I purchased 2 version 4 Mitchell spinners, a standard right hand (left hand retrieve) and a left hand (right hand retrieve). The serial number on the right hand reel indicates it is an early run production. I began cleaning the lefty and found some strange things. First, the word Mitchell is upside down. Okay, they simply moved the egg cover from one side to the other. Next when I removed the handle it is not reversed thread so that if the handle is not tightened down it will loosen up as you reel. The anti-reverse lever is pinned on the correct or opposite side of a standard right hand reel even though the side plate lettering is upside down. The spool is definitely designed for a lefty, but the biggest issue is there is NO serial number anywhere? I checked everywhere to see if paint or grinding removed it,,nope. Nothing on the foot. Nothing to be found anywhere. Could this be a "Frankenstein" reel? The anti-reverse indicates to me that it was intentionally designed. Any help would be appreciated. The Mitchell web site was no help.
Perhaps someone in this forum knows the answer but Mitchell collector types and experts on this subject matter tend to follow the MRM https://mitchellreelmuseum.com/forum/) forum. There are several collectors and authors on the MRM forum that should be able to answer your questions.
I suspect it may not be a Frankenstein but without pictures it's difficult to render an opinion.
Thanks for the info. It is currently under cleaning mode and I can hopefully post pictures in a day or two. I will also check in on the Mitchell forum.
A few things —- on a lefty 300 with the crank on the right side —- the engraved Mitchell logo is often upside down.
Handle should not loosen when crank is operated. Both the main gear shaft, as well as the crank handle are specific to the left or right side orientation.
Some Mitchells do not have serial numbers.
Some serial numbers are actually on the side of the frame housing —- and not on the bottom of the foot.
If the frame was ever replaced —- it would not have a serial number.
I have around 400 to 500, (or more) Mitchells to get rid of this year. And many are different variations —- depending on the version as well as anything that may have been done over the years to alter, improve, or repair them.
All of the new old stock frames in the bins have no serial numbers. This is true for the 300 - 400 — 304/305 - bigger salts, and others.
Lots of the lefties have the inverted Mitchell logo because it was just easier to manufacture them that way.
And if you look down at your reel —- it appears readable.
Best, Fred
Thanks Fred. Everything you mentioned is logical, already checked and/or I am aware of EXCEPT the replacement frame not having a serial number! Did not know that. The lack of the serial number and the handle threads not being reversed are the 2 things that have thrown me off. The serial number being possibly explained, still the handle threads are a mystery. Oh well, I will live with it, not that I will ever fish it. It will be a "Shelf Queen"!
Thanks All!
Randy McConnell
Reeltyme
Wanna see some pictures. What makes the lefty a version 4?
Morning "G", The reason this reel is a version 4 is it is marked simply "Mitchell". No numerical designation is added. As the first 3 versions as well a the first few version 4' were all half bail reels. Mine is a full bail. Thus with the lack of a numerical designation and it being a full bail and the location of the serial number normally on the backside of the main frame, you have a version 4. Beginning with version 5 and up, the famous "300" was added after the name Mitchell. As for pictures, I will add them as soon as I finish the cleaning process, hopefully today. Thanks all!
Randy McConnell
Reeltyme
Pictures of both the right hand and left hand reels.
Gotcha. Good info. Been lookin for a right-hand version 4. Got bid-up too high on a 1/2 bail version 4 recently. Looks like there might be a chronological overlap somewheres in the early 50's between the 1/2 and full bail 300's. That is, maybe both were offered at the same time...?
G, there is a guesstimate chronological age frame on the Mitchell website. It's helpful but states that it might not be exact.
The paint on the back of the right hand wind seems thick and not as smooth as the other reel. Can you tell if it has a second coat of paint on it? At close inspection through enlargement of the picture there appears to be a faint 4 but that may be because the paint is not smooth. Definitely the handle on the right-hand wind reel does not look to be original.
Quote from: jtwill98 on June 13, 2023, 02:25:07 AMThe paint on the back of the right hand wind seems thick and not as smooth as the other reel. Can you tell if it has a second coat of paint on it? At close inspection through enlargement of the picture there appears to be a faint 4 but that may be because the paint is not smooth. Definitely the handle on the right-hand wind reel does not look to be original.
I did notice the paint issue and wondered if it was repainted however after looking at the "made in France" stamp, it does not appear to be any heavier or filled in with extra paint. So I chalked it up to neglect or abuse over the years. As for the handle, a definite replacement.
The crank arm could be from an Olympic Model 81 ?
(https://i.ibb.co/RgNQW1z/P1190174.jpg) (https://ibb.co/RgNQW1z)
Checked the number on three of my Mitchells. The roll in the middle doesn't have a roll number either, but it doesn't look like it was painted over.
(https://i.ibb.co/S5LyPD0/P1190181.jpg) (https://ibb.co/S5LyPD0)
That Olympic handle looks to be a dead ringer for the one on my lefty. I think you nailed it with that one. If I looked a bit in my junk pile, I probably have the correct handle.
My 301 which lives in Dixie, reversed name plate came back as a 1954, still a fisher for me, the serial was very small, needed the visor with a magnifier and light in the correct direction to find it.
Makes sense that, if the factory only stamped serial numbers on completed reels, frames that were intended as parts replacements and not initially put in a complete reel at the factory would not have serial numbers. That sounds like a logical answer, but, remember, we are dealing with a French-made reel and logic may not ever have been part of the consideration. Other questions come up when parts reels are used to repair other reels; you can end up with serial numbers that don't mean a thing. It seems to me I have also heard of reels that are documented as completed from the factory and have never been worked on or had parts changed, and they don't have serial numbers either.
Frank
Quote from: Cuttyhunker on June 17, 2023, 11:17:34 AMMy 301 which lives in Dixie, reversed name plate came back as a 1954, still a fisher for me, the serial was very small, needed the visor with a magnifier and light in the correct direction to find it.
Cutty, I know what your vision is like. ALMOST as bad as mine!
As for the lack of any serial number, according to the Mitchell website, the very early half bails only had a singular number stamped on the foot. The first gen had a #5 stamped on the foot. Generations 2 & 3 had various numbers stamped there. Again, according to the website.
Mine(version 2 or 3?) has a 7 stamped on the foot.
Quote from: Gfish on June 18, 2023, 06:05:02 PMMine(version 2 or 3?) has a 7 stamped on the foot.
Yup. Your guess is as good as mine.
I think I read somewhere the single numbers (5 and 7) were stamped by the foundries where the bodies were poured as identification marks. Somewhere along the like they stopped it, probably when they moved the serial number to the foot. I couldn't find any documentation on whether this was true.
Quote from: Reeltyme on June 19, 2023, 10:09:26 AMQuote from: Gfish on June 18, 2023, 06:05:02 PMMine(version 2 or 3?) has a 7 stamped on the foot.
Yup. Your guess is as good as mine.
Update G. In the last month I have seen 2 half bails marked #7 on the foot (this morning was the 2nd time), and both reels were claimed to be version 2. An observation I made was that the anti reverse switch was different on the 2 reels. One had the boomerang style while the other had a knob like what would be found on a first version reel. My "opinion" is that the knob is earlier than the boomerang style switch making the knob reel more likely to be a version 2 and the other a later 2 or a 3.
There is quite a bit of research and controversy on what is a version 1, version 2 and version 3. Some persons use the terms mk1.0, mk1.1, mk1.2, mk2.0, mk2.1, mk3.0 and so forth to classify further them as collectibles.
In general, the round knobs indicate a mk1 or mk2 and the boomerang anti-reverse mk3. Mk1s with have a fine cross-hatch round knob while mk2s have a coarse cross-hatch pattern.
Other characteristics must be also considered, like handles, is primer present under the paint, internal gear characteristics, etc.
True assessment of the reels classification is best done by the known collectors/experts. Pictures will help here, but the collectors tend to exist on the MRM forum and unfortunately that site's forum participation has dropped way down.
Some books if you're interested in collecting or gaining more knowledge include:
- The Early years of the Mitchell Fishing Reel by Roland Babulis
- The Mitchell Classic 300 Spinning Reel by Wallace Carney
- The Mitchell Century - A Reel Revolution by George Saul
- Mitchell - Birth of a Legend (a booklet) by B.R. Frewing
- Mitchell Collectors' Reference Guide by Dennis Roberts
A least one of these collectors has passed on and I know one has medical issues, the others still occasionally pop up at the MRM site or on Facebook Mitchell forum.
Quote from: jtwill98 on August 11, 2023, 06:59:22 PMThere is quite a bit of research and controversy on what is a version 1, version 2 and version 3. Some persons use the terms mk1.0, mk1.1, mk1.2, mk2.0, mk2.1, mk3.0 and so forth to classify further them as collectibles.
In general, the round knobs indicate a mk1 or mk2 and the boomerang anti-reverse mk3. Mk1s with have a fine cross-hatch round knob while mk2s have a coarse cross-hatch pattern.
Other characteristics must be also considered, like handles, is primer present under the paint, internal gear characteristics, etc.
True assessment of the reels classification is best done by the known collectors/experts. Pictures will help here, but the collectors tend to exist on the MRM forum and unfortunately that site's forum participation has dropped way down.
Some books if you're interested in collecting or gaining more knowledge include:
- The Early years of the Mitchell Fishing Reel by Roland Babulis
- The Mitchell Classic 300 Spinning Reel by Wallace Carney
- The Mitchell Century - A Reel Revolution by George Saul
- Mitchell - Birth of a Legend (a booklet) by B.R. Frewing
- Mitchell Collectors' Reference Guide by Dennis Roberts
A least one of these collectors has passed on and I know one has medical issues, the others still occasionally pop up at the MRM site or on Facebook Mitchell forum.
All great information, thanks!