Penn Reels - just as you find them

[1badf350]

Martin if your reel is the one I'm thinking of, you beat me by about 5 seconds

[Deepennz]

Chris ...you are probably right....5 seconds is about all I am good for these days!

[milne]

Hi Chris/Martin,  Sorry I missed this thread.
  Absolutely great find Chris, very envious.
My reels are all packed away at the minute, so I can't check.
It was a real head @@@@, when I was trying to find out what my kingfisher box was matched too. Plus made even more unusual, with another number underneath the Tyron sticker. From memory, the number under the sticker, related to a 300 yd Seaford...
I think from memory, I have 2 33 Seaford and a 33 Longbeach Kingfisher ( from memory).
Everything has been packed away now for about 6 weeks, you don't realise, how often you pick them up and have a wee play, or grab one of Mike's books when you see something on line or just to refresh your memory. everything will probably stay in storage for another 6 odd weeks, at least..... Even my wife said that I could have a " special day "  on my own, when I un pack them again   .....

Hope all is well with you Martin over the pond
Again, great score Chris...

Col

[Cuttyhunker]

First gen 115 found up in the rafters of an old southern open porch, on a rod sporting both Montague and True Temper logos.  From the looks, it could have been sitting up there since Nixon was in the White House. The reel still functions, but feels drier than the Sahara, and the drags, to my surprise weren't frozen. There are a few bads on the old girl the tail-plate outer ring is split , the inner ring a replacement piece with the front lug cutout, and one lug is a circle not the "D".  The rod clamp is a numbered replacement.  I could straighten out
the bads using early gen 2's as donors, but I'm thinking about just putting it up on the shelf as the gnarly old survivor it is, from out of the rafters.

[nelz]

Wow, you know that one's seen some action!

[Cuttyhunker]

Playing around with the reel I just realized it has a seascape tail plate, I had thought all the Gen 1's had no artwork??  Is this just a franken reel built from misc parts or something else from the factory?

[1badf350]

Cool find Bob! Its a frankenreel but who cares, it's cool!!

[Deepennz]

Hi Bob,
I agree with Chris - it is a frankenreel - the tail plate has probably been broken and replaced with parts from a later reel, the handle is also from an early'40's reel.
I always think that these old reels are the ones that created the Penn legend - they just kept on keeping on,  as they were designed to do!!
Great score, time for it to retire gracefully!!

Cheers
Martin

[Maxed Out]

 I agree with Chris and Martin

...also love the knob that almost resembles a turd (please note I said "almost")

Ted

[Crow]

Good find!

[Ron Jones]

Lovely,
Everyone has there on opinions about this, but I would at least give it a bath before it goes on the shelf. I agree with the as is, those incorrect parts only come from honest work.
The Man

[Cuttyhunker]

Every time I gaze upon that knob Theodore, I'll be thinking only of you. 

The whole tail plate side must have been totaled somewhere down the line and the reel resurrected like Lazarus.

Martin, I thought the later gen 1's came the torpedo.  I understand it was common for the buyers to scrap the black wooden knobs for Penn or aftermarket torpedos.  My first year 12/0 passed down from Gramps was spotted to be an aftermarket torpedo handle by Bullseye, no oiler hole.  Penn, being good at listening to the customers, I thought had changed to the torpedo for the later Gen 1 reels, and is correct for those later factory versions??

[Deepennz]

Hi Bob,
Your reel has the logo style used from 1936 - 1938, with those parallel lines ie your reel is from '36 to 38. They also came with those pear shaped handles, that must have been difficult to grasp and turn with a 'big fish on!', because lots of them got changed to the later handle style, which was available as an after market addition from your friendly Penn retailer!!
The first year 1936 9/0's had brass gears, changed in 1937 to steel, so if you ever get into the gearbox you will be able to determine more precisely what year/model you have.
That spool looks in good nick - it should have a drilled spool - the '36 reels had the hole closer to the left side plate - by 1938 Penn had moved the hole to about 3/4in from the L/side plate -ie slightly more central.
Hope that helps!!
Martin

[Cuttyhunker]

Thanks Martin,
I suspect the reel was dropped or otherwise smashed up pretty severely on the tail plate side and restored with post 1951 parts, as the rod clamp (so far) is numbered, I'll check the inner front lug cut ring for numbers and report what main gear material when I open it up.  I was unaware of the brass vs steel for 36 and 37.
The spool spins freely with no hitches in the rotation however is quite slopppy side to side movement with the tail bushing tightened down, so when I get it stripped of the mono I'll see where, or if the arbor is drilled.  I wonder if newer spools had slightly shorter axles?
Best Wishes,
Bob

[1badf350]

Can you guys help me date this early 4/0? I pulled the line off and it does have the skinny arbor with hole.
Im thinking somewhere in the neighborhood of 1940-41? Correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks