What Am I??

[foakes]

Was doing a few reels today for clients.

In between the ultrasonic cleaning breaks — I did a quick and dirty 40 minute breakdown, removing rust, burnishing of all inside and outside parts, lube, reassembly, and tune for proper function — of this old 250 yard conventional reel.

The bridge & main moves with the eccentric to shift it out of gear (pivoting bridge assembly before the introduction of constant-mesh gearing). It is a knuckle buster with no drags.

I removed the old waxed type line — but re-spooled it back on after servicing — because it looks good.

Free-Spool is at 40 seconds.

What caught my attention was the odd color — A Light Olive Drab Green.

It looks familiar — but I can't put my finger on it.

It was just at the bottom of a box of old reels slated for lamp bases.  Came from a shop closed down a few decades ago.

Best, Fred

[Sharkb8]

Looks like a ocean city

Kim

[Wompus Cat]

I am thinkin Montague 

[oldmanjoe]

  It looks like a  Ocean City "Brigantine "    But the spool bearing caps look Montague .       Transitional reel ?

[foakes]

Looks like an old Montague — maybe a Cruiser...

But I have never seen sideplates of that color.

Best, Fred

[Wompus Cat]

Brigantines had a Solid Foot (No Rod Clamp Holes and were Stamped Brigantine on the Foot)
Brigantines had a Flat Round Clicker Button ( Not a Pointy one like this Reel has and on the Brigantine the Button is located in a different position on the Sideplate.) Brigantines had  Different End Caps and Handle Nuts . and some more discrepancies.
 It might Now be an Early Pflueger Species or another maker I can't  Recall me thinks and will have to dig out some more of my old Stuff to see .
It is not an OCEAN CITY  so to Speak as the side plate holes are in diff positions than the ones I have and the mention of the Clicker Button position . Still could be Montague ,have to dig those out to for comparison .

Never seen a Color like that neither Fred  

[oldmanjoe]

   Like you said the color is not there : https://www.ebay.com/itm/265270700270?hash=item3dc35da8ee:g:TdEAAOSwYSdhGmt5


  And this gem , how do you thread it ?   https://www.ebay.com/itm/333129031645

[philaroman]

just imagine that thing flying back at you, after robust snag/branch release 

[foakes]

I am fairly certain that this is a Montague 250 yd. reel.

Before Montague sold out to Ocean City in 1934 — they made many reels that were unmarked (most of them) for other retailers (trade reels).  This could be one of them due to the odd color.

Or it could have been made for a fishing club, or charter outfit.

We will see what everyone else thinks.

Best, Fred

[Wompus Cat]

BRONSON also made similar Reels in the late 30's and for Montague and other Reel companies !
That is the OTHER REEL Company I was tinking about .
After looking closer at the Hole positions on the Side plate I don't think it is Ocean City's Reel at all.

[foakes]

http://fishinghistory.blogspot.com/2013/11/letterheadings-yale-metal-products-by.html

Just got info back from Michael Cacioppo — solving part of this mystery.

Yale Metal Works, in Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

Jim Garrett and Skip Brooks wrote up a great history on this old company.

Michael said it had its roots in Pennsylvania, and many of the workers were of Native American descent.

Now I will continue my search — to find a photo or history of these light green Bakelite sideplates.

This is a very interesting read.

Much thanks to everyone — and to Mike, for his expertise.

Mike's (3) books on Penn History — are must haves for anyone truly interested in vintage reels and tackle.

His Ocean City Collectors guide is also invaluable and fascinating — and there is another edition coming out soon, along with a hardcover edition also.

Best,

Fred

[Wompus Cat]

I have a few old Yales to dig out and looky see. If I  recall they are marked YALE.

You colored Reel throws a wrench in the works for sure . Your Reel has similar characteristics of Many Reels of the 30's especially the distinct pattern around the Handle and 6 screws on the plates .
The Pattern of the Side Plate screws made me think outside OCEAN CITY . Yale never reely came to mind . Good find .

[Penn Chronology]

I was happy I could help with this reel. The green color may or may not be significant. I happen to be color blind. I always get colors wrong and ask my wife whenever I have to be specific about color. OK, that said, I also feel changing the color of Bakelite is a simple task. You just change the mix formula and make a multitude of colors. Penn had numerous color chips that it would offer to its quantity buyers. Many buyers want to be able to identify there reels for whatever reason they had, so Penn gave them the option and simply mixed and matched different colors to give the customer what they wanted. Ocean City and Montague did that also. Because of that, I do not pay that much attention to color. A company like Yale sold to many different places through Trade Accounts. These are the type of accounts I am referring to when a customer special orders a reel. The reel that Fred has is no doubt a Yale Reel. It also has no markings on it, so it was probably a Trade Account product, not a marked Yale Product. If the buyer of that reel wanted his reels to be green, I feel that Yale would make them that way. or maybe not...........

[Penn Chronology]

BTW Fred, thank you very much for posting the pictures of the Landmark Pequea Works building. I lost those when I transitioned to a new computer. I got them from Jim and Skip many years ago and was too embarrassed to tell them I lost the photos. Now I have them again. If you want to see a fabulous display of Yale and Montague reels, you need to see the museum Jim and Skip have created in one of their basement's. It is not to be believed. Here's a taste of it, the rest should come from them, I am sure they would love to share.

[Wompus Cat]

Other than the Handle Dual Knobs, Knob Shape, Missing Counter Balance  ,  Straight Handle, Handle  Nut,End Bearings, Foot Shape, Missing Imprint on Foot ,  Different Shaped Free Spool Lever , Color, and Maybe Thickness of the Left Side Plate and Maybe some Internals since we can't see the guts of the Yale Reel (YET),  the Sea Princess Looks EXACTLY like the Reel Fred has. .