Ambidex de-luxe

[Ade76]

My recent purchases, I just love these two reels Ambidex de-luxe type1 & type2
the type2 needs a visit to gary mills for some tlc on the bail arm,but the type1 is perfect apart from minor battle scars.

[Mark]

Very nice Ade.

[Nobby]

I don't think I've ever seen a reel like the older-bodied one before, particularly with the bi-coloured body......I'm sure I've never seen that before.

I've seen two-part bail arm de-Luxes and I've seen the swan necked ones.


I have seen a Sealey Flocast Mk 8 in that body shell:



http://s259.photobucket.com/user/nobby4 ... ort=4&o=11


But even that didn't have a bi-coloured body.


I wonder if that might just be a very rare reel??

[Ade76]

The only one I've seen nobby is in elwyn attwoods book, it would be nice to find out how many were produced.
Ade

[The Sweetcorn Kid]

They are awesome!!

[NiceRoach]

I think, they'll be rare. The ol boys at J.W's were fairly mixing and matching,
- departing from the run of the mill.

[Nobby]

I fear Ade, that Youngs won't have kept records, particularly with regard to colour schemes, but Elwyn might know....he's forum member Ambidexman.

I can only say that I've been collecting images of Ambidexes for 6 or 7 years and following eBay daily for the same amount of time, as well as going to tackle fairs and I've never seen one before....if other forum member haven't either I think we can say it's rare, even if, sadly, we can't put a figure on it.


Nice find!


edit: Just speculating....since both reels are the same colours it occurs to me that the early shaped reel might be one that was created just briefly and then the new body shape...the swan-necked one...was created and this top of the range reel swapped over to the new body?

Either way, we now have to accept that there are 4 versions of the De-Luxe at least...the 3, I think it is called with a 'flexible pick-up and large chrome banded folding handle, your two versions and the Sealey Flocast Mk8.

[Ade76]

According to elwyns book between 1961-1964 there were only a limited quantity of these reels made because of the price (fifteen pounds and seventy five shillings)
My type 1 is stamped 10/62 = october 1962.
they were supplied with a pigskin reel case, oil bottle and spanner, which I can say are on there way to me now
the seller had them for sale with another ambidex reel so iv spent a bit more to keep all the original piece's together plus iv now got another ambidex for my collection

Ade

[Nobby]

Excellent! Put a picture up when you have them Ade...I've never seen a Youngs oil bottle.

[Ade76]

Im presuming its just a bottle that youngs supplied nobby, it says Gildex spindal oil on the label, sorry the picture is very rough