The reel described as a JJS Walker Bampton & Co. caught my eye in that it looked Dingleyesque but I could not find a WB model that matched it. The noticeable features of the etching line through spokes, the handles & latch and the brass buttons along with the maker suggest to me the hand of William H Dingley. The spool boss however is more like a Hardy and the general appearance of the reel is reminiscent of an early Hardy Silex.
It is inscribed with the WB & Co markings but the position of the inscription is such that it is partially obscured by a brass button that appears to be a demountable check. This partial obliteration suggests that the reel was not made for sale. Another oddity, and there are more, is that as well as the brass button it also appears to have a half-coin adjuster. There is also a third screw adjuster that is recessed into the frame and is not strapped.
The front plate is latched with a sliding brass button and enclosed on 180 degrees by a molded alloy line guard that is attached by three counter sunk screws. This line guard is similar in style to the brass one photographed in the 'D is for Dingley' book that is attributed by the author to be an experimental design. As is mentioned in the text describing the unknown reel, this one also has features that fit one model or another, but not all the features can be found on any one reel that I know of. As Eric Morecambe said to Andrew Preview; "I am playing all the right notes. But not necessarily in the right order." That is what this reel seems like.
My initial thoughts are that it may be a one-off for a special order, possibly a centrepin for float fishing as the spokes appear to be set at a greater diameter than on casting and fly reels. Or, it could be a rejected body used as a test bed for new ideas.
The auctioneer's labels mask much of the detail so I have cropped the interesting bits. Once I get it and open it up there may be some answers and there may be some more questions to answer. It also may of course just be a pile of old junk
