Show Off Your Long Beach

thorhammer · January 13, 2016, 10:09:41 PM

Sid, I've been on the site almost a year but dont keep a ton of parts and this is my first opp to help a member with a part, glad to do it. I tend to build reels out and put them on a stick ready to use. I've had that spool a decade, and it's been waiting patiently for its turn....all yours!

Penn Chronology · January 13, 2016, 11:30:00 PM

QuoteMike, this is a 66. Are you saying 66 or 67, or 66 and 67? Because if its or, I can confirm it's the 66.

Sid,

In the days of the introductions of the 66, 67 and 68, Penn used the side plates for any and all of those models. Physically, the head plates for the 66, 67 & 68 are all the same. So, early reels were sharing plates. Leaving the number off enabled the use of early head plates for any model. Now, that said, I feel that Penn used these blanked out number plates as repair plates. I do not think they were used on new reels. I used to have one; but I do not remember what I did with it and yours is only the second one I have ever seen. I have to look through my stuff to find mine. Mine was mounted to a early Long Beach 68.

sdlehr · January 14, 2016, 12:17:18 AM

Quote from: Penn Chronology on January 13, 2016, 11:30:00 PM
QuoteMike, this is a 66. Are you saying 66 or 67, or 66 and 67? Because if its or, I can confirm it's the 66.

Sid,

In the days of the introductions of the 66, 67 and 68, Penn used the side plates for any and all of those models. Physically, the head plates for the 66, 67 & 68 are all the same. So, early reels were sharing plates. Leaving the number off enabled the use of early head plates for any model. Now, that said, I feel that Penn used these blanked out number plates as repair plates. I do not think they were used on new reels. I used to have one; but I do not remember what I did with it and yours is only the second one I have ever seen. I have to look through my stuff to find mine. Mine was mounted to a early Long Beach 68.

Thanks, Mike. So 60 and 65 shared the same side plates, as did the 66, 67 and 68 (but different than the 60 and 65). I've been meaning to read your chapter on the Long Beach for a few weeks now. Tonight's the night. I know the 267 had a half frame on the bottom and a single post on top, but still don't know where the 259 fits into the series (I'm sure I'll learn that tonight). My interest in Long Beaches comes from the 68 that belonged to my dad that started me on this collecting thing. I just picked up a brown/black mottled (no-part numbers) 60 with matching plastic spool that arrived today. It was the colors that caught my eye.... I'll be posting photos soon, before and after cleaning, but I'm going to leave a lot of the patina on this one and just clean it up a little.... it's got character.

John, the addition of your spool to my 65 means that the only numbered part left on that reel will be the foot! Thanks again!

When I win the Powerball tonight you're all on my list!

Sid
SE FL

Ron Jones · January 14, 2016, 01:53:03 AM

If there is a misnamed reel in the Penn catalog, it is the Penn 259. That reel has NOTHING to do with the other LongBeaches except the main gear is the same as a lot of other reels. It is really a 1/0 Senator that uses 500 parts instead of 501 parts. Nothing wrong with the reel, just named weird.
Ron
from the sunset side of Oahu

swill88 · January 14, 2016, 01:57:44 AM

so... what makes a 'Long Beach' a Long Beach?

I have a NIB 267.

How is that related to a 60?

steve

Ron Jones · January 14, 2016, 02:09:37 AM

The 267 and 268 are pretty much rebadged 4/0 black side Senators from a much newer time. The Longbeach was originally the 60 or 66 side plate (thus the matching main gear numbers) with different width frames. They were distinctly different from the surf reels (Squidders, Surfmasters etc.) and the Jigmasters. The big Longbeaches shared some of the guts with the black side Senator 4/0 but the side plates and gears were different and you couldn't get a 66 width 4/0 Senator (until Mr. Newell made the best thing since sliced bread.) A 259 is a slow Jigmaster that won't blow up. Which is cool, but it doesn't have anything to do with being a Longbeach.

Ron

Penn Chronology · January 14, 2016, 06:12:09 AM

Correct. A 259 is a slow Jigmaster and named a Live Bait Caster. It is one of my favorite Penn reels. I still fish with one. It is a great bottom fishing reel, lots of torque. Coincidently, the 259 is identical to a Jigmaster dimensionally. The 259's last year was 1958 and the Jigmaster was introduced in 1959. I do not think that was an accident.

sdlehr · January 14, 2016, 06:17:41 AM

Quote from: Penn Chronology on January 14, 2016, 06:12:09 AM. Coincidently, the 259 is identical to a Jigmaster dimensionally. The 259's last year was 1958 and the Jigmaster was introduced in 1959. I do not think that was an accident.

Interesting observation, good to know.

Sid

sdlehr · January 14, 2016, 11:51:33 PM

I had the day off today, and this was my project - A Penn 60 with mottled black/brown side plates and matching plastic spool. There are no numbered parts, and I picked this up on Ebay for $25 Buy It Now shipping included!! It arrived pretty dirty and dark

And after cleaning the side plates with Simple Green I was left with this ugly color that didn't match the inside of the plates at all, so I know it wasn't the true color

Pretty nasty, right? I know some say not to use Armor All on side plates because it can cause expansion of the bakelite and cracked side rings, but I wasn't about to leave it like this, and I didn't want to put anything on that would alter it from the original color (like shoe polish), and the side rings were a pretty loose fit, so I broke the rule and came up with this

I'm interested in trying to date this as best as possible; It has no numbered parts, that puts it pre-1950. It has plastic spool, so it's during WWII or shortly after, so I figure it's a 1940's reel, and if anyone can narrow it down better than that I'm interested in how that can be done. Here's a few more pics of the clean-up

I noticed the handle nut had this fluted (can't think of a better word to use) opening, and don't understand the rationale behind the design

The eccentric lever has a coin-edge finish

It ended up cleaning up pretty well - but the chrome, not so much...

Can anyone date this any better than I have already? What clues am I missing? And considering I'm playing around with chrome plating, if I am able to do that well, would re-chroming enhance or diminish the value of this reel in a collection? If the goal is to return a reel to the condition it was in when it left the factory I would think a clean chrome job would be a good thing, but I never see it done, so I'm guessing there's more to this than my current understanding provides.... maybe it's just the expense of the chrome plating?

Sid
SE FL

Superhook · January 15, 2016, 12:22:05 AM

The Light spool #60 & #65 were made 1946-48 .

sdlehr · January 15, 2016, 12:53:02 AM

Quote from: Superhook on January 15, 2016, 12:22:05 AM
The Light spool #60 & #65 were made 1946-48 .

Well, thank you very much! That narrows it down quite a bit! Was that in Mike's book? There's so much in those two books it's hard to keep it all straight. I knew it was during or immediately post-war because of the spool... at least I remembered that much....

Ron Jones · January 15, 2016, 01:16:27 AM

I'd also like to know the year the 112H came out. It seems like it would be around the same time. I'm guessing someone at Penn said " Hey, lets put the 66 stand on the 65 and put these new 4:0/1 gears in it and dress it up like a Senator, that would be swell." And he, of course, would have been absolutely correct.

As a side note. Scott's now lists 66 stands as being frosted stainless steel, they come from the new 309. I'm guessing the SS HAS to be stronger than chromed brass. I'd say it is a great upgrade for $10.00

Ron
From the sunset side of Oahu

Superhook · January 15, 2016, 01:38:46 AM

Sid,

The LS #60 & # 65's are mentioned in the 46-48 Penn catalogs.

Ray

sdlehr · January 15, 2016, 06:57:20 AM

Quote from: Superhook on January 15, 2016, 01:38:46 AM
Sid,

The LS #60 & # 65's are mentioned in the 46-48 Penn catalogs.

Ray

Thanks, Ray. My mind can't retain details like that... I guess I'll just have to strap Mike's books to my side....

Sid

Penn Chronology · January 15, 2016, 07:38:13 AM

Sid,

Ray is correct, my book has the Long Beach with the plastic spool listed in the summaries as just before the war, which I now believe is wrong. The 1946 through 1948 catalogs list the plastic spool as an Easy Cast spool and those reels were made in the late 1940's. The #11 Penn catalog was issued in two editions, when I wrote my book I did not realize there were two editions for 1946. When I got the second edition, I saw the plastic spool 1946 Long Beach with the correct price that matches the reel I have in the box. The box label does not call the spool the Easy Cast spool as the catalog does, the box label calls the spool the Lightweight Spool. The old time marketing names add a "Confusion Aspect" to things.

Live and Learn.