Reel Repair by Alan Tani

Quote from: CincyDavid on December 22, 2025, 02:03:20 PM

Quote from: Midway Tommy on December 20, 2025, 06:13:08 PMYeah, they're a pretty desired and pricey item, kind of like the Orvis 50As, but not near as sought after as the ABU & Zebco Cardinal 3s.

I am befuddled by the pricing on Cardinal 3s, MUCH higher than the bigger ones. One of these days I'll buy a Cardinal of some sort just to get a feel for them and see if I like them.

If you ever fished with one, especially a 3 or 4 with an aluminum spool, you would understand why they're so sought after. Even the 6 & 7 are great reels, they're just for a little bigger fresh water fish. The 6 & 7 would be fine for most of the smaller saltwater fish, but probably a little small for some of the big pigs.

See, here we go. Every time I think I'm narrowing my focus somebody comes along, like Midway Tommy, to dig around in my wallet and pull all the money out. 

Quote from: Vintage Offshore Tackle on December 21, 2025, 01:17:41 AMI just saw a nice-looking one today in a thrift store in Santa Maria, California for $25.  It looked nice, maybe an 8.5 on a 10 scale, but the bail was hitting the spool when it flipped, and sometimes hit the handle when reeling.  I am mechanically challenged, so I didn't buy it.  If anyone local wants the store information, please let me know.  I asked them and they do not ship.

Sounds like the bail might be bent. A nice thick sturdy bail is best, but too rare, especially on older reels.