Spitfire finish

[Liphook]

I'm lead to believe that there was a period of time when Hardy produced reels with a "spitfire" finish as opposed to the many polished out reels that are now being sold as such? Can anyone enlighten me further please?

[Aitch]

I'm not sure what this is but is it the same as Dowelling

[AllRounder]

Certainly Allcocks produced Aerial reels in a Spitfire finish but I’ve never heard of Hardy producing them.

[Paul F]

Hardy made a good few spitfire finished reels, pretty much all fly reels and obviously after WWII.

The problem is they were often faked to cover or not badly worn reel, so difficault to tell if you have a genuine reel.

I have seen lots of well worn reel advertised as spitfire finish!

Certain reel makers were known to turn out spitfire reels which can help in identification.

[Wallys-Cast]

I think the term has come to mean anything stripped of its original finish. How that relates to a Spitfire I will never know but sometimes these terms are used to generate a feeling of good old no nonsense Britishness. I suppose we could be just as guilty when we talk about some German reels being made from melted down Tiger tanks.

Wal.

[JW1]

During the war they found that if they stripped the paint from the Spitfire and polished the metal finish, they could get an extra 15mph from the plane, hence the term.
Very useful on a fishing reel!

JW

[Liphook]

they look good good on a shelf but I agree too shiny to seriously fish. Anyone know the dates for the factory shine?

[Duckett]

Hardy made a good few spitfire finished reels, pretty much all fly reels and obviously after WWII.

The problem is they were often faked to cover or not badly worn reel, so difficault to tell if you have a genuine reel.

I have seen lots of well worn reel advertised as spitfire finish!

Certain reel makers were known to turn out spitfire reels which can help in identification.

I groan every time I see a seller use the term "Spitfire finish" for a vintage reel. I've even seen ones made in the 20s and 30s! Note made never to buy anything from them.

There is only one Youngs made centrepin model I have never seen with paint on and that's the Flick 'Em Perfection when it still used internal spokes to support the central boss. I have a 4.5 inch branded Modarcom and a 3.5 inch Homer branded one, both with not a sign of paint. I don't recall ever seeing one with paint. Perhaps because the original Homer Flick Em never had paint?

The only Perfection Flick Ems with paint that I have seen are the later (pre-Rapidex) ones without the supporting spokes.

Surely the only genuine WW2 paint related label that is valid is "Wartime Black Paint" as seen on some Hardy reels?

Phil

[Duckett]

Hardy made a good few spitfire finished reels, pretty much all fly reels and obviously after WWII.

The problem is they were often faked to cover or not badly worn reel, so difficault to tell if you have a genuine reel.

I have seen lots of well worn reel advertised as spitfire finish!

Certain reel makers were known to turn out spitfire reels which can help in identification.

I groan every time I see a seller use the term "Spitfire finish" for a vintage reel. I've even seen ones made in the 20s and 30s! Note made never to buy anything from them.

There is only one Youngs made centrepin model I have never seen with paint on and that's the Flick 'Em Perfection when it still used internal spokes to support the central boss. I have a 4.5 inch branded Modarcom and a 3.5 inch Homer branded one, both with not a sign of paint. I don't recall ever seeing one with paint. Perhaps because the original Homer Flick Em never had paint?

The only Perfection Flick Ems with paint that I have seen are the later (pre-Rapidex) ones without the supporting spokes.

Surely the only genuine WW2 paint related label that is valid is "Wartime Black Paint" as seen on some Hardy reels?

Phil

Just seen that I was completely wrong about the Perfection Flick ‘Em not being painted! That’ll teach me!

Phil

[StefanDuma]

Hardy and the Spitfire reels, the definitive history.

Many years ago there was an English tackle dealer Jamie Maxtone Graham, son of the author who wrote Mrs Minerva. He discovered that there was a market for old reels especially in Germany. He came across some war time production reels and to differentiate them from ordinary reels he called them by the one thing that German collectors could identify with Spitfire. These reels were usually made by Jimmy Smith stamped inside J.S. no duplicated MkII check just a single one sometimes with a white ivorine handle and always left in the white. It was wartime and they produced reels with what was available.
Jamie was a bit of a rascal and realised that he could charge more for the Spitfire reels and was not above having them polished. Others dubious people did the same. So popular where they that even Hardy's decided to make "Spitfire" finished reels.

Other wild theories put forward They were made from the rejected pistons of the engines for the Spitfire. A great theory, Hardy's were in Alnwick, Spitfire made in Castle Bromwich Birmingham engines in Derby, all that transporting of rejected pistons to make Hardy reels.

Another is the Z reels made from the pistons of a Dornier aeroplane that crash landed near Melrose.

When polishing the reels to produce Spitfire finish its almost impossible to remove the bronzing and lacquer from the internal edges of the reel and a magnifying glass will usually reveal the truth.

Like the Germans said "Actung Spitfire!"