Can anyone identify this, Please?

[Vole]

A rather growly little "bearings" reel I've had for some time, but know nothing about the maker, Does anyone recognise it? The handles are very distinctive.

[Woodytia]

Could it be a home made job or perhaps something made as an apprentice piece, I understand some of the Rolls Royce apprentices made reels while learning their trade.

[Davyr]

I understand some of the Rolls Royce apprentices made reels while learning their trade.

As did quite a few employees at Longbridge in the 1960s & 70s!

[Vole]

The thing is, I've seen a couple on ebay over the years, with the same handle attachment, and I vaguely remember the name "Moore's" being mentioned (which rang absolutely no bells for me), so I think they were turned out commercially, if only on a small scale.

[Nobby]

I think the 'Night-shift' reels were made by men with access to lathes and milling machines and are therefore usually machined from the solid. Witness the few that have ratchets clearly using 're-cycled' parts.

That reel is made from a metal pressing, which requires special tooling that would not be done for a one-off build. It also has wrinkle-finish paint developed for instrumentation on aircraft during the Second world War.


My guess is that it's either a limited and commercially unsuccesful reel or an import.


Other reels with such a handle might be a Young's Landex or a Milbro Marvellus.


http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?um=1&hl= ... 3,s:0,i:82




I can't find a picture of a Marvellus, but they were green, French and had two line guided with agatine insert eyes, and were actually a multiplying centrepin, like the Landex.

[Chavender]

fiirst thoughts is its a early strikeright of some sort ,maybe a sea version ,they made several versions of a basic design with names like aquaflo ,tideflo ,Questaflo ,Ultraflo . made from pressed alloy and usually have a badge or latterly a sticker on the back ,but often these are missing and the crazed paint finish is often used on them

[Vole]

I don't think it's pressed, but cast; the drum is in one piece. Here's a pic of the innards - I still haven't cleaned off the gunk it came with!

I don't know if it will show up, but at 2 o/clock on the drum there is some pretty rough filing-off of the casting sprue
I don't think it's a Strikeright, because all of that marque that I can remember have a sort of goose-foot three-pronged fitting where the foot is rivetted to the back. It's a different - better - league from them; the rather agricultural line-guard, which rather lets it down, may be a home-brewed add-on.
I hope.
I'd better go and play with some lighter fuel.

[Chavender]

The thing is, I've seen a couple on ebay over the years, with the same handle attachment, and I vaguely remember the name "Moore's" being mentioned (which rang absolutely no bells for me), so I think they were turned out commercially, if only on a small scale.

i've looked at my picture collection ,and i've got pictures of Moores (of liverpool) Patent Centrepin reel ,and it does have the dual handle bar on the front but they're built from solid alloy and look quite different and marked down as pre WWII reel ,But thats not too say the one pictured above isn't a later 50's model made from cheaper materials !!




(Ps. i'll ad pictures later ,when i've more time to upload them to photobucket)

[Chavender]

i think your thoughts on it being a moores is looking more likly ,the very thin rim too the front of the spool gave it that pressed alloy look ,shows you cant always take things at face value .

[Vole]

Aha! Thanks for that: I'd had a look at H. Moore's of Liverpool, but nothing I found on the web looked anything like mine - it was all fly-reels.
This could well be a game-reel maker's attempt at a coarse reel, which might be why it didn't sell: it rumbles, and the drum amplifies the rumbling to a roar!
I've just stripped and cleaned - well, rinsed with petrol - and re-greased it. The bearings (looks lke twin ball-races) feel too tight; if it were a bike, I''d be taking the cones back a fraction of a turn, lest they brinnel (if that's the term). It feels good,but only spins for ten seconds, and I can't see any way of adjusting the bearings; all appears to be held in by two rings that are a pressed fit.
Oh, well, one for the ponds, then.