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[JasonGotaProblem]

I want one of those on a lazy Susan.

[tincanary]

My latest.  Here's a rundown of the parts.  New old stock 2500C IAR side plates, pinion yoke, 5.3:1 gears, brake plate, and push button.  Chrome frame (040005 stamping, correct for the 2500C IAR), 80mm handle, spool cap, and star wheel from Simon Shimomura.  Line guide, 2540R spool, driveshaft, and pressure plate from Avail.  Lastly, a 2 bearing worm and cog from Valleyhill.  The only used part in this build was the brake collar as those are near impossible to find new old stock.  Some of these parts I already had on hand, such as the side plates. My goal was a factory appearing reel and it came out great.  The 2500C IAR was produced for Japan from 1994 to 2002 and models sold in the USA and Europe were known as the 2500CI.





Here she is mounted on its intended rod; a Graywolf 5'4" 4-8lb progressive E-Glass made by Shane Gray here in Michigan.  I'll be chasing river smallies and trout with this one.  The rod is almost all Michigan made with the exception of the reel seat and guides.  Shane even makes the blanks.  His blanks are made on Steffen Brothers tooling and mandrels, whom he bought a few years ago.  Steffen was known for producing some of the straightest and most consistent fly rods for 40 years.  They wanted to retire, so Shane went and learned their methodologies and bought the company. 

[JasonGotaProblem]

Nicely done. One of these days I'll get my hands on one of those.

[tincanary]

Scored another thumb bar reel for a price I couldn't pass up, a 2600C IAR.  These were to be the successor to the 1500C/2500C before Pure Fishing took complete control of Abu in 2000.  Production years were from '97 to '99.  While they look similar to the push button models, the brake plate is far different.

Here is the brake plate used in the 1600C and 2600C, note how it uses a nylon pinion yoke.  This keeps the pinion better centered and makes for an exceptionally smooth cranking reel.  It also uses a kick lever like more modern reels.  Compare it with the very simple 2500C brake plate.

2500C


2600C


And the new guy!