The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Ambidex with fitting traditional background, it's the nice golden colour, a bit rough paint work wise but after a
service it's running like a train and can't wait to use it.

£10.00 on eBay and more quaint since alot of modern reels gone back to a front drag




regards

Better iPhoneography - but genuine sore head trying to date.

Any Ambidex experts tell me what model I've bought precisely?



Thank you

I think that reel is the second version FP, commonly called a Mark Two FP ( flexible pick-up), though Youngs themselves didn't append the word 'Mark' to the reel until a few models later.


Moley and mark are more clued up on this than me and will surely be along later.


There is a whole section here on Ambidexes and I've done a photo-shot strip and rebuild on your very model on another forum.


Nice, aren't they?

Nobby wrote:I think that reel is the second version FP, commonly called a Mark Two FP ( flexible pick-up), though Youngs themselves didn't append the word 'Mark' to the reel until a few models later.


Moley and mark are more clued up on this than me and will surely be along later.


There is a whole section here on Ambidexes and I've done a photo-shot strip and rebuild on your very model on another forum.


Nice, aren't they?

Thanks Nobby

There are so many variations, and I'm surprised at how nice it is 'in hand' - though I shouldn't be, and think it will be great to use.

Considering the quality they can be picked up very cheaply on 'you know where' and I saw one go yesterday for just 99p with
£4.00 postage, mind you the auction foolishly closed on mid Friday afternoon those are the type for buyers.

Regards

These reels have a nice drag and are a pleasure to use.

Nobby wrote:I think that reel is the second version FP, commonly called a Mark Two FP ( flexible pick-up), though Youngs themselves didn't append the word 'Mark' to the reel until a few models later.

I think Nobby is right.

NiceRoach, a good user you have there. All it will need is some decent oil on the moving parts with perhaps a degrease of the solid old muck usually found in these reels followed by a light re-grease, to ensure many more years of reliable use.

That's the good thing about all of the Ambidexes....they are just so solid and reliable. If looked after sensibly, will not let you down. This is what first attracted me to them so many years ago!

Now comes the hard part.... dating and categorising your reel with any certainty.

St Nobby is very brave but only seems to cover half the story, what a naughty Saint he is!

Then to compound his naughtiness, cites me as some kind of expert, if only....sad loser more like, for knowing this stuff!!!

The depth of spool indicates your reel is a No2 Casting Reel. Not an Ambidex Number Three, as the main identifying component of this reel is the 'Quick Release' spool. By the looks of the picture supplied the spool can only be taken off by unscrewing the spool tensioner. This is the relatively safe part of the categorisation but further identification and aging your reel with any degree of correctness needs a sad mind like mine!

From now on the 'fun' begins.....

So from the picture it would seem the left hand name plate bears the legend J.W Youngs & Sons Ltd. All well and good so far?

Youngs became a Limited Company in 1947 so it is reasonably safe to assume your reel was made after this date!

It would also seem to bear the registered trademark No. B632218. The name Ambidex was formally registered as a trade mark on 23rd October 1944. So another identifying mark to help aging your reel.

Another part of the puzzle is we know the No. 2 Casting Reel was introduced in early 1947, however we can safely assume this is not the date of the reel in question because it has a serrated Flyer. This was not introduced until 1952. Oh, we are getting closer in classifying and aging the reel, I assure you!

So from the information above we know your Ambidex is not the Type One No.2 Casting Reel, nor is it the Type Two or even Type Three. How do we know this?


Well, the 'compromise' Flexible Pick-up, made from two different wire thicknesses, designed to circumnavigate the Hardy Patent on the Full Bale Arm, Number 380989 for the Anorak's out there, ran out in 1954.

The Youngs Flexible Pick-up though was deemed too close to actually get round the patent, so was held in abeyance from full production by a 'Gentleman's Agreement' with Hardy until 1954...another indication to aging your reel Nice Roach, Hurrah!

Next in this ever expanding missive we look at the colour of the reel, which although a lot of the paint has come off from your reel, is a sort of gold/brown. This colour was used from 1952 - 1957 on all the Ambidexes until the introduction of the Ambidex Number Four...one of my favourites. But that as they say, is another story though!

So to recap what we have so far, we know your reel is a No. 2 Casting Reel and was made after 1954, as it has a Flexible Automatic Pick-up to confirm our dating. We are now getting close to a classification now!

What else do we know....well it is not a Number 2 Casting Reel Type 1, 2, or 3 because of the 'FP' Bale Arm. So having eliminated those imposters we are left with the conclusion that your reel is a Number 2 Casting Reel, Type 4 made between 1954-1957.

This reel would have cost £8 15s from new so you have got a splendid bargain NiceRoach, for a fine piece of Historical Angling Engineering.

Before I go perhaps a shot of the Anti-Reverse Switch may, or may not, confirm the date of production a little further, if you are still interested?

I hope this has been of help and you use the reel to catch a really Nice Roach, NiceRoach!

Mole Power!!! :sun:

You see you just feed him a bit of cake every now and then and he just comes out with this stuff!


Brace yourself for more if you show him a picture of the anti-reverse lever as there were a few different types, one of them so rare I've only ever seen the one.


What other source of antique tackle knowledge do you know of that is powered by baked comestibles?

What else can a man say, or do other than offer up a photograph of the other side?



regards

I think that is the most usual version of the a/r lever, soon to become a fixture on most Youngs reels, of course. Though, peculiarly, later Ambidexes had all sorts of other, less pleasing levers.


I have two like that myself, a minter ...complete with box and orange tissue paper wrapping ( collectors like this sort of thing) and a 'user' with a polished spool rim.