Reel Specifications

[Vole]

I was surprised at his skill in electronics!

[Nobby]

Snap! or that is to say Snapham


I bought an identical reel at Romsey...really pleased ,no play whatsoever, barely run in( mega bucks)...

Actually mine says Allcocks Flick 'em Perfection on the back along with the stag logo.


Now it seems certain that Swift did indeed 'do' a few for Allcocks post war, but the lever action can't be taken as post-war evidence it now seems.

So your reel could be any date from 1936 to 1964...no help at all!


I too have noticed that the 4 inch reel is actually 4 and an eighth and the 3 and three-quarter inch reel is actually three and seven eighths.


I like to tap the spokes in the back to see if any are loose if the reels have a wobble because they can be tweaked to get rid of it a little, but don't ever screw the spokes inwards and leave them there loose....with the spool on the reel they will hit the centrepin!


How they got those spokes in there is a mystery to me...they are too long to come out again.

Maybe that's how it was done...screw a couple in as you bend the reel boss a little, twist it and screw another one in ..screw those in too far add the other three, then screw all 6 outwards again.

I'm not trying it.

If you do ever decide to tweak a reel in this way you don't go any more then 'finger-tight' with those spokes...they screw into a very, very fine thread in brass!

[Chavender]

Sadly,the dentist's victim was I; the chauffeuring will be ferrying Mrs Vole (accompanist and teacher) to music exams.
So, quickly, before the anaesthetic wears off :
Here is my mystery reel:

And with calipers to show it's a 4" (4 1/8, in fact):


So what do I call it, I wonder?

I did photograph the re-weighings of the other three, but they're all within a gram of yesterday's results, so probably not worth uploading!

P.S. How that last pic attached itself, I've no idea. Sorry, Mark!

the reel is a VINTAGE GEORGE WILKINS & SON CENTREPIN REEL and made by wilkins and seems to be a fine reel based on a flick-em X allcocks / patern n°9 taking the best from both reels and very rare

[Nobby]

I think it's certainly made by Young's...why do you think it's by Wilkins?

[Chavender]

i have pictures & description of one (saved from a ebay auction)

VINTAGE GEORGE WILKINS & SON CENTREPIN REEL - FLICK EM - REDDITCH

NARROW DRUM CENTREPIN REEL
HERE FOR AUCTION IS VINTAGE CENTREPIN REEL. THE REEL IS A FLICK EM TYPE AND WAS MANUFACTURED BY GEORGE WILKINS & SON - REDDITCH, ENGLAND. THIS REEL IS A BEAUTY. IT IS A NARROW DRUM TROTTING REEL WITH ALL ORIGINAL PARTS WORKING FINE. IT RUNS LIKE A DREAM WITH NO WOBBLE AND HAS A GOOD TENSION ADJUSTER. THE CLUTCH MAKES A WONDERFUL AUDIBLE SOUND. PRESS THE LITTLE PIN TO ONE SIDE AND YOU FIND THAT THE SPOOL COMES OFF TO REVEAL A FINE INTERIOR WITH 6 INNER SPOKES

its either a very good copy or i agree a youngs special order reel (a lot of reddich dealers had patten reels made for them based on allcock/youngs reels) ,i was basing my previous reply on the above info .

[Vole]

Woohoo! "Wilky" now has a name. It is, indeed, something of a peach. The extra weight of the spool is in the hub, so has little effect on its start-up inertia (Same goes for the Marco C.).
Thanks, Chavender!

[Nobby]

The reel is a Young's Model Twenty something. I can't remember which model. Young's supplied them to a very large number of tackle makers, personalising them, if you will, with the makers name.

The most famous 'name' was of course Perfection Flick 'Em for Allcocks, or the Snapham for Modern Arms. But it's a Youngs made reel through and through.

In time the reel was superceded by the Rapidex and that too, was badged up to suit other firm's needs.


I don't want this to sound rude, but it isn't wise to use the wording of an eBay auction as 'proof' of anything. It's very common for sellers to make incorrect assumptions based on a lack of knowledge or even deliberate attempts at a false providence.

One very well known seller last month described a fragile tipped float rod as a barbel rod. Perhaps he thought the 'B' word would get him a better price?

[Vole]

Alas, "Wilky-Swift the Uncertain" doesn't carry quite the same aura ...
There's a certain je-ne-sais-wossname about the back that shrieks "Youngs", but... didn't Wilkins make the "Hodder", in which case they had a pretty good set of skills, and could have turned out a 'pin like this... or was that Wilkes?

[Nobby]

Here's a thread from the PP forum where Mr. Normal tells us a bit about the reel. He has some pals who worked for Youngs and also a copy of Elwyn Attwoods book about them, I think.

I've e-mailed Elwyn to ask for his help, but it might be an out of date address, it's three years old.

http://www.purepiscator.com/forum/defau ... osts&t=613

As you can see, I got the number wrong..it's a Model 12.

[Chavender]

Alas, "Wilky-Swift the Uncertain" doesn't carry quite the same aura ...
There's a certain je-ne-sais-wossname about the back that shrieks "Youngs", but... didn't Wilkins make the "Hodder", in which case they had a pretty good set of skills, and could have turned out a 'pin like this... or was that Wilkes?

it was albert smith of reddich (where else ,another rod builder who sold takle like wilkins) who sold/built the "hodder" ,which doesn't seem too be built by youngs ,but his other reels where youngs patten/badged version reels ,he had a 4⅛” narrowdrum flick em type reel called the "champion" with rim lever brake (silent check) and rear mounted tensioner and different centre boss and no purforations in the 1930's