Kovalovsky Book - Pre-Order Now

[Deepfins]

Dear Alan Tani members,

Some of you on this forum have been aware that over the last four years, I have been writing a book on the history of Arthur Kovalovsky and his family.  Back in the 30's, Arthur had a reputation for making the finest big game fishing reels money could buy.  Kovalovsky tackle is highly prized by collectors, today.  I only have to finish the index and the artwork for the cover foil stamp, and the book will be ready to send to the printer/binder.
 
The book is 370 pages, and covers Arthur's early years, big game fishing history, the history of his two sons, Oscar and Lewis, and their involvement in the tackle business, their hunting and gunsmithing, Oscar and Lewis' reels and tackle, a complete history of Oscar's partnership with Fin Nor and Angling Products, Inc. (API), other family members, famous and not so famous clients, the companies that competed with Kovalovsky, other inventions, etc.

My book is packed with photos, letters, and documents from the Kovalovsky estate, as well as my own photos.  It includes an in-depth examination of all the model reels, including patent drawings, detailed descriptions, and pictures of the insides.  It also has a couple of chapters on machining reels and includes photos of many of the tools and jigs Arthur used to make the various reel parts.

Michael Fowlkes, producer and director of the award-winning fishing series Inside Sportfishing, and the documentary film series The History of Sportfishing, wrote the foreword for my book.  He described it as, "...one of the most comprehensive, inspiring and engaging books on the sport I've ever read."

The book will be 9"x12" in size and landscape-orientated.  Trim size of the interior pages will be 8.75"X11.75".  Crafted with the utmost care, it will feature a Smyth-sewn binding for durability, a slipcase for protection, and will be printed on heavy-weight high gloss paper in the USA.  The slipcase will be portrait orientated, so once the book is slipped inside the case, it will fit upright on most book shelves.

Over the years, quite a few collectors have been aware of my project and expressed interest in purchasing a book when it came out.  Unfortunately, I have not been keeping a list of names, and my memory isn't as good as it used to be.  And there are many of you who were unaware this book was even in the works.  There will only be a limited number of hard copies published, each one signed and numbered for exclusivity.  To secure your copy, you can pre-order with no money down and no obligation to purchase by simply sending me a private message.  I will put your name on the list.

Thanks,

John Bechtold
https://www.kovalovskyreels.com/

[Vintage Offshore Tackle]

Sign me up!  I can't wait to see it!

[Deepfins]

Thanks, Randy!  Will do!

[Rancanfish]

Looks amazing!  Can we get a guess-timate on the expected cost?

[Deepfins]

It's hard to guess how much the book will ultimately cost. The more copies I have printed, the lower the cost per book. At this point, I am just hoping for enough pre-orders to make printing/binding it worthwhile. I am sparing no expense, in terms of the quality. And I won't compromise on the dimensions or number of pages to save a few pennies. The book showcases some really nice photography, not just mine, but also Oscar and Lewis Kovalovsky's. Putting these on a smaller page would be a crime.

If I had to pull a few numbers out of the air, I would have to say $150 on the low end, and $400 on the high end. But as I stated in my initial post, at this point I am just trying to gauge interest. Nobody is obligated to buy a book. I should have a better idea of the cost within 2-3 weeks.

[Bryan Young]

Very interesting. Love reading the history OG our great tackle industry.