Pfleuger with a twist.

[Silfield]

This one has captured my attention for the 20 years that I have owned it as it appears to be a Pfleuger Progress but is stamped Hardy on the back plate. The stamp does not appear to have been added later in its life but I can find no reference to Hardy's ever buying in reels from the US, Allcocks and Milward yes but Hardy? What makes this one a slight oddity as well is that it has a machined flat foot as opposed to the stamped heavily contoured foot usually fitted to the Pfleugers.
Can anyone shed any light on it?

The little fella is a Hendryx that I have just found out were badge engineered for the Dutch and German market.

[Kev D]

The word Hardy looks to have been done with just such a set of letter punches as I have in my shed!
In fact it looks like the edge of the punch has left curved marks above the D and Y .

[Silfield]

Kev, I agree as I have a similar set of stamps in the shed but on a similar vein I have seen a good few rod butt caps with stamps that look like Stevie Wonder has done them and they are accepted as genuine.
I found the following snippet in the obituary of Jim Hardy https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obitua ... Hardy.html
"At first the brothers bought in most of their tackle. Then, in 1891, they came up with their famous “Perfect” reel, which was an instant success and has been made by the firm, with occasional interruptions, ever since."
It looks like in the early days they did buy in a lot of stuff and indeed the original guns they sold were produced in Birmingham.
Is it a Hardy reel? Who knows, I like it and it only cost me £2.00 so I cant complain.

[Ghstrydr164]

Definitely not a Pflueger Progress! Pflueger only made and marketed reels under their name and marked all of their reels.

Pictures of early and later Pflueger Progress reels.

[Liphook]

A lot like British (many still insist on wrongly categorising them all as English) shotguns there are many traders who became makers and likewise so in reverse. Search wider for gunviceversa etc.Buyer beware if it's money you're interested in. Otherwise good tackle is good tackle if you're the user of good tackle, irrespective of 'brand'

[Ghstrydr164]

After close examination of the HARDY stamp I believe it was stamped prior to the back rim being formed. I see the top of the letters letters above the crease which would not be possible after the rim was rolled up and I have used hand stamps before and these letters are spaced and curved far to even to freehand. I believe a jig would have been needed to make them that even.

As far as who made the reel and why it was stamped HARDY, I have no clue at this time.

[Silfield]

Thanks for the information Ghstrydr164, for now I think this one is to remain a bit of a mystery!

[Ghstrydr164]

Upon further observation. I have never seen a Skeleton Fly Reel made like yours before. Every Skeleton Fly Reel I have observed have a back plate stamped from one piece of metal. Your reels back plate is made from two stamped pieces (the rim and a back plate that holds the spindle and check pinned to the rim). This back plate is reminiscent of the brass star backs on the Wooden reels because it is pinned over the rim instead of being part of the rim. A very unusual reel even without the HARDY stamp.

[Silfield]

Upon further observation. I have never seen a Skeleton Fly Reel made like yours before. Every Skeleton Fly Reel I have observed have a back plate stamped from one piece of metal. Your reels back plate is made from two stamped pieces (the rim and a back plate that holds the spindle and check pinned to the rim). This back plate is reminiscent of the brass star backs on the Wooden reels because it is pinned over the rim instead of being part of the rim. A very unusual reel even without the HARDY stamp.

Thank you for the additional information, it had never occurred to me that this was a 2 piece backplate until you pointed it out and putting them side by side for comparison there are obvious differences. As mentioned previously the reel was purchased purely on its aesthetics and the fact that it was only £2.00. The stamping only came to light a few years later when, after a house move, I had room for a shelf to display some of my old reels. This little one was still covered in decades of grime and muck, a quick clean under the tap revealed the stamping and I have been intrigued ever since.
I took a photo to the Hardy museum in Alnwick in August and they could not offer any information at all.