Fin-Nor reels - Just as you find them.

54bullseye · December 22, 2019, 11:02:29 AM

The reel on the left in following pictures is serial number F-74 my earliest F 12/0 the one on right is an earlier Machine Industries 12/0 1945 to 1947. As you can see all silver.

John Taylor

54bullseye · December 22, 2019, 11:07:50 AM

Next is Serial number F-82 with cool name plate. John Taylor

54bullseye · December 22, 2019, 11:15:25 AM

Next is F-89 you can see cross bar on this one is a different color of silver.

54bullseye · December 22, 2019, 11:23:09 AM

So not to bore you last one serial number F-219 this one has gold trim and is my latest "F" serialized 12/0. Anybody out there have any more with the F in serial number please post if you do. Thanks again for looking !!
John Taylor

Crow · December 22, 2019, 12:03:42 PM

Very nice group ! When was the "first" Fin-nor built ?

54bullseye · December 22, 2019, 12:41:51 PM

Well from reading Ed Pritchard's book on Fin-Nor the first one was in 1936 but unlike Penn they weren't mass produced for a long while I think not till mid to late 50s. The paper trail on Fin-Nor reels is thin until the late 50s early 60s then catalogs were more available. If you look at Ed's Website " antiquefishingreels.com " and go to big game and then Fin-Nor you will see a catalog at the very end of Fin-Nor section that is very rare and seems to be the only one from the early 1940s and that's it from what I see until around 1957. John Taylor

Penn Chronology · December 22, 2019, 07:47:09 PM

Thanks for all the history John.

I believe this is the first Fin-Nor. I remember many years ago shipping this reel to a collector in Everglade City, Florida. That collector has passed on, so I do not know what happened to the reel. It is a 15/0. The collector that I shipped it to was a friend of Ed Pritchard. He may know where the reel settled. I think the guy I shipped it to name was Tom, but I could be wrong about that.

I see the ghost of Kovalovsky design in this reel.

Reeltyme · December 23, 2019, 04:54:53 PM

Here's a couple of 1950's 9/0's that I got off the "Bay" recently. I was given a heads up about them by someone who shall remain nameless! They are both an early "H" series and are in very nice condition. Haven't had time to clean them up yet. You gotta love "Shelf Queens" as my wife calls them!

54bullseye · December 23, 2019, 08:41:36 PM

Nice reels Randy !!! I have one 9/0 of the same vintage but I will have to take a few pics. I will post them later. Really nice score !!! John Taylor

54bullseye · December 24, 2019, 06:52:52 PM

Here is the 9/0 I spoke of above serial number H-115 along with a 6/0 serial number M-241. I bought these reel together from a guy in California. The 9/0 wouldn't reel at all it was froze up. I started to take it apart to see what was up and as I loosened up tail plate screws it started to free up ?? Long story short some one replaced a bearing inside and it was about a 16th of an inch to thick !! I was able to find a thinner bearing and it works perfect.

Notice in the 2nd to last two pictures the drag stop levers have different ends on them I notice that your two 9/0s Randy have same two styles. Which one is newer ?? Also notice spools on mine are same as on one of your 9/0s and mine has an "H" stamped on it. Does yours ?
John Taylor

54bullseye · December 24, 2019, 06:55:46 PM

Couple more : John Taylor

Reeltyme · December 24, 2019, 08:07:50 PM

John, I checked the spools on my reels. One, the earlier one, has no markings on it. The other reel has an "M" located next to the line tie same place as yours. As for the difference in the drag stop lever, it looks to me as though the stop in the second picture is a little less refined or machined, I don't see the word "on" or "off" anywhere on it, however it does has the bulbous head on it? Is the second picture of the 6/0 or the 9/0?

54bullseye · December 24, 2019, 08:11:56 PM

Second pic was the 6/0. Do you have any early 6/0 or 4/0 reels ? John

Reeltyme · December 25, 2019, 01:02:13 AM

Nothing as early as these. A 7 1/2/0 and a couple others. I think you bought the last one available! I am watching for a 6/0 though. Still on the lookout for that O.C. Orlando as well.

Penn Chronology · December 25, 2019, 01:59:52 AM

Funny you mention the 6/0. Only Fin-Nor I have is an old one speed 6/0. I found it many years ago. It is mounted into a Neptuna combo rig, original Neptuna built but I see more guides mounted to this rod tip than anything else Neptuna built and it has two stripper guides (figured than was a Zuckerman request). The owner / designer was Steve Zuckerman. Being that the rod and reel is marked with his name and he is a well known big game fisherman, I became attached to the rig. Maybe someday I will part with it. When I get items like this, I kind of marry them.