27, 27M Monofil

[coastal_dan]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Vintage-Rose-Fuchsia-Penn-Monofil-No-27S-Left-Hand-Reel-Collectors-LH-/232234509928?hash=item3612416668%3Ag%3AowAAAOSwEzxYROyk&nma=true&si=NHe6KWCnoEpROn%252F2DS%252FJWNzqGog%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Looks like it did end up selling...

[Superhook]

Thank you very much Dan. That gives me hope to find a #27LH reel . Timing was a bit out otherwise I could be laughing now. Mike tells me it should be a Maroon reel not a Magenta but we all know he would not have a clue    ........so I better look for a Maroon #27LH. I'd think a better chance . It would be hard to knock back a Magenta #27LH though.

[Maxed Out]

Ray, what is that catalog you are showing with your 27SLH box ??....BTW, very nice box. Label do bright I needed my shades on to look at it.

  -Ted

[Penn Chronology]

Looks like it did end up selling...

This listing is telling. It tells us that the LH reel is not marked LH even though the box is. Which means, with the right parts, a standard maroon 27 side plate can be built into a left hand reel and be a correct reel.

The price on Ray's box places its production, according to the catalogs between 1957 and 1959 inclusive (catalogs #20, #21 or #22). It is a three year era for the box and technically not a Magenta reel; but, I am sure that in 1957, Magenta models were still being placed in 1957 boxes until all stocks were used up and Penn changed over to maroon. The Colormatic years ended in 1956, but, nothing is 100%. I would think a Magenta 27 in Ray's box would simply place the box into a early 1957 category.

[oc1]

Wow Mike, you're the fishin' reel Sherlock Holmes.  The head plate looks completely symmetrical front to back in the photo.  If the gears are straight cut, all you would need is a left-handed sleeve and star
-steve

[Superhook]

I down loaded Left and Right photos from the Ebay reels.  While they are the same externally . Parts are different inside and they were supplied as two different Head plates ... a Left and a Right Head plate . The original parts are all available except a LH Pinion and the actual LH Head plate. You can get a Main gear/Pinion set upgrade replacement .

27 LH 1   27 RH 1

27 LH 2  27 RH 2

[Penn Chronology]

I down loaded Left and Right photos from the Ebay reels.  While they are the same externally . Parts are different inside and they were supplied as two different Head plates ... a Left and a Right Head plate . The original parts are all available except a LH Pinion and the actual LH Head plate. You can get a Main gear/Pinion set upgrade replacement .

Identical on the outside, internally I expect they look like this Penn 85 Left Hand model.


Basically, everything in the head plate is identical to a right hand side plate except for the fact that the anti-reverse dog moves to the opposite side of the head plate. I would like to open a Left Hand drive Model 27 to verify this; but, I think by the 1950's, this is how Penn was converting their reels to left hand operation. The difference is the change of location for the dog creates a need for the other screw area to be milled out to allow for the flush mounting of the dog. In time Penn will mill both dog locations on most of their reels to creates side plates that can be built in right of left hand drive configurations, you simply needed the correct metal pieces.

Wow Mike, you're the fishin' reel Sherlock Holmes.  The head plate looks completely symmetrical front to back in the photo.  If the gears are straight cut, all you would need is a left-handed sleeve and star
-steve

Sherlock Holmes,,,, Ha,,, I don't think so. More like Inspector Jacques Clouseau.............<:O)

No straight cut gears in Penn production reels.

[Superhook]

Thanks Mike,

That's simpler than they did in the 30's .   You can see where they were heading .

Channels and pin for L&R dogs and springs both in the one head plate would make for quicker production .

Ray

[Penn Chronology]

That's simpler than they did in the 30's .

Yes Ray, in the 1930's Penn was feeling out the left hand drive engineering. They built the reel keeping the dog in the same location and simply milling out the plate to allow the dog to engage with the bottom side of the sleeve gear. The dog then was spring loaded upward rather than the normal downward spring loading as seen in this old picture. The plate on the left is right hand drive. The plate on the right is Penn creativity at its best al la 1930's.


I cannot remember if you bought this reel from me; but, if you have it, the configuration of the Left Hand 27 may be the same in this reel. This is a rare reel, it is the first 1949 Penn 180 made in the left hand option.

[broadway]

Mike,
    I gotta ask... How do you know that's the first 1949 180 lefty Penn made??
Thanks
Dom

[Superhook]

Dom,

  '47 looks like the first year the RH was $6.00 and a lefty would cost you a dollar more . Referencing to Mike's yellow covered book's catalogs.

Ray

[broadway]

Ray,
   I thought Mike was saying that was the first ever made 180LH from the Penn factory, but I guess he meant first year.  Also, I didn't think that plastic handle was a 1949 handle... good to know.
Thanks for the clarification,
Dom

[Penn Chronology]

The 180 was not offered from the factory in Left Hand drive until 1949. When the 180 was introduced in 1939, Penn offered a Left Hand operation; but, at this time Penn was converting the reels one at a time on request of a customer. Doing that the old fashioned way with the small head plate must have been sketchy, so they stopped offering the Left Hand Model 180 in 1940 and brought it back in 1949. If you check the yellow book you will see the Left Hand drive is not offered from 1940 to 1948 for the Model 180.

The 180 box looks to me to be a 1949 box; but, it could also be a 1950 box. With that slanted model name printing, I would think it is more likely to be a 1949 rather than a 1950 box. The reel may not be correct for the box because I see a part number on the handle retaining screw; but, who is to say that the handle was not added later.

[broadway]

Thanks for the knowledge, Mike.  I just wanted to make sure that it's not the first 180LH off the line because I would love to know how you'd come to that conclusion.
I'm pretty sure that handle wasn't the around in '49 as I've never seen it on a Penn reel until years later but you would know better than me.
Thanks
Dom