thoughts on intrepid reels

The K. P. Morritts Reels forum.
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Rotrax
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Re: thoughts on intrepid reels

Post by Rotrax »

A true story about my new Intrepid Elite I had for a birthday present in - IIRC - 1961.

I dropped it hard onto the concrete bankside of the large pond on Clapham Common, seriously damaging the bale arm and rotating housing. Paynes of Balham were sympathetic but no guarrantee claim - I had dropped it.

I put it in my haversack and pedalled my bicycle to the Sutton by-pass where KP Morrit had their works. The lady in the office told me to " Go round the back and find 'arry "

I found 'arry who told me to wait a minute. He came back with a brand new one, told me to put it in my haversack and bugger off before the Boss came out.

Which I did...................

What service. The replacement is in regular use and has never let me down.

This forum is a mine of information. Until I read on here about the centre position of the ratchet lever I was unaware it acted as a simple 'baitrunner' - thanks for that! I will never use a buzzer system, but having a running fish able to take line fairly freely is a great feature.

Thank You!

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Tonkin Wand
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Re: thoughts on intrepid reels

Post by Tonkin Wand »

Hi Fishing Carpenter, I'm a great fan of the Intrepide range of fixed spool reels built in Surrey; indeed my first "threadline reel " was an Envoy. I still have it. K.P. Morritt did produce a left handed Continental (green model) but beware, its not interchangeable with many of the right handed parts! :doh: Tony

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SeanM
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Re: thoughts on intrepid reels

Post by SeanM »

Just a word of warning for those of you who might buy an Elite. I bought a couple in order to guarantee a supply of spares especially for the bail arm as I recall from my youth that the line roller was lucky to last a couple of seasons use before grooving. Unfortunately the bale arms on the two reels were completely different. never mind I thought I can make up a set of internals using the best bits from each. Nope: one plastic one cast alloy gear.

I few days ago I saw one on the 'Bay with the same bail arm mechanism as one of my reels. I'll have that I thought. A routine replacement job turned into a 6 hour epic spread over 2 days! First I thought I'd change the handle from the donor reel on to my user. Nope: the retaining screws were completely different. Then the fun with the bail arm! The main bit with the return spring looked identical on bothe reels, but my donor had the tidier looking one. A quick swap and a rebuild but the bail arm wouldn't return from the casting position. After a lot of fiddling it emerged that the hole for the main bolt was smaller in the replacement part. Half an hour with a diamond file sorted that and I had a working reel.

I then opened both reels to have a look at the gears. Both made of nylon but both different!

So be warned - 60s British engineering at its worst - continual modifications, with no version control and as for limits and fits...... :hairpull:
Quot homines, tot sententiae.

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Stingray
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Re: thoughts on intrepid reels

Post by Stingray »

SeanM wrote: Sat Dec 05, 2020 10:33 pm Just a word of warning for those of you who might buy an Elite. I bought a couple in order to guarantee a supply of spares especially for the bail arm as I recall from my youth that the line roller was lucky to last a couple of seasons use before grooving. Unfortunately the bale arms on the two reels were completely different. never mind I thought I can make up a set of internals using the best bits from each. Nope: one plastic one cast alloy gear.

I few days ago I saw one on the 'Bay with the same bail arm mechanism as one of my reels. I'll have that I thought. A routine replacement job turned into a 6 hour epic spread over 2 days! First I thought I'd change the handle from the donor reel on to my user. Nope: the retaining screws were completely different. Then the fun with the bail arm! The main bit with the return spring looked identical on bothe reels, but my donor had the tidier looking one. A quick swap and a rebuild but the bail arm wouldn't return from the casting position. After a lot of fiddling it emerged that the hole for the main bolt was smaller in the replacement part. Half an hour with a diamond file sorted that and I had a working reel.

I then opened both reels to have a look at the gears. Both made of nylon but both different!

So be warned - 60s British engineering at its worst - continual modifications, with no version control and as for limits and fits...... :hairpull:
Yes, no version control or hardly any at least. Still love my Intrepids though. Some years ago I dismantled half a dozen Morrits Intrepid Surfcasts with the idea that I would pool all the best bits to make the best reel working down to all the worst bits for the worst reel. The plan didn't work as there was incompatibility between the bits from different reels; eventually got hem all back to near enough to where I had started.

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Cat
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Re: thoughts on intrepid reels

Post by Cat »

Evening All,
I think I could write a short book, or at least a long essay on the (lack of) interchangeability of Elite parts, and I'm sure there are some who will be able to write several tomes. Somewhere on the forum is an excellent discussion regarding the various differences. The one to hunt down, if possible, is that with the metal rather than plastic gear...the problem is, and I stand to be corrected, one can't tell until opened up, but I believe they may be the later ones.
A frustratingly wonderful reel, that (possibly?) could have been great with development and quality control.
Regards Cat

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Stingray
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Re: thoughts on intrepid reels

Post by Stingray »

Cat wrote: Sun Dec 06, 2020 5:21 pm The one to hunt down, if possible, is that with the metal rather than plastic gear...the problem is, and I stand to be corrected, one can't tell until opened up, but I believe they may be the later ones.
The end ones, latest (youngest in fact) have the metal gear. All of the earliest ones with the different ratchet arrangement and different bale folding mechanism had plastic gears and that can be spotted from outside; the later ones have to be opened up to see if metal or plastic.

All that said, there really isn't anything wrong with the plastic gear though the metal must be better. One little issue I found with the plastic gears is it is hard to see if they are dirty, in need of a clean or not as they are shiny black similar to old oil.

Also, let us not mix up version control with quality control; it was version control together with commonality of parts that they were bad at.

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Wanderer
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Re: thoughts on intrepid reels

Post by Wanderer »

Stingray wrote: Sun Dec 06, 2020 7:22 pm
Cat wrote: Sun Dec 06, 2020 5:21 pm The one to hunt down, if possible, is that with the metal rather than plastic gear...the problem is, and I stand to be corrected, one can't tell until opened up, but I believe they may be the later ones.
The end ones, latest (youngest in fact) have the metal gear. All of the earliest ones with the different ratchet arrangement and different bale folding mechanism had plastic gears and that can be spotted from outside; the later ones have to be opened up to see if metal or plastic.

All that said, there really isn't anything wrong with the plastic gear though the metal must be better. One little issue I found with the plastic gears is it is hard to see if they are dirty, in need of a clean or not as they are shiny black similar to old oil.

Also, let us not mix up version control with quality control; it was version control together with commonality of parts that they were bad at.
Just opened mine up and with the aid of an x10 magnifyer and a glass of single malt, I was able to discover the cause of rough running.

Embedded in the teeth of the plastic gear wheel were tiny pieces of broken anti reverse pawl.
Now cleaned up and greased.
I now have a much smoother running reel but unfortunately no anti reverse pawl.
Or to be more precise, an anti reverse pawl in pieces.

Oh Dear......
"Not all those who Wander are Lost !"

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