality of anything from the Far-East and will probably last for ever.


The gears are beautifully made and there is no play in them at all. All moving parts have shims, washers or bearings and the whole lot is tight and smooth.


Paddex thought the balancing suspect, but the casting of the rotating head has been done in such a way that the head is already balanced and doesn't need a great lump of lead screwed in it like, say a Mitchell does. Some thing Mitchell struggled to get right anyway...most 300 reels have too much weight and the 408 doesn't have enough.


My only criticism, .... and it's just a personal thing... the anti-reverse clicker is a bit loud. You can't silence it with grease as it might attract dirt and grit into the rotating head...it's not much louder than a Mitchell 300 anyway....


So...German engineering, a gadget to protect the bale arm spring, adjustable line-lay and a good...a very good, clutch.


Oh, yes....it's covered in crackle-finish black paint and looks like a precision instrument....which is just what it is really.


Loop has it first for a fishing trip next week, then it can be posted on for the sum of just £3 First Class Small Parcel, known as SP1 at the Post Office.
If, in the future, the box gets a bit tatty or you need some more bubble-wrap, just let me know and I'll send a new box and or wrapping to you.

It has an instruction leaflet with it, please look after that....it will be of importance to the eventual winner of the reel later in the season.


If anyone wants more images of the reel I have them uploaded here:

http://s259.photobucket.com/user/nobby4 ... 8582603977

[Loop Erimder]

Thanks again Nobby I'll post pictures on return from trip

[Paddex]

great pictures, Nobby, I've never seen one of these reels dismantled, thank you
I always took that kind of quality for granted, so it's nice to hear a confirmation,
especially from the country I always admired for its quality tackle

you mentioned the square shaft operating the bale arm, that rang a bell and I had a look at one collectors page:
this seems to be a very special version of the normally round shaft (together with two rings around the rotating head)

330-N-variante.jpg

so on top of its fine quality, this reel is a bit special in the DAM reels series
good luck for the winner in the end

[Nobby]

Ah....yes I can see how the square one was a little hard to access, whereas the round one, perhaps a later version, is easier to get to to switch the reel into storage mode.

Well spotted Paddex!