Raised Pillar Reels
Raised pillar and skeleton reels seem to me to epitomise the American style of fishing reel. Ranging from the robust to the elegant from makers such as Hendryx, Pfluger, Meisselbach and South Bend, all the reels shown here have been sourced on this side of the Atlantic. While these reels never seemed to catch on quite as well in the UK, they appear here surprisingly often, particularly Hendryx reels. There are many excellent sources of information about the development and makers of these reels, one of the best can be found here on a site supported by ORCA (Old Reel Collectors Association), so I will keep descriptions short.
Hendryx "Competitor"
This 1½" wide this pressed brass crankwind reel with no check was the least expensive offering from a company that made a start in the manufacture of birdcages. This particular reel dates from a period after 1919 when the Hendryx operation was sold to the Winchester Repeating Arms Co., as evidenced by the line under the capacity rating on the reel foot. 0166
1½" Brass Raised Pillar ReelIt would be easy to ascribe this little 1½" reel also to Hendryx in that the form is very similar to the above. However, it is made of a slightly heavier gauge stamped brass, has an over all more solid "feel" and carries a foot reminiscent of those used by Pflueger on their famous Progress reels, although reels bearing the Hendryx brand have been seen with this foot pattern (Fishing Collectibles: Identification and Price Guide By Russell Lewis)
1¾" Brass Raised Pillar ReelThe same could be said for this reel which is clearly the previous reel's "big brother". At 1¾" it is almost identical save for the way in which the foot is made. Although apparently by Hendryx, none of these three reels carry an patent dates or maker's mark which may indicate that they were made after the Winchester interest was acquired by Horrocks Ibbotson in 1932.
1½" Nickel Plated Brass Raised Pillar ReelThis is another reel that conforms to one of the Hendryx patterns but again has no maker's details. In this case it is of brass with a thin nickel plate, - this plating is so thin that the back of the reel has lost almost all of its original plating. Notice that the foot is similar to that of the 1½" brass reel featured above, and again this is rated as a 40 yard reel.
On reflection, since all of these reels were sourced in the UK it is possible that imports of these reels only began after the Hendryx operation had been sold on. That would go some way to explaining the absence of the Hendryx mark. Reels such as this are often described as "boys reels" or even as toys. Certainly Horrocks Ibbotson rods were sold by some UK retailers and may have been accompanied by lower priced "boys reels" for the UK market.
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