Pezon et Michel Luxor Relax

[Mole-Patrol]

Following on from the Pezon et Michel thread I thoubht that this reel mighg be of interest. Most P&M reels have a round casing in various sizes and conventional rotors. The rotors are equipped with half bail or full bail pick ups in various designs. The Relax rèel breaks that tradition and was introduced around 1962 around the same time as the designer of all the P&M reels died.

The Relax is dsscribed as a 'Capot' or closed face reel. But it does not have a removable cover like the ABU or Daiwa reels. The rotor is deeper than normal and extends over the spool. Inside the rotor is a small pick up shaped like an old half bail. The pick up is hinged inside the rotor and when disengaged fits neatly inside a small slot making it visible from outside. The pick up is lifted to the open position by depressing a serated brass switch after trapping the line with your index finger and backing the rotor to free the line from the spool. Not as easy as a 506.

The clutch is conventional and surprisingly smooth and adjustable for a reel of 60 years old. Internally there is a telescopic shaft that operates the oscilllation. The anti-reverse switch is standard P&M and is quiet and secure.

This is the Match version and has a different flat handle shaft rather than the conventional round handle shaft. It would have had the logo 'Match' displayed under the handle in different coloured Lottery Ball type writing.

It cost €5 from a car boot sale and included a free rod! After removing the original soldified grease it runs very well.

[Liphook]

Good find Clive and an interesting concept!

[Mole-Patrol]

So good I bought it twice!

Another vide-grenier find. Same price as the other one - €5 but in better condition in that it has retained almost all of its paint. A rarity amongst old French reels. It also differs from the other one in that this is the standard version, not the 'Match' branded later one. From what I can see only the handles are not the same.

Gear ratio is around 4.5:1 and the oscillation is driven directly off the main gear so is one cycle per turn of the handle. The pickup is contained inside the cowl that is also the rotor. Unlike an ABU 506 the cowl rotates. You disengage the pickup by taking the line in your index finger and reversing the rotor until it clears the line from the spool, just as you have to do with a half-bail reel. Then, with the rotor in the correct position the serrated switch can be depressed with the thumb of the rod hand and this causes the pickup to fold into a slot in the rotor. In practice it is not as easy as a 506, but easier than a conventional half-bail reel. The pickup engages with a little "ping" like a 506 with no extra effort required when cranking. It has the typical Pezon et Michel anti-reverse switch that operates against the main gear.











The spool is similar in depth to a 506 and has a chenille lined lip at the back. Inside the mechanism is quite simple and as usual the 40 year old grease had solidified. You can see why by where dirt has accumulated around where the back plate fits against the body. The original lubrication has seeped out over the years.

I will be using this reel on my light Avon instead of the Ambidex currently on it. It is a very light reel. Probably one of the lightest fixed spool types you could find. The drag is smooth and finely adjustable. Just the thing for float fishing.

[Liphook]

Another 'new' one on me very interesting!