Goodwill Score!

[jason_purdy]

Stumbled across a John A. Cozzone and Co. 250 surfcaster.  Even after 90 or so years this reel still has an impressive freespool and smooth feel when reeling.  Let's just say, I couldn't pay fast enough!  I can't wait to make this old warrior shine like new  

[Mattman NZ]

Nice find Jason - should clean up nice .

Rgds

Matt...

[handi2]

Very nice..!!

[Alto Mare]

Nice!...good for you.


Sal

[sdlehr]

Don't you just love it when you score like that! Good job! Can't wait to see the after pictures.

Sid

[Tightlines667]

Cool reel.

Here is some info taken from the ORCA site on Cozzone...

"COZZONE CORPORATION,  (John A Cozzone & Co in 1922 and 1923). Newark, NJ. 1924-31. This  company mainly manufactured a line of quality salt water reels. However, they  also manufactured a quality fly reel. All are sought after by collectors today.  The company was owned by John A. Cozzone,  a Newark machinist and friend of the Meisselbach brothers and Pliny Catucci. John's father came to Newark in 1890 and became a UlS. Citizen. The two-year-old John and his mother would follow a year later. John showed some ability in mechanics and became a machinist. He set up shop in 1917 , but none of the products were reels. It wasn't until the early 1920's that John and his friend Pliny Catucci decided to make a go at reels. They created different companies but agreed that Pliny would produce freshwater casting reels while John would try his hand at larger trolling saltwater reels. Surprisingly, fly reels appeared by both companies as well. Here is a great site with pictures and info on the Cozzone's and other brand salt water reels.

http://myfishingreels.weebly.com/cozzone-reels.html  

Research by Brian Purrone and Phil White."

From what I can gather, your reel is a banded, double handle, 250yd freespool model which would mean it is one of the earliest surf models.  It nay have been manufactured at his first facility ca.1922-1924.  The hard rubber tailplate should have a yardage marking in the top center, but it may be all worn off.  It was also commonly marked with the yardage on the foot.

It should clean up nicely.

[BryanC]

Nice find!  Looks good now.  I'm looking forward to seeing it all shined up!

[basto]

With regard to the leather thumb protector on the reel, I have one that came on my 3/0 Senator. It has the Pfleuger brand on it. Did Mr Cozzone make the one on this reel, or is it a Pfleuger one also?
Basto

[sdlehr]

Here's what the thumb stall looks like on my Pflueger Templar 1419-3/4





I don't think Jason's is the same.

Sid

[basto]

I need to clean mine up.


Basto

[sdlehr]

I need to clean mine up.
Basto

I looked at my pictures and cleaned mine up right away. I would say that one in question is not a Pflueger thumb stall. I bet someone knows what year Pflueger started stamping their thumb stalls like the one you've got. I sure don't.

Sid

[handi2]

Sid I need to send you some reels to clean up. You do a great job..!!

[Penn Chronology]

I looked at my pictures and cleaned mine up right away. I would say that one in question is not a Pflueger thumb stall. I bet someone knows what year Pflueger started stamping their thumb stalls like the one you've got. I sure don't.

Sid

Standard practice at Pflueger was to stamp the Thumb Stalls that were sold through the catalog as a separate item. Thumb stalls that Pflueger installed on their own reels as a standard feature were not stamped.