Conquest dating

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MHC

Conquest dating

Post by MHC »

Conquest dating, well a start…as some of you were wondering.Not sure if you had seen this before.

http://66.51.163.9/fishing/collection/i ... /Conquest/

From the now closed fishing museum in Vancouver where my Exalta was housed for some time. http://66.51.163.9/fishing/collection/i ... l2/Exalta/


Malcolm

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MGs
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Re: Conquest dating

Post by MGs »

Yes been there. it doesn't help too much as there are a number of reels, mine included which don't fit either of those displayed. There are a number of variations, particularly with the design of the foot which don't fit. Brass foot on what should be a later reel and steel foot on what should be an early one. Box of bits syndrome?
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Lea Dweller
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Re: Conquest dating

Post by Lea Dweller »

Good Morning Gentlemen,
Just a comment on the subject of Conquest dating, my main concern about the statement (On the Canadian website) that the "wheel in the hole" model is earlier than the "Quadrant?" drag system, is one that I disagree with. It just seems illogical to me, I have asked several people whose opinion I respect, they all agree that the wheel in the hole would be later. I have yet to contact the existing Hardy offices, as I was told that they cannot help. Does anyone on this site have a definitive answer? If not, I was thinking of contacting John Drewett ( The Hardy book author) to see if he could give an answer?
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St.John
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Re: Conquest dating

Post by St.John »

I dunno what way round it is, but the one with the drag adjustment on the back looks the best!
I am inclined to believe the literature:
1 - the more complex design of the rear drag model seems like a refinement to me.
2 - the 'wheel in hole' model is pretty much a copy from the mecmechanism of other contemporary reels (flick em, aerial etc) and therefore (to me) may have been more likely to have been adopted by a predominantly game kit manufacturers to provide a centrepin.
3- the books say it is!!
4- I think the initial r+d would have been kept to a minimum due to the huge amount of game fishing kit they were producing at the time. When they decided to change to a mk2 model they spent more time developing the drag system to make it more 'hardy' (Maybe allcocks sued them in retaliation for the 'wallis' incident!).

Just my thoughts.
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Nobby
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Re: Conquest dating

Post by Nobby »

Thanks Malcolm, I had seen that site before and I think it is the reason that so many anglers think the wheel in the hole is the later model.

I'm pretty confident they are wrong...but what do I know?

At least I'm no longer the only one who thinks so :dance2:

That said, if the wheel in the hole is the later version...why does it have such a scrappy old reel foot? Lightness?

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Re: Conquest dating

Post by St.John »

Ahhh, the wallis incident.
Legend has it that hardy 'requested' that allcocks drop the 'wallis' from the wallis wizard name as fwk wallis had put his name to a number of hardy items (how many wallis' in that sentence?!) I.e. the wallis zepher, and the range of rods. This is, as far as I know, just a Legend. The wallis tag left allcoks rods post ww2 but resurfaced on some later (60's I think) green label wizards.
"Be patient and calm-for no man can catch fish in anger."

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Re: Conquest dating

Post by Nobby »

I feel this is just an urban myth as whilst Allcocks did indeed drop the word 'Wallis' from the post-War rods they continued to call it the Wallis Wizard in the Allcocks Guides right up to 1969 when they were closed down by new owners Shakespeare. They also wrote each year that the rod had been designed by FWK Wallis, mentioning him by name every time.

Pre-War Guides indicate the rod was around much earlier than generally thought...at least as early as 1931 and that pre-dates any 'Wallis' named rods by Hardy anyway, I'm told.

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Re: Conquest dating

Post by Dave Burr »

I had this discussion with Richard C whilst we were grayling fishing the other week. My Conquest has the wheel and his has that sexy little dial on the back. What dates them for me is the overall look in that mine has the spool which sits within the circumference of the rear plate whereas Rich's has the spool that is the same size as the back plate making it more user friendly. I cannot imagine the reel evolving any other way.

That might not be very well described but look at the pictures on the original thread to see what I mean.

Anyway, I'm certain that the wheeled version is the older one unless told otherwise :Happy:

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Re: Conquest dating

Post by Lea Dweller »

I must confess that Dave Burr's post regarding the differences in the backplate design of the two conquest models has completely thrown me. I have never noticed that the "sundial tensioner" model had the same size backplate as the drum! If this is the case then it could suggest that it was an improvement on the wheel in the hole model and therefore later? I am still on the fence, but it has certainly made me think.
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Re: Conquest dating

Post by MGs »

Not bothered about the date. Just enjoying using mine
Old car owners never die....they just rust away

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