Questions about Antique Reels: Brands and Companies

Q1: Many of the questions received about older reels concern American level winding baitcasting reels mass-produced from the 1930s to the 1960s.
A: The vast majority of the mass-produced baitcasting reels (and fly reels, too, for that matter) made by the major tackle companies from the 1930s to the 1960s can still be found easily at flea markets and yard sales. Therefore, only a small fraction of these reels have significant collector value. The reels listed below are rarely listed beyond the range of $5-$50, and the value is highly dependent on condition. In general, only the highest quality reels (for example, a few made with nickel silver) or reels in mint condition command prices in the higher end of that range. Most are more valuable for fishing than as collectibles. Sometimes, a mint reel with its box and papers may attract higher prices.
The major tackle companies frequently made certain models for two decades or more. The precise dating of such models is often difficult without knowledge of various structural details. Listed below are some of the baitcasters found most commonly by collectors. The older models usually were made with nickel-plated brass, but after World War II, aluminum quickly became more widely used. Pflueger and Shakespeare reels are generally more popular with collectors than the other mass-produced reels, but most of their products remain in the category discussed here.
Many level wind reels from that period bear no brand names or are marked with names unfamiliar to most fishermen and collectors. Some of these reels are trade reels made by the major companies like Bronson, Shakespeare, or South Bend, but are marked with the brands of the retailers that ordered them. Comparison with reels of known makers usually identifies the manufacturer.
A. Bronson Green Hornet, Biltwell, Mercury, Altoona, Lashless, Fleetwing, Belmont
The Bronson Reel Co., organized in Bronson, Mich., in 1922, specialized in low- to mid-priced reels, and most of their products retain little value. Major exceptions include their line of Coxe-Bronson reels (See Question 10.), the Reel-O-Mine, and the Invader.
B. J.C. Higgins
Higgins reels were sold by Sears, and they were made by various companies over the years.
C. Horrocks-Ibbotson Horrocks-Ibbotson Co., Utica, N.Y., made a lot of tackle for a long time, most of it in the low- to mid-priced range. Although a few of their very early automatic fly reels are sought by collectors, their baitcasters have little value.
D. Kalamazoo Tackle Co.
The company was established by Shakespeare to supply reels to the trade.
E. Langley Streamlite, Lurecast, Lakecast
Langley Corp., San Diego, Cal., began making reels after World War II. Their reels were characterized by their light weight and featured perforated 'anti-inertia' spools.
F. Ocean City
Ocean City specialized in making salt-water reels in Philadelphia, Pa., from 1923 to 1968. During its history, the company absorbed, in 1935, Montague City Rod & Reel Co., Montague City, Mass., and, in 1939, the Edward vom Hofe Co., New York City, which made some of the finest reels on the planet for many years. During its later years, Ocean City produced many baitcasting reels, but none has significant value. The company was bought by the makers of True Temper tackle.
G. Pflueger Akron, Summit, Nobby, Skilkast, Supreme
The Pflueger reels were the top line made by Enterprise Mfg. Co., Akron, Ohio, whose lower-priced tackle bore 'Four Brothers' and 'Portage' brands. One major indicator of age among the above models is the use of slotted, rather than Reed and Prince, screws to hold the foot to the frame. Reed and Prince screws have crossed slots similar to those on Phillips-head screws. Unless the reel is old enough (pre-mid-1930s) to use slotted screws, it falls into the category discussed here. However, mint Pflueger reels with their boxes probably earn proportionately higher premiums than those of other companies.
H. Ranger Gold Medal, Blue Ribbon, First Award, Trophy
Ranger, Inc., Rockford, Mich., was another company that made reels after World War II.
I. Shakespeare Criterion, Wondereel, Ideal, Sportcast, Tru-Axis, Marhoff, Direct Drive, President, True Blue, Deuce, Service
The Shakespeare Co., Kalamazoo, Mich., probably had more influence in popularizing the level-wind casting reel than any other company. Its first reel featured the overly complex level wind patented by William Shakespeare, Jr., in 1897 (See Photo Gallery 1 on this site for an example). Later, however, the company acquired the rights to the 1907 level wind patented by Walter Marhoff, which was simpler and which eventually inspired most of the level-winding designs used by most of the other major manufacturers.
Most Shakespeare reels can be dated easily. Reels made after 1931 were marked with a two-letter date code, e.g, 'Model HK,' and it is those coded reels that fall into the category discussed here. Some of the top-line reels, such as the President, or some nicely decorated nickel-silver reels may attract somewhat higher prices at times, but most of the reels listed fall into lower price ranges.
J. South Bend 30, 35, 40, 45, 55, 65, 100, 125, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650, 750, 775, 800, 850, 900, 1000, 1250, etc.
South Bend Bait Co., South Bend, Ind., began its reelmaking by acquiring the rights to an antibacklash wire bail, which was used on many of their reels into the 1960s. Over the years, the company made what seems like an infinite variety of reels, but only the very earliest models have significant collector value.

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Q2: I have a small, copper-colored reel marked HENDRYX, pat. Mar 21, 1876, and pat. July 10, 1888. Can you give me any information on it?
A: The Andrew B. Hendryx Co., New Haven, Ct., had been manufacturing bird cages and other wire products for over a decade by the time it first advertised its fishing reels in 1887. From then until 1919, when its tackle division was acquired by Winchester Repeating Arms Co., it mass-produced a remarkable number of reels in an equally remarkable range of styles and construction qualities.
Hendryx reels were made from stamped sheet brass, brass castings, nickel-plated brass, German silver, aluminum, and combinations of hard rubber with brass or German silver. Their least expensive products were single-action (fly) reels that were riveted, rather than screwed, together, and the smallest of these were advertised as 'boys' reels.' Their more expensive machines included salmon reels and heavy multiplying reels suitable for light saltwater use.
The company's founder was a prolific inventor, and many of the Hendryx reels were marked with the dates of his patents, sometimes incorrectly. The date of March 21, 1876, refers to his patent of a U-shaped rivet that had been designed as a fastener for bird cages but eventually was used to attach the feet to the bottom pillars of most of the company's reels. Hendryx also invented a method of constructing reel spools (the 1888 patent), spool bearings, gear supports, other fastening devices, the first commercially available automatic clutch for freeing a reel spool, and a number of other improvements.
Because so many Hendryx reels were produced, dating them is difficult and requires careful attention to the markings, including the line-capacity stampings on the bottoms of the reels. A thin line beneath the line-capacity mark indicates that the reel was manufactured after the takeover by Winchester, which continued to use the Hendryx brand.
Hendryx reels remain attractive to collectors f