J B Kohn / Field's Fishing Tackle of Kentish Town

[Deaf Cat]

One of my treasures about which I have some information, but would appreciate more.

Some pictures on Photobucket here: http://photobucket.com/Kohn_split_cane_rod (I can post them here, but unsure of the form and reluctant to take up too much space!)

I have now edited the post to add pics so we do not have to bother with Photobucket









This is an 8 foot 3 inch, 2 piece split cane fishing rod. It has a 25 inch cork handle with button.
It has a twist lock ferrule, 5 agate-lined rings and tapers from ½ inch at handle to 5/32 inch at tip.

Marked as made by J B Kohn of 20a Highgate Road, Kentish Town, London NW5. This was also the address of Field’s Fishing Tackle who were in business during the 1940’s and ‘50s (possibly earlier and/or later). The proprietor is said to have been a friend of Richard Walker.

So: I'm guessing that a brute like this is probably for pike. What does anyone think?
I don't know that J B Kohn was anything to do with Field's Fishing Tackle - he could have preceeded them or followed after. Does anyone have information / a long enough memory?

Thanks, David

[Mark]

David, you are more than welcome to post pictures direct on the forum here. Please use the format in the post below.

This is the first time I have heard of a J. B. Kohn rod, has anyone else come across this type of rod.

http://www.traditionalfisherman.co.uk/v ... f=84&t=838

[Wallys-Cast]

Hi David,
just came across your post while looking for information on Fields Tackle. I am presently restoring a friends MK1V Carp rod with the Fields Tackle logo. There is no mention of J.B.Kohn on the rod just MK 1V Carp de luxe and 777 plus the Fields transfer..
If possible could you post a pic of the J B Kohn and any other marking on the rod.
Here hopefully is a couple of pics of the details of the rod I am doing.
Kind regards..Wal.

[Deaf Cat]

I'm not sure whether this will help, but I did discover more about Field's /J.B. Kohn.

First the rod: no Field's markings or anything else on the cane; all I have is the engraved makers mark on the bottom brass fitting. This is the best I can do for a photograph, but the text is in my original post.

And the rest of the rod




No markings on cane


So, possibly more about JB Kohn.

I found a

KOHN, J. B., 170 Pentonville Rd, N. (1983)

in a list of Victorian bamboo furniture makers. http://www.achome.co.uk/antiques/bamboo_furniture.htm

And in Google Books: "Buying for the home: shopping for the domestic from the seventeenth century ..." By David E. Hussey, Margaret Ponsonby, the footnote on p114 reads,

In the 1890’s, companies such as …. And J B Kohn frequently advertised bamboo furniture in trade and domestic journals.

Plus the V & A has a bamboo cabinet made by Jean Baptiste Kohn (c. 1910) http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O10984/cabinet/

So while I can't tie J B Kohn to Field's fishing tackle (apart from via the address on my rod) I can certainly tie a JB Kohn to bamboo.

Now back to Field's.

The chap that I bought this hook packet from told me

I lived in Kentish Town from when I was a boy of 9 up to the age of 21 (1945 - 1957). Fields Fishing Tackle was the only tackle shop I knew of at the time. I remember that the owner was a friend of Richard Walker whom I met on one occasion at the shop (he was a hero of most anglers at the time). I was not aware they made rods on the premises except that I have a 'roach pole' made of about eight sections of bamboo which fit into each other and I think they may have made that.

My early fishing was mostly done in the ponds of Parliament Hill Fields and Hampstead Heath which was a short bus ride away or a walk if I spent my money on a 16 hook and a pennyworth of magotts at Fields Tackle Shop on my way.

Finally, and possibly most relevant to you, I found this posting by John Willy on http://www.flyforums.co.uk:

10' Vintage Salmon Rod
Gentlemen- I found the above rod when clearing out my late uncle's house- there was no other tackle and he was not a fisherman. Apart from the detail in the title I can only add that it is of split cane construction and is inscribed '7.7.7. Mk IV Avon de luxe 10ft'. There is also a maker's lable which reads- 'Fields Fishing Tackle, Actual Manufacturers, 20A Highgate Road, London NW5'. I have tried searching the web without any result and would be grateful if anyone on the Forum could give me some advice or pointers on how to track down the history of the rod and/or it's makers. Thanks, hopefully, in advance.

Plus, just remembered, they get a mention in Andrews of Arcadia's Scrapbook
http://andrewsofarcadiascrapbook.blogsp ... rella.html


Phew! Hope that helps. Now I need to lie down.

[Wallys-Cast]

Thanks for that David, very good of you mate.
That Kohn butt cap looks very early so its quite possible he worked from that address before it became Fields.
I wonder if the 777 is Fields trademark for the MK1V carp and avon rods.
I think its more likely the rods were bought in as blanks and finished by Fields.

Kind regards.
Wal.

[Woodytia]

Interesting, I have a MKIV carp rod by Fields, I assumed it was one made elsewhere and sold by them.

[Wallys-Cast]

Hi Woody,
you could well be right mate. Does yours bear the 777 on it?

I am also restoring a Sealey Octofloat De-Luxe which has a Fields label so they obviously sold rods from other makers.

Thanks..Wal.

[Woodytia]

Had a quick look and yes it does have 777 written in India ink just above the handle. I had mine restored a while ago by Steve Boncey, it is probably one of the nicest MKIV rods I've seen.

[Deaf Cat]

Result!

A gentleman (aka Norman) researching his family history found this thread in an interweb search.
A non-angler, he signed up to the Forum so that he could PM me with the following information.

Jean Baptiste Kohn, bamboo furniture maker of 170 Pentonville Road was Norman's great grandfather. In 1889 he had a son, also Jean Baptiste Kohn, at that address.

Jean Baptiste Kohn junior was in the fishing tackle business all his working life. After he left school he worked for a company called Peek's of Grays Inn Road and, following the First World War, he worked for Carter's of South Molton Street W.1. In 1930 he started his own business at 20a Highgate Road and called it Field's Fishing Tackle, so named because of its close proximity to Parliament Hill Fields.

So 2 Kohns with 1 blow and "Fields" may or may not need an apostrophe - note the uncertainty on the hook packet in my earlier post.

Many thanks Norman. You really should take up angling - you have bamboo in the blood.
I love this place!

[Deaf Cat]

... and I have just noticed in the Hardy's Eureka thread that Badger 1 has a Wizard with a Fields logo on it. http://traditionalfisherman.co.uk/viewt ... =41&t=1763

The second one is a Allcocks Wizard as you can see, came from a widow who's husband was brought the rod by his parents when a teenager, apparently. It did need a full strip down but she was very pleased it was back in service. Two gold labels - one Allcocks standard label and the second one is the retailer "Fields" of London ....I think.