The Reels of Frank Perez

Started by Penn Chronology, April 22, 2015, 07:23:32 AM

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Penn Chronology

I have been interested in Frank Perez reels for many years. I am hoping there may be someone in these forums that can add some depth to the history of Frank Perez and his reels.

it is the general consensus that Frank Perez copied his design from Holzmann reels. There is no doubt about this, looking at a Holzmann reel certifies that fact, but hearsay history states that Frank Perez bought the rights to Holzmann reels in the 1920's from Holzmann's widow and for the 30 to 40 years tried to improve on the Holzmann product. Frank Perez reels are hand made. Production numbers are really non-existent but I have heard some collectors say he made about 800 reels from the mid 1920's up to WW II. After the war Frank merged with Silber Products and then went back on his own again, so post war production is weird.

So I would like to know more about him and am hoping I find a person in these forums that can add info to this post.

I have pictures of his product. In my opinion his reels are extremely high quality. The Art Deco styling is mostly Holzmann style except for the scalloped cross bar.


The head and tail plate are hard rubber. Notice the scalloping around the head plate. It serves a purpose for gripping the plate for removal. The head plate will screw out of the frame


There is only one adjustment on the plate tail plate and that is the screw to adjust spool side play. Notice the scalloped cross bar, that is a Frank Perez cosmetic touch.
           
This reel is a fully evolved post war Frank Perez reel. Pre war reels are much harder to find and are closer to the Holzmann design in material and appearances.

As I said, the side plates are made of hard rubber, but the reel frame and spool are made from Monel, very expensive in comparison to brass or German Silver.

The reel in the pictures is from my collection, it spins like it is new. The functions of the reel are 100%. The lever on the head plate is pushed forward to put the reel into free spool mode. To return the reel to retrieve mode, pull the handle against the anti-reverse dog and it goes right back into retrieve mode. The mechanism is mounted partially on the outside of the head plate but mostly on the inside.

This reel is about the size of a Jigmaster 500 and is very strong. here is a look at the internals of the head plate.


Anyone that may have some better history than I have collected so far, feel free to comment. At this point any clue could lead to discovery.

By the way, Holzmann reels are rare and highly sought after. They usually sell in the four figure range.

Bryan Young

I heard of him and his reels.  I had a chance to buy a NOS reel about 15 years ago but the lack of information of the maker stopped me, and now regret it.
:D I talk with every part I send out and each reel I repair so that they perform at the top of their game. :D

coastal_dan

Thanks for sharing Mike, I have nothing to add history wise; but I like the design of the exposed dog, these look pretty easy to service if it was ever needed.

Love these 'steps back in time', neat products for sure with a fascinating history.
Dan from Philadelphia...

Where Land Ends Life Begins...

Penn Chronology

#3
Frank Perez is fairly mysterious but when you have a maker that actually produces a product in a large enough quantity for it to be considered a fully evolved commercial product and it is as finely made and useful as this, the mystery leads to intrigue.

The internal clutch mechanism is a carry over from Holzmann. Early Perez reels from the 1920's and 30's had more design features from the Holzmann design and were made in lower numbers than the post war reels. They may even have been made of German Silver rather than the stronger Monel material that Perez used on his later reels.
        I had a friend, in the past, that was lucky enough to own an early Frank Perez reel, possibly from the 1920's, that is much closer in design to the Holzmann. I want to show it because its history is truly mysterious, even among seasoned collectors.

Here is the early Frank Perez model, very rare in my opinion. It is the only one I have ever seen,

Removing the head plate leaves a finely crafted frame of German Silver,

The foot is sculptured to allow the pillars ti fit into it. Very time consuming work. All of the German Silver is hand polished.

The internals of the early Perez reel are very like the later post war model but there are slight differences if you look close.

Removing the handle exposes a perforated star wheel with a set of individual roller bearing mounted into the shaft cup (like vom Hofe or possible vom Hofe copied Holzmann)

The spool is a work of art. This design is not carried forward in the post war Perez reel and is pure Holzmann style,

The handle assembly is another mix of art and early mechanical genius. This is also Holzmann design,

This is the backside of the handle showing the spring loaded detent that engages with the star wheel giving it a positive stop at different drag settings,

Everything on the handle can be disassembled and repaired or replaced.


So that's it for now. Myself and a few other collectors are on a slow, comfortable hobby type search for information on the Perez brand, so if anyone comes across any bit of history about this brand, please contribute it here. We greatly appreciate any clues that bring a higher level of understanding to this mysterious maker.


It is sometimes difficult to describe the level of quality that went into these old hand made reels. Holzmann reels are in a class by themselves, in my opinion. Whether Frank Perez can be considered simply a person that capitalized on the ingenuity of a true master like Holzmann, or, as I like to feel about Frank Perez, he brought the phenomenal design forward and kept it alive for many others to benefit from it, it is still a wonderful product and a great reel to add to a collection.

Alto Mare

Nice looking reel. Thank you for all your hard work you've been doing here for us, its very much appreciated.

Sal
Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.

Penn Chronology

QuoteInsert Quote

Nice looking reel. Thank you for all your hard work you've been doing here for us, its very much appreciated

Glad to do it. Sharing is what the hobby is about. It also contributes to the growth of the information. The more we share, the more we all learn and keep the hobby alive and well.

theluckpusher

thanks for sharing  --- a fine piece of art!!!!
"To Hell with Luck, I'll bring the Luck with Me." ---Hemingway