Another Intrepid "Elite."

[AshbyCut]

Then the Gladding era was upon us with a crop of reels which did show some cost-conscious manufacture but were actually decent reels .

I have tried to avoid the 'Gladdings' era Stingray, Sir ... and some of the 'boys reels,' simply because some of the castings were truly awful in some cases ... BUT ...

I absolutely LOVE my Intrepids ... and I think they look and feel perfect on cane ... like my 'Prince Regent' on an Allcock's 'Lucky strike' ...

[Stingray]

I have tried to avoid the 'Gladdings' era Stingray, Sir ... and some of the 'boys reels,' simply because some of the castings were truly awful in some cases ... BUT ...

I absolutely LOVE my Intrepids ... and I think they look and feel perfect on cane ... like my 'Prince Regent' on an Allcock's 'Lucky strike' ...

Lovely image there.

PS. I too favour early Intrepids but my New Deluxe, which was my first fishing reel back in the early 70s, is still a good solid reel today though one is unlikely to fall in love with it I concede.

[Michael]

Ditto, I love the Elites, I still have my Elite which was bought for my birthday in 1965, which I use and is still in a good condition. Since then I`ve acquired a few more, including a few minters which I use, and a few for spares......
viewtopic.php?f=43&t=13773
Unfortunately, Intrepid cost cutting resulted in the internals of the Elite suffering, with disappointing results.....

[Stingray]

Unfortunately, Intrepid cost cutting resulted in the internals of the Elite suffering, with disappointing results.....

Is it not possible that you are getting the date order of the changes back to front and the reels were actually getting better - which is what I believe ? For example - the change from the plastic gear to the metal one was an improvement but if viewed in the wrong date order it might be seen as cost cutting.

[Michael]

The problems started with Intrepids cost cutting and poor production, including inferior parts in the reel, plastic gearings, and awful cast metal parts.
But here’s the thing, in all the years I`ve used them, some 50 odd years, the only major problem I`ve had, was dropping one or two on concrete and watching them shatter into pieces. I`ve had oodles of carp, up to a tad over 30 & pike and have never stripped the gears or melted them (though I`ve heard it many times, plastic?), maybe because I played off the clutch and never allowed the reel back wind.
It was a very good, nay bloody good innovative design*, let down by poor production. Anyway I`ve a soft spot for them, that is the early models, not the later models, the reels I think were produced between 1960 and 1968, which 1966-1968 were very dodgy…..But did not Mr Walker have an input in the original design?
*The innovative feature on the Intrepid Elite
a) Camatic action, which distributed the line over the full width of the spool and prevented line bedding in.
b) Tru play check or anti reverse three stage mechanism.
c) The first proper bail arm roller.
d) The bail arm release lever, that allowed the bail arm to be collapsed in transport.
e) The circle of chenille inlaid around the spool's circumference so preventing line straying behind the spool

[Stingray]

The problems started with Intrepids cost cutting and poor production, including inferior parts in the reel, plastic gearings, and awful cast metal parts.

But the plastic gears were replaced by the metal ones - not the other way around - so that is improvement rather than cost cutting. Other reels were given better handles over time and at least one had a cast alloy shaft replaced by a steel one, little tweaks here and there - there are other examples. My point is that the popular narrative that Morritts were cutting quality as time went on is wrong and has led some folk to wrongly believe that models containing inferior parts must therefore be later ones and I believe that assumption to be incorrect and know it to be untrue in some examples.

PS. Yes I love my Intrepids.

[GazTheAngler]

Chaps I have a surfcast that my great uncle left me many years ago I was wondering if I could press it into action as a pike reel next winter, any thoughts.

[Stingray]

Chaps I have a surfcast that my great uncle left me many years ago I was wondering if I could press it into action as a pike reel next winter, any thoughts.

I'm guessing you mean the original Surfcast (there were a later couple) so - Yep - but build up the spool with lots of backing before you put your line on - it was designed to take a decent amount the thicker sea lines of the 60s but even then the line near the hub was of little use due to steep angle friction on rim - so keep your line near the top of the spool & it should work well (it once held a UK shore caught cod record I believe).

[Michael]

Well Stingray ... which ever way around, the egg or the chicken*, I think we all agree that the actual reel was probably the most innovative reel of its time and the best reel Intrepid made..

*its a shame there are no definitive number dating and I find it interesting that I can open many of the Elites and find differences in each reel, over the production run. That's why my Elite spares box contains quite a few examples......

Yes... I also have a thing for the Intrepids....

[Stingray]

Well Stingray ... which ever way around, the egg or the chicken*, I think we all agree that the actual reel was probably the most innovative reel of its time and the best reel Intrepid made..

*its a shame there are no definitive number dating and I find it interesting that I can open many of the Elites and find differences in each reel, over the production run. That's why my Elite spares box contains quite a few examples......

Yes... I also have a thing for the Intrepids....

Hi, Michael. The Elite is a great reel with very innovative features - Morritts were a very innovative bunch - another reel which reely (pun alert) broke the mould was the Sea-Streak multiplier - very innovative indeed.

Yes - the absence of serial numbers has been part of the problem with dating changes to the reels but I think it is important not to look at a series of parts, place them in the wrong date order and then jump to the wrong conclusions because of it. Ergo, the belief has spread on the Internet that Intrepid parts and manufacturing on their golden era reels deteriorated as time went on when they were actually getting better - this is rather unfair to our beloved KPM painting them as a cost for quality cutting maker when the opposite was true and it also causes folk to make dating errors such as "if it has a plastic gear it is a late model" where the opposite is true. Once beliefs get accepted on the Internet they tend to grow and get set in stone so I am (possibly futilely) making an effort to put the record straight where I can.