Not rods as such ... but a bit of history of the company !

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AshbyCut
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Not rods as such ... but a bit of history of the company !

Post by AshbyCut »

Forgive me ... but my obsession grows apace, and I forgive you if you leave the page through boredom now !!! :Wink:

As many of you will know by now ... Precision Rods was the registered trading name of Bernard Sealey & Co. which was established shortly after the end of WW2 by Bernard Sealey and his son, Robert. It was Robert who designed the rods (hence the 'R.Sealey' in many of the rods names), a roll which eventually passed to Robert's son, Robert, who eventually took over the running of the company until it was sold in the early 1980's.

The company name on the rods changed from 'Precision Rods' to 'Bernard Sealey & Co.' at about the time that the change was made from making cane rods to making fibre glass rods (though there was a slight 'cross-over' period when a few 'Precision Rods' fibre glass rods appeared, and 'Bernard Sealey and Co.' made a cane rod or two before they seemed only to make fibre glass. I'd assumed that dropping the name may have been a 1960's cost cutting exercise when imported rods were putting pressure on the home tackle industry (and this may still be the case).

Now, I knew that Bernard Sealey & Co. sold hooks, and hooks to nylon, in paper packets bearing that name ... and I've never seen any 'Precision' badged hooks ... so I assumed that these must have been sold after the Precision name was dropped. Well .........

Thanks to a TFF member who pointed the item out to me on a certain internet auction site (thank you Harry H, Sir !!!), I have been able to procure (by 4p in a last second bid !!!) a copy of the "Anglers' Annual 1953" which will be with me in the next couple of days.

This document contains an advertisement, which must have been sent for publication in 1952, promoting the "Bernard Sealey and Company" range of terminal tackle, including hooks of 4 different names (so I suspect shapes). Those listed include 'Superfection,' 'Matchwinner,' "Kirkland," and one more I can't read from the blurred photograph.

Obviously this shows that both names were being used simultaneously from the outset ... and this evidence leads me to believe that maybe there were two 'arms' to the company with perhaps Bernard running the terminal tackle side and Robert running the Precision Rods side. It could also explain why there were two factories on the company's shield logos ... Lodge Road and Marsden Road.

Simply speculation ... but it fascinates me ... and I believe it may give a little more background to their history.

I will scan the advert when it arrives as a resource.
"Beside the water I discovered (or maybe rediscovered) the quiet. The sort of quiet that allows one to be woven into the tapestry of nature instead of merely standing next to it." Estaban.

Paul D

Re: Not rods as such ... but a bit of history of the company !

Post by Paul D »

Very interesting Mal, can't wait to see the scan.

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AshbyCut
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Re: Not rods as such ... but a bit of history of the company !

Post by AshbyCut »

The annual has arrived, and here's the scan of the advertisement as promised.

Image

This answers so many questions !!!

a) The reason why Bernard Sealey and Company didn't advertise in the usual angling publications appears to be solved in the small print at the bottom ... "Export and Wholesale only". They only advertised to 'the trade.' and not the public.

b) It shows that the hook business was based in the "Kirkland Works, Grove Street, Redditch," the third site under the Bernard Sealey/Precision Rods empire. Grove Street has long been redeveloped, and now houses the Police Station, Magistrates Court, and Palace Theatre.

c) The range of styles of hooks made is extensive, and were sold under separate brand names, as can bee seen. They were obviously successful, as the list of competition successes shows.

d) None of the rods bears the 'Grove Street' address, but Manor Road and Lodge Road run parallel to each other, and can be seem from the end of Grove Street only 90 yards away.

The quest continues.
"Beside the water I discovered (or maybe rediscovered) the quiet. The sort of quiet that allows one to be woven into the tapestry of nature instead of merely standing next to it." Estaban.

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AshbyCut
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Re: Not rods as such ... but a bit of history of the company !

Post by AshbyCut »

What a treasure this annual has proved to be !!! ... not only the Bernard Sealey and Company advert on page 10 ... but this Precision Rods advert on page 3 !!!

Image

As can be seen there's no mention of the connection between the two companies, which seems to reinforce the idea I had that the two 'arms' of the company were keeping a separate identity. I can't imagine why ... but they must have had a rationale.

I'm fortunate enough to own all 6 of the rods mentioned in this advertisement.

I'm fascinated to see the reference to "Built cane in rough a speciality" (though I could be wrong ... it has been known !!!), which seems to support the idea I've had for quite a while that they built part of their business on making bespoke rods to customer specifications, and possibly supplied blanks too.

I've a feeling that I've only just scratched the surface !!!
"Beside the water I discovered (or maybe rediscovered) the quiet. The sort of quiet that allows one to be woven into the tapestry of nature instead of merely standing next to it." Estaban.

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OllyKite
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Re: Not rods as such ... but a bit of history of the company !

Post by OllyKite »

Dear Ashby cut, RE. Bernard Sealey history and the 'Matchwinner'; The scans of the 1953 Anglers Annual you posted are no longer viewable. Please could you advise who published this annual? Also if at all possible please could you send the relevant scans to john.henwood@hotmail.co.uk I would be very interested to see them and they would be very gratefully received. With kind regards
'look, Dad, its lying flat'!...'Yes,Peter,wait'....presently it moves across the water and slides under...'Now,Peter. STRIKE!'

Visit www.qualityvintagetackle.co.uk

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