Such an interesting reel Nobby , I probably won't come across another one so thank you very much for agreeing to sell it .Nobby wrote: ↑Sun Oct 01, 2023 2:55 pm What I had has been on the shelf for 5 years, left just as it arrived; a Mitchell reel with great glossy paint on the body but rather poorer paint on the rotor.
The handle had 'France' stamped on it and I thought it just might be a half bail reel that had been upgraded to a full bail with a Garcia 808 kit, something I've always wanted for the collection.
It was a bit stiff to turn so I decided it must come apart. It was full of some spray on grease that had set like stone and took days to get out. The baffle had France on and so did the balance weight in the rotor.
I now know, thanks to George Saul that this reel was made in February 1953 and that full bails weren't in the shops until December that year in the U.S.
So I am now certain it is a converted reel the kit for which was only available through Garcia in the U.S. I doubt there's another one in Europe.
The one man who I thought might guess what it was did indeed guess right and he bought it.
I must confess I couldn't resist stripping it down when I returned home . It was great to see all the parts as expected. With a good box too . Really great thanks .
John