Black 349

basto · February 05, 2015, 06:37:05 AM

Quote from: Max Doubt on February 05, 2015, 12:50:58 AM
Quote from: basto on February 05, 2015, 12:11:44 AM
Mine has a 3.25 gear ratio.

Basto, that is one beautiful reel........in reel collectors lingo we call that a "shelfie". Too nice to fish. The 3.25 is high speed, and your beauty has just one shift lever which would make it a 349H.

Side Note: Extra spools for this reel are next to impossible to locate cause they do not interchange with other models(49, 149, 249).

Thank you sir. This reel is one of my shelf dwellers. I only have a few like that.

theswimmer · February 05, 2015, 12:03:28 PM

I know the black 349 is a 2 lever model.
I also know that the black one came first because I rember the day
that Grandpa bought the red reel at Ayoobs hardware in Chester
and then back at the cabin comparing it to the black reel.
Maybe about 1967?

theswimmer · February 05, 2015, 12:05:42 PM

nice reel Basto!

basto · February 06, 2015, 09:13:06 AM

Quote from: theswimmer on February 05, 2015, 12:05:42 PM
nice reel Basto!

Thank you sir. It is the only 349 I have ever seen on the second hand market in Australia and was a bargain.
Basto

barkley1956 · February 16, 2015, 01:38:18 AM

I just today broke down my first 349 for a friend of mine. It is black with two levers and has "Master Mariner" embossed on it. I will reassemble it and check the ratio. I will be looing to upgrade the drag stack on it as well if anyone can lend some info along those lines.

Keta · February 16, 2015, 01:53:48 AM

Quote from: barkley1956 on February 16, 2015, 01:38:18 AM
I just today broke down my first 349 for a friend of mine. It is black with two levers and has "Master Mariner" embossed on it. I will reassemble it and check the ratio. I will be looing to upgrade the drag stack on it as well if anyone can lend some info along those lines.

It's easier than counting teeth to figure out if it's a 349 or a 349H. Take the handle, star and spacer off and try to remove the drag stack, if the ears on the top eared washer hang up on the frame and can not be removed it's a 349H. If you have it apart the gears are obvious, especially the pinion.

They are different but a 113H gearsleeve will work on a 349/349H, some SS AR dogs are still available. I think Smooth Drag has the 5+1 sets.

Here's some of my tinkering with the 349H, the pinions are in the wrong place in the photo, the main gear on the right and the pinion on the left are 349, the other two are 349H. The drag stack on the right is original, the one on the left is a 7+1 stack, I have fit a 9+1 stack in 2 of my reels but I will not make them for sail. I think Smooth Drag has the 5+1 sets, they might be 7+1.

It fits!

surfcaster · February 16, 2015, 01:56:44 AM

I did mine a few years back Dawn from smooth drag was very helpful & hooked me up
with everything I needed.
tight lines Richie

Keta · February 16, 2015, 02:00:00 AM

5+1 349H with the old drag washers on the lower left.

surfcaster · February 16, 2015, 02:13:11 AM

Hands down one of the best deep sea bottom fishing reels ever made.
you can reel anything up with this reel.

Keta · February 16, 2015, 02:16:49 AM

Quote from: surfcaster on February 16, 2015, 02:13:11 AM
Hands down one of the best deep sea bottom fishing reels ever made.
you can reel anything up with this reel.

When used with mono on large deep water fish, like pacific halibut, they tend to warp the heavy bronze spools. Braid cures this problem.

surfcaster · February 16, 2015, 02:43:44 AM

I put cortland blackspot looks like dacron but thinner I think its made with kevlar came out just before super braids, with dacron backing , I would love to have an aluminum spool for that reel.

Keta · February 16, 2015, 02:45:05 AM

Quote from: surfcaster on February 16, 2015, 02:43:44 AM
I would love to have an aluminum spool for that reel.

They might as well be built out of unobtanium! I have 2 of them though.

I have some of that line on a Penn 10, it's 25 years old and still good.

surfcaster · February 16, 2015, 02:47:57 AM

i saw one on berinsons a while back it was like 80 something for a used one.

Keta · February 16, 2015, 02:52:27 AM

funhog · February 16, 2015, 04:42:42 AM

Be careful: I was shopping long and hard for over a year trying to locate a standard narrow Newell aluminum spool for one of my 349's. I saw the Barrensens add and was ready to buy it after three phone conversations and specific measurements verified. Sent one of the reps I work with to go get it if it checked out ok. He measured the width and its a Wahoo Special spool in the wrong box. 60 mile drive for nothing . I ended up cutting a great deal with Randy of "Vintage Tackle". Its a hard to find item but it really does improve the casting performance of the reel and the Smooth Drag 5-stack is perfect for the offshore fishing I do here in So.CA