Ever seen this on a spool?

[elcarlstono]

Picked up a Penn 712Z at the flea market over the weekend.  Good running little reel.  Bail is sluggish on the return and could probably benefit from a new spring.
Anyway, what really caught my eyes was this numbering on the spool.
"14" painted on the top, once, and on the bottom is 14 three times; one painted, one labeled, and the other in tape.
What the heck?

[Wompus Cat]

Maybe somebody like Fred who has hundreds of Clients put the number on it so he could remember whose and which Reels it was .
Like the guy maybe had 20 Reels to service and Fred took em all apart at once to service them . This way each Reel would go back together with it's original spool......  
Has 14 pound Test line on it .
Or the Guy who owned it was 14 when he got it .

[philaroman]

it's the wrong answer to Life, the Universe and Everything

[JasonGotaProblem]

I feel like this is one of my less hair brained theories:

'Twas a test done by someone seeking a better way to identify their reels/spools. The test was to see which of the 4 ways to mark the dang thing was most likely to last

[elcarlstono]

I feel like this is one of my less hair brained theories:

'Twas a test done by someone seeking a better way to identify their reels/spools. The test was to see which of the 4 ways to mark the dang thing was most likely to last

There's some merit to that!

[Gfish]

Looks almost like something I'd do to denote 14# test. I do that + date filled and sometimes line brand.

[Squidder Bidder]

Is there a number on the reel itself (not necessarily matching)? Maybe inside the housing? If the number was just in one form I would have guessed that the reel had been owned by charter operator who kept a log of reel maintenance. I can't imagine that being a reason to put the numbers on two more times.

[elcarlstono]

Is there a number on the reel itself (not necessarily matching)? Maybe inside the housing? If the number was just in one form I would have guessed that the reel had been owned by charter operator who kept a log of reel maintenance. I can't imagine that being a reason to put the numbers on two more times.

Not that I have found.

[Wompus Cat]

Might be the Number of Fish that Got Away on that Reel

[1badf350]

Looks almost like something I'd do to denote 14# test. I do that + date filled and sometimes line brand.

I'm going with this simple answer, but will be entertaining to read all the other hairbrained ideas you guys come up with

[Wompus Cat]

[oldmanjoe]

 If you ask me , it is very obvious .      But i too have to wait

[Dominick]

Fourteen is the lowest even n for which the equation φ(x) = n has no solution, making it the first even nontotient, therefore putting the number on a spool makes perfect sense.  I'm surprised everyone doesn't know that.
Dominick

[Shellbelly]

OK.  I'll step in it.  It's spool #14.  It was hung on the wall or kept in a parts box with other #'s.  Maybe it lived and worked in a repair shop. 

[elcarlstono]

Minimum size for flounder/trout?