6/0 Kovalovsky

Started by 54bullseye, July 03, 2018, 01:09:10 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

54bullseye

#15
Mike
I did take off the tail plate and found a transfer bar that goes into another plate with 4 screws. I will go further but when I have more time on my hands !! I own a small driveway paving co. and am swamped with work now !! I will report back when I break it down more I am looking forward to getting into it.  Thanks !!  John Taylor

mhc

Thanks John, I had a look at the John Bechtold website you mentioned at the start of your post (I've posted the link again - the earlier one didn't work when I tried it) http://www.kovalovskyreels.com/fishing-reels  and noticed a reel that I first thought was the same as your 6/0 until I saw that it was your 6/0. It's a great summary of these unique hand made reels - it doesn't take a genius to recognize Arthur was a genius that passed on his extraordinary skills to his sons Oscar and Lewis. I'm looking forward to see how Arthur, or maybe it was Oscar or Lewis, designed the left side plate drag on your 6/0.

Mike

PS: Given all the recent interest in Everol and Penn/Tiburon 20/0 reels - there's a couple of photos of a 20/0 made by Oscar on Page 12 of the 'Fishing Reels' section of the John Bechtold site that's worth a look.
It can't be too difficult - a lot of people do it.

54bullseye

#17
Mike
I agree that 20/0 on pg 12 is a beauty !!!  The guy who owns it "Phil Beguhl" who I had the pleasure of meeting a month or so ago also is the co author of another really good book on Kovalovsky reels called  "Hand Made In Hollywood"  it's out of print and not real easy to find but it's very informative with tons of pictures and descriptions of different Kovalovsky reels. It also gives approximate numbers built of each reel and dates he built them.

About a month ago John Bechtold had his annual BBQ out in California " Kovalovsky country" !!!! And I was invited so me and my girlfriend flew the 3000 miles to Ca. for a cook out !!!! It was well worth the time in the air we had a ball and if you like BIG REELS and RODS John's got them !!! I got to meet a ton of California collectors and a couple authors of Kovalovsky books as I said before Phil Beguhl was there then co author of the book
"A conversation with Oscar Kovalovsky"  Larry Lauve was there he is a great guy that has probably forgotten more about big game tackle than I will ever know !!! Lol !! Then I met John Elder reel fixit gooroo from ORCA he is a great guy and very knowledgeable about any reel !!!! Then Randy Pauly who took all my money selling me all sort of goodies  Lol !!!!!!! Dan Zirilli another big game collector who has some beautiful stuff includind a giant 20/0 Kovalovsky cradle reel pictured on pg. 10 in reel section of John's website.

The first pic below is a group shot in John's unbelievable tackle room !!  Left to right is John Bechtold, Phil Beguhl, Mr.John Elder, Santa Claus I mean me John Taylor,  Dan Zirrili and his son,  Randy Pauly and last Larry Lauve !!! It was a really good BBQ !!!!   The next two pictures are of another experimental tail plate drag reel with cross bar and adjustment knob on head plate reel by Kovalovsky pictured in "Hand made in Hollywood"
book. This reel has a different patent number than mine so there is something different going on inside the reel also made of different materials.

Hope you enjoy !   John Taylor

swill88

Good looking group of reel heads there John.
Thanks for the picture. I got to visit that room last year but it was after a fishing trip so it was too qiock.
John's BBQ is on my calendar next year for sure!
Steve

54bullseye

#19
Well Mike here you go this is how it works ! I will have to make 4 or 5 post to get all pics in thread. Before I start pictures I will have to say I don't believe this is one of the Kovalovsky boys best designs !!!! That's probably why there weren't many made.  

When you tighten the drag knob that bar on tail plate presses on that ball bearing in middle of tail plate which inturn presses the whole spool and it's axel against the drag housing on the head plate. So your actually sandwiching the cork like drag washer between two smooth surfaces. But the tighter you turn the adjustment knob the harder the handle turns ??? Not one of there better designs. You do actually get pretty decent drag before it starts reeling hard probably more than enough for #9 thread linen !! Certainly different!  Some what similar to Fin-Nors !

54bullseye

Next

54bullseye

Next

54bullseye

These are the last pics.   Thanks  John Taylor

mhc

Thanks John,

That's an interesting, and surprisingly simple, clamp like design - for some reason I was expecting a complex array of gears and levers rather than a single lever pulling the spool against the disk on the head plate. Thanks for showing us the detailed photos and the photo of the reel collectors at John's BBQ. It would have been worth the trip just to see John's tackle room not to mention the conversation with a room full of like minded reel heads.

Back to John's website for a sec, I had noticed that cradle reel on page 10 of reel section but didn't realise it was another 20/0. The cradle design looks like it could be economically replicated for smaller reels by a modern machinist if there was a demand.

Mike
It can't be too difficult - a lot of people do it.