Penn Reels - just as you find them

[54bullseye]

PENN 80 INTERNATIONAL

I have had this Penn International 80 in it's box for quite a few years and had forgotten the neat letters that came with it ! The reel is either a first or second year International you can see it has the early clicker knob that is just round with knurling around edges. These four letters are dated 1968 so reel could be a 1967 production. The guy wrote to Penn apparently looking for a shoulder harness and recommendations for a rod for his new reel. The first letter is Penn getting back to him. I think you should be able to click on pictures to blow them up. What I thought was cool is they recommended Harnell rods !  The next letter was the reel owner getting back to Penn ordering a harness and a Harnell rod !!

The third letter is "Ashway line co" getting back to him with info on there line and the forth was the reel owner again ordering the line that is on the reel now !! He also got a needle for splicing.

I don't think he used the reel much if ever as it is about perfect and I stripped line off and spool is also perfect !! I wanted to leave line on because of the story. I also have box and paper work for this reel. These are the things I really enjoy about reel collecting like finding out the past owners name and where he lived "Michigan"  ????  not a lot of use for an 80 International there !!! I know this reel isn't all that old but it's a cool package and one of my best finds!!    
              Thanks for looking !!   John Taylor

[54bullseye]

last two letters

[Dominick]

That is very cool.  Great find.  Dominick

[nelz]

He was probably planning on making it out to the ocean for vacations. Perhaps he never made it out.  

Awesome package with all that "provenance".

[Penn Chronology]

John,

Absolutely fantastic provenance to go with that great Int. 80.

I have saved your letters for possible future use if that would be all right with you.

Thanks,

Mike C.

[oc1]

Way cool John.  I particularly like the Ashaway letters.
-steve

[54bullseye]

Yeah Mike you can use them for whatever !  Are you guys able to blow up the pictures of the letters ?? They won't blow up for me ?  John Taylor

[Swami805]

Thanks for posting John. I could read them fine on my I phone. That's some old school customer service. Don't see that to much today
Looks like an item on his bucket list that he never checked off. Could picture him sitting on his couch,cold blowing snow planning a fishing trip of a lifetime to some exotic local
What a great package

[Tightlines667]

I never noticed those early round/knurled clicker knobs before.  I always thought a full set of first year Internationals would make a great display.  We had a group of 15-30 guys that trailers our boats to the GOM, and MX throughout the 1970s, and early 80s from Minnesota to fish Pelagics, so it's not unheard of for m8dwestern boys to fish Marlin, Tuna, Wahoo, and Dolphinfish.



Cool letters!

Thanks for sharing!

John

[Carl L]

No pesky drag washers to replace.. just use your thumbs...       (No airbags for us, we die like real men)

[Carl L]

I think they're related...

[oc1]

No pesky drag washers to replace.. just use your thumbs...

Yeah, but the model 15 has the high class free spool feature.  Pull the handle out to disengage the main from the pinion.  Does anyone know what that clutch design is called?
-steve

[Decker]

Carl, you keep sneaking peeks of vintage stereo equipment in with your reels.  Maybe we need an audiophile board?  

[Carl L]

Haha Decker, that's normally where I prop my feet while "tinkering" in my shack.. It is also the only clear spot to take pics in the whole room!! It is mayhem in there, but I know where 99 percent of the stuff is... its kinda like a hermit crabs cage, the mountains just move around every few days.  P.s. the kenwood receiver was under $40 delivered from ebay.. 20 watts true rms.. and the eq is used to tailor incoming amateur (ham) radio audio.

[Carl L]

So, playing on Ebay late again, And I come across a "lot" of penn reels. Obviously, This perked my interest as I only had 12 vintage reels in my collection (now 27 hehe..) I did the math, price including shipping was $4.33 each Woohoo !! Pics are the new guys "as I found them"