Weird Penn 710 Spinner — Need Some Help to ID

[foakes]

In looking for a 720 emblem and sideplate for Tom today —-

Got into the back of the storage container this morning where some stuff had been buried for 30+ years.

Found 3 large crates of Penn parts that I did not know I had.  They were covered up with some old canvas and other things were stacked on them.

Found this old 710 in a box.  Used, but very functional and restorable with a few key parts, which I have.

Black in color.  The paint is not smooth.  It is rippled or a textured hammer type finish.  Black spool.  Must be early, since there is no zip code on the box.

Any clues as to what the story on this is?

I think I got it when I bought out a closed tackle repair shop about 30 years back —- but am not sure.

I thought all of the early Spinfishers were a smooth green paint.

Best, Fred

[RUSTY OLD COLT]

Penn use to make that wrinkle black finish ,I believe in the mid 1960's they bring a premium with collectors

[nelz]

Y'all struck gold there Freddy 

[Midway Tommy]

Fred, you found a dandy! The 710 & 711 came out in late '63. In '66 they experimented with a color change. They came out with the textured black & smooth black 710s for a short period of time & then switched back to green. Per Ben, there were only about 400 each of the smooth & textured blackies made. Also, Penn has no record of the 711 being manufactured in black but some have actually surfaced. It's been estimated that somewhere between 10 & 100 black 711s were manufactured but no one really knows for sure how many.

[foakes]

In between working on and US cleaning reels for today's restores and servicing —- decided to pull down this old black 710 to see what is what.

It was kinda smooth —- however, it is filled with the dreaded black grease that is tough to remove.

No problem —- I'll just clean the body, rotor, sideplate, spool and any plastic parts in HD Dawn, warm water, and the US,bath.  At the same time, the metal parts will get a good soaking in lacquer thinner and the US cleaner.

However, since I have a ton of NOS parts from 55-60 years ago —- nearly everything except the body, frame, sideplate, & spool will be replaced as new.

Will just do this in between jobs, as time allows.

Best, Fred

[Maxed Out]

 Cool stuff Fred. Is the medallion silver or gold ?? All the factory black 710 & 711 supposedly have silver medallion. I have a bumpy finish black 710 and it has silver medallion. My black 711 is also silver medallion. In the collector world there are some that say if it's black and has gold medallion, then it's a repaint

 Ted

[handi2]

I've had one myself.

Keith

[foakes]

Cool stuff Fred. Is the medallion silver or gold ?? All the factory black 710 & 711 supposedly have silver medallion. I have a bumpy finish black 710 and it has silver medallion. My black 711 is also silver medallion. In the collector world there are some that say if it's black and has gold medallion, then it's a repaint

 Ted

I won't know until I clean and shine up the medallion, Ted —-

Everything will be new on the reel —- such as the parts I am replacing for better function and cosmetics.

The textured/hammer finish black paint will stay original — just cleaned up.

I have a bunch of 711 green bodies, rotors, and sideplates —- the emblems are silver.  On the green sideplates —- the emblems are gold.

This old black sideplate has a different font —- might be either gold, silver, or bronze —- I will post it up later.

It is definitely NOT a repaint.

Inside the frame are the numbers 1-710 & the Alcoa Aluminum brand logo.

I am not much of a collector —- so will probably just move it along for sale or trade to someone who might want it.

Best, Fred

[foakes]

After a quick clean-up of just the sideplate, Ted —-

Good news —- definitely silver.

Best, Fred

[Cuttyhunker]

Fred,
Message Chris, 1Bad350, He had a thread on the black wrinkle old Spinfishers with a few in his collection.

[foakes]

Here are the (3+) crates of Penn parts I found out in the storage container yesterday morning.

Mostly spinning reel parts, a few conventional parts, a few reels, and a shoebox full of parts envelopes with parts inside.  Everything is mostly numbered — although some may  have gotten mixed up over 50+ years —- but Iknow what they are.

As I get time, I will transfer these numbered parts to small plastic, labeled containers —- and just drop them in the appropriate reel organizers.

Best, Fred

[foakes]

Finished a DQ Super and halfway through a Mitchell 408 —-

Slid a clean-up in between jobs on this old black 710.

Ready to reassemble.

Using new drag washers instead of the more modern HT-100's or Teflon.  Found some new originals in the parts bins.

Best, Fred

[foakes]

Done.

Frame, rotor, sideplate —- just cleaned.

All new parts inside.

There are some very slight differences in these earliest 710 Spinfishers.  Plus, the tolerances need to be exact.

So it took a little digging through the parts bins and envelopes to locate all the correct era screws, springs, original old drags (new), gears, bearing, and such.

Let me know if anyone on our site is interested in this reel.

I likely won't keep it.

Best, Fred

[1badf350]

Very nice work as usual Fred! The reel looks correct to me. I would be interested if you wished to move it along.