Smith & Wall
For a long time, the firm of Smith & Wall has languished in the backwaters of vintage tackle collecting. Graham Turner in his seminal book, "Fishing Tackle, The Ultimate Guide" dismisses them as trade makers of wooden Nottingham reels, but in the page on the "Quest for Adjustable Drag" we have seen that they were capable of a sophisticated and quality product. I suspect part of the problem has been in distinguishing Smith & Wall products from those of the much more prolific and well-established Reuben Heaton, hampered further by the lack of supporting information. Smith & Wall supplied their products solely to trade customers, so unlike the big retailer/manufacturers like Farlows and Allcocks, their catalogues and supporting papers are indeed few in number. Hopefully, with the help of a few examples, this page can bring their work more into the limelight.
The firm of Smith & Wall was established in 1884 by Humphrey Wall and Albert Smith. Their premises were in Aston, Birmingham at 27b Whitehead Road. The actual location is now occupied by an open-plan housing development, but a 1938 street map shows a possible location for the works:
The firm of Smith & Wall was established in 1884 by Humphrey Wall and Albert Smith. Their premises were in Aston, Birmingham at 27b Whitehead Road. The actual location is now occupied by an open-plan housing development, but a 1938 street map shows a possible location for the works:
Compare this with Google's satellite image of the same location today. you can see that the original course of Whitehead Road has been preserved in the pathway crossing the site. They continued to make various items of fishing tackle until the 1960's, - only supplying the trade, though one unresolved puzzle in their history is this:
This excerpt from the 1908 London Gazette appears to give notice of the dissolution of the firm. Since there are many items clearly made by the partnership after this date, it may mean a change in the structure or constitution of the firm. In 2018 John Mullock's auction included a handwritten letter dated 1932 on Smith and Wall Ltd. notepaper. A Companies House search has so far yielded nothing, but it is possible the partnership was dissolved to make way for the limited company to be formed.
Some Smith & Wall Reels
This highlights another issue, the lack of documentary material from this firm. There are catalogues out there, but sadly I have been unable to gain access to any. For that reason, I have elected to list the reels here in order of handle material, on the basis that natural materials such as horn would be in use before the introduction of synthetic products such as Erinoid.
This is probably the earliest Smith & Wall made reel to come to light. A Hercules pattern reel, it has a two-screw lock on the winding plate. This method was used by Slater's, Farlow's (though their reels also featured an oiling aperture) and P D Malloch, which is why this reel was originally attributed to Slater, although the arbor is of a drum form, usually seen on Heaton Hercules pattern reels. It is only when the reel is opened to show the checkwork that the S&W stamp is revealed on the backplate. The reel was retailed by Lillywhite of 31 Haymarket, London.
Lillywhite's were the premier sporting goods retailer in London, latterly occupying large premises near Piccadilly Circus. The firm remained in the hands of the Lillywhite family for much of its history, and you can read more HERE at the fascinating Lillywhite Museum web site. The Museum features another brass platewind reel similarly marked but probably made by Heaton. They date their reel to the 1920's which suggests an earlier date for this reel, perhaps as early as 1880-1890.
Lillywhite's were the premier sporting goods retailer in London, latterly occupying large premises near Piccadilly Circus. The firm remained in the hands of the Lillywhite family for much of its history, and you can read more HERE at the fascinating Lillywhite Museum web site. The Museum features another brass platewind reel similarly marked but probably made by Heaton. They date their reel to the 1920's which suggests an earlier date for this reel, perhaps as early as 1880-1890.
This is a very simple 31/2" alloy reel with no makers marks. It does however show a number of Smith & Wall characteristics. Chief among these is the foot. Made of brass, it features two small flanges at each end of the mounting which slightly overlap the reel frame. This "fold-over" foot is exclusive to Smith & Wall and is probably the best way of identifying one of their reels. Another feature is the very slim, riveted horn handle, which seems to have been in common use until the switch to Erinoid handles. The reel also features artisan marks, - it's worth noting that at least three makers used this method, Smith & Wall, George Harris of Redditch and Reuben Heaton. I think it was Alfred Smith who trained at Heaton's and Harris possibly worked in the Birmingham shops on munitions during WW1 and may have acquired the practice at that time.
It's also worth noting that the reel does not appear to have been "leaded", that is, chemically darkened, but supplied simply in its raw state. The check is a simple brass caliper spring with a notched pawl allowing it to be slid out of alignment to disable the check. This is operated by a brass button on the back of the reel, just above the very simple peened-over spindle retaining boss.
It's also worth noting that the reel does not appear to have been "leaded", that is, chemically darkened, but supplied simply in its raw state. The check is a simple brass caliper spring with a notched pawl allowing it to be slid out of alignment to disable the check. This is operated by a brass button on the back of the reel, just above the very simple peened-over spindle retaining boss.
Another simple 3", caliper check fly reel using the "Tryit" casting. This casting can be distinguished by the lack of any "stepping" between the reel frame and the supports and remained in use by Smith & Wall for some considerable time as we shall see later. It's also interesting to note that again the reel appears not to have been "leaded", but was supplied in the native alloy finish. One thing that distinguishes this from the reel shown above is the addition of a bronze bush in the spool. The caliper spring is also of a slightly better quality, being of forged, blued steel wire rather than brass. This reel also features a relatively slim riveted horn handle and the peened brass spindle retaining boss seen on the example above.
The next group of reels all use the same "Tryit" casting as the above.
The next group of reels all use the same "Tryit" casting as the above.
Hopefully you can immediately see similarities with the previous reel. The "fold-over" foot secured with two screws from within the cage, the slim horn handle and the apparent lack of any leading. This reel, however, features a distinctive spindle retaining nut,with slots arranged at the four quarters. I have come to refer to this as the "quatrefoil" boss, and it is another distinctive feature of many of Smith & Wall's reels. another difference from the reel illustrated above is the use of a screw to secure the cut steel check pawl, rather than the brass rivet in the above example. This reel is also somewhat smaller at 23/4".
This reel is a prime example of some of the issues in making sense of Smith & Wall reels. Again it shares many features with the reel above, same size, same "Tryit" pattern casting, same slim profile horn handle. But just when you think there is some consistency here, the spindle boss, though functionally the same is "skinnier", longer and made of nickel silver. The "fold-over" foot is here secured with four brass pins, and the checkwork now features a copper caliper spring and is installed in an inverted position compared to the other reels. In short, just when you think you have worked out the rules of the game, the goalposts move!
The "Tryit" was available in several sizes, and this second reel is the optional adjustable tensioner version. You can see the relevant catalogue page here.
The "Tryit" was available in several sizes, and this second reel is the optional adjustable tensioner version. You can see the relevant catalogue page here.
I've included this reel again because this is where it seems to "fit" the sequence of reels available to me. This is the 1906 Baker patent "Centabrake", the qualities of which have been discussed in the "Quest for Adjustable Drag". Here I want to focus on its features as a Smith & Wall product. The casting should by now be familiar, and once again we have the "fold-over" foot, though on this occasion it is secured by two rivets, from the inside of the frame. On the back of the reel is the brass, "quatrefoil" spindle boss. The caliper check on this reel also has significantly higher quality brasswork. It is examples like this that show that Smith & Wall were capable of quality work. Another new factor is that this reel was supplied painted black, unlike the other reels here which seem to have been sold with no surface finish. Finally, this is the first reel to have a synthetic handle, in this case, white Erinoid, set in a cup secured by two screws to the face of the spool.
This last of the "Tryit" pattern reels is a little larger at 3 1/2". It shares many of the features we have previously identified with this pattern of reel and with Smith & Wall products in general. Where it differs slightly is in the use of a riveted black "Erinoid" handle, which might suggest a later manufacturing date. Unfortunately at some point in it s history, the blue steel caliper spring has been snapped, - possibly deliberately as there were anglers that preferred a "silent" reel to one with a click check.
Another point of note is the evidence again of the use of black paint as a surface finish.
Another point of note is the evidence again of the use of black paint as a surface finish.
We have already had one sporting metaphor on this page, here's another. This is a real "yorker"! This is a three-part reel of a pattern famously originated by Hardy's in their "Perfect" model and subsequently "copied" by many of the significant reel makers, - Young's pattern 10B, Farlow's and William Dingley's many variations produced for a range of retailers. Having seen a small number of these reels appearing on various forums and auction sites, I had an early suspicion that it may well be a Smith & Wall product. Finally securing an example for the museum convinced me, - the deciding factor in this case being the brass "fold-over" reel foot. Aside from the obvious quality of the reel, - although lacking the ball race of other "Perfect" copies, it is an extremely smooth reel. The check is positive, and has a clear bias to right-hand wind, but the clearest indicator that this was intended to be a high-end product is the massive brass tension adjust for the check spring. Not only is this relatively simple, it is clever and extremely well made. The reel also appears to be of a much harder alloy than other Smith & Wall products and it is interesting to note the paint surface has degraded much less than the other reels illustrated here.
Speaking more specifically about this example, it appears to be badged for Carter's, a well-known and respected London tackle dealer. I only say "appears" because on closer examination, the engraving seems more than a little "odd".
Speaking more specifically about this example, it appears to be badged for Carter's, a well-known and respected London tackle dealer. I only say "appears" because on closer examination, the engraving seems more than a little "odd".
This is an extreme close-up of part of the Carter & Co branding. Notice that it seems to have been engraved into the reel face, rather than the more common practice of stamping. Also note the way the paint surface is chipped around the engraved lines and the crude, angular letter shapes. I suspect that the lettering was added after the reel had been painted and, although carefully executed, probably by someone unskilled in engraving. (Editor's Note: I have since seen pictures of other Carter and Co reels that appear to have the retailers name treated in a similar way)
This is a similar enlargement of the back face of the reel, specifically the indication that the fixing screw is left-handed. The lettering is not only much smoother, but is clearly filled with paint. So, has the relatively crude "Carter & Co" text been added at a later date, in an attempt to suggest the reel originated with Carters?
You may also have noticed that the reel carries a crudely painted label, "C 6". This has clearly been added by a previous owner and raises an interesting question about care and restoration of reels, and antique/collectible items in general. Just how much "restoration" is reasonable? Should such changes to the original item be removed? My personal view is that these changes represent part of the specific history of the object and should be retained. Too many items have been "restored" to the point of anonymity, "factory fresh", completely erasing any "personality" they might have had in the misguided view that this somehow increases the value...
You may also have noticed that the reel carries a crudely painted label, "C 6". This has clearly been added by a previous owner and raises an interesting question about care and restoration of reels, and antique/collectible items in general. Just how much "restoration" is reasonable? Should such changes to the original item be removed? My personal view is that these changes represent part of the specific history of the object and should be retained. Too many items have been "restored" to the point of anonymity, "factory fresh", completely erasing any "personality" they might have had in the misguided view that this somehow increases the value...
If the previous reel could be considered a "Yorker", then this one may be a "no ball"! It's a 3 1/2" reel which is almost identical to an example identified elsewhere as a Smith & Wall Model 118, the only apparent difference being the part of the casting into which the spindle is located had been machined away at a slightly steeper angle. The identification was made by someone whose opinions on this matter I would not question, but from the perspective of this article, it really does throw a spanner in the works! You see this reel shows none of the features previously assigned to Smith & Wall reels, - no "fold-over" foot, no "quatrefoil" spindle boss, and a wholly different check, - oh yes, and this reel has been "leaded". The identification was made with the help of contemporary Smith & Wall paper, - a trade catalogue from the 1930's, all of which simply confirms what I have said at the beginning of this article, access to catalogues and original documents is the key to unscrambling the history and variety of any company's products, no matter what we may think is "typical" of a firm's output.
(Note: coming back to this page after a break of a few weeks, I'm beginning to think this last reel really is a "no ball" and may in fact be from another maker, using the same castings as Smith & Wall. Without a bit more evidence in the form of branded reels or period catalogues it's hard to confirm, I'm leaving it here, but now have my doubts...)
There is a very human and touching footnote to the Smith & Wall story. It seems Humphrey Wall married his partner's daughter, Betsy Anne and their son, Arthur Humphrey Wall went on to become a well respected reel-maker at where else but Hardy's of Alnwick
(Note: coming back to this page after a break of a few weeks, I'm beginning to think this last reel really is a "no ball" and may in fact be from another maker, using the same castings as Smith & Wall. Without a bit more evidence in the form of branded reels or period catalogues it's hard to confirm, I'm leaving it here, but now have my doubts...)
There is a very human and touching footnote to the Smith & Wall story. It seems Humphrey Wall married his partner's daughter, Betsy Anne and their son, Arthur Humphrey Wall went on to become a well respected reel-maker at where else but Hardy's of Alnwick