Like many small engineering companies, with the onset of World War Two, Young's converted their production lines to war work. This was to have a profound effect on the post war production. During the war they manufactured components for aircraft instrument panels and to aid in this process, they were issued with South Bend lathes, supplied as part of the Lend-Lease Agreement with the United States. The precision of machining and even the paint finishes applied to Young's post war products devolve directly from their wartime experiences.
Some of Young's Post-War reels, at a glance:
Some of Young's Post-War reels, at a glance:
Taking each reel in turn, roughly in the order in which they were introduced.
The Type 1 Beaudex was introduced shortly after the World War Two as Young's resumed their pre-war business. The Beaudex was the flagship fly reel, boasting a patented adjustable check. Notice the snail-shaped cam in the checkwork picture. This acted on a beak-shaped lever that adjusts the check pawl spring tension, varying the amount of check applied. There is also a duplicate check mechanism, albeit without adjustment, allowing for a quick recovery if the check should fail in the field. This was a measure first introduced by Hardy's of Alnwick.
The crackle black finish of the drum is characteristic of Young's immediate post-war reels, - this paint had been used extensively on instrument panels during the war. Notice also the bakelite latch cover with the Young's name. This uses the same moulding and lettering methods developed for making and labeling switches. As with many reels of the period, the Beaudex was right hand wind only to begin with. It was fitted with a patented rectangular line guard supported on one of the cage braces.
The crackle black finish of the drum is characteristic of Young's immediate post-war reels, - this paint had been used extensively on instrument panels during the war. Notice also the bakelite latch cover with the Young's name. This uses the same moulding and lettering methods developed for making and labeling switches. As with many reels of the period, the Beaudex was right hand wind only to begin with. It was fitted with a patented rectangular line guard supported on one of the cage braces.
The Pridex was introduced at the same time as the Beaudex and used the same basic casting for cage and drum. It differs in being a simpler reel though, with a single, non-adjustable check, an un-perforated drum and no line guard as standard. On both reels, the scoop (Young's always referred to the reel foot as the "scoop") is fixed by two screws, and both reels share the elegant and very ergonomic trilobal winding handle. This was another Young's patent and fits the hand admirably when winding the reel.
The second version of the Beaudex was introduced after 1950. They differ from the early model in one very significant way - they can be adjusted for either left or right hand wind. The fixed rectangular lineguard was also replaced by a clever, heavy-gauge chromed wire guard that snapped into place around the cage. Another improvement was the conical latch-cover. Bakelite, although strong, is also very brittle, and many of Young's earlier post-war reels turn up with the latch cover damaged, and it may have been to remedy this that the cover was made simpler and less liable to damage.
Some time shortly after 1950, the Pridex also enjoyed a similar facelift to the Beaudex. Acquiring a perforated drum to aid line drying, the new conical latch cover and a second set of check work, making it possible to wind with either the left or right hand. This particular model dates from 1963, when the pattern of perforations was changed to include two sizes of hole. This reel also came with its original box, finished in a design which came to exemplify Young's reels. Earlier post-war boxes had been plain black, with colour-coded labels to indicate the model of reel inside. Notice also the satin black paint on a textured surface.
The Condex is the simplest of the Young's post-war reels, being a version of the pre-war model 1C. Early reels were finished in "Almond Green" - called "Condex Green" by Young's employees. Apparently this paint was supplied by Dunlop and used by Young's during the war in their production of the trigger mechanism for the Supermarine Spitfire. This green colour was discontinued after 1955, with the reels being finished in "Tudor Grey" or plain black.
Young's were never shy of innovation and filed a large number of patents in respect of their reel designs. The Landex was a credible solution to the problem of the handle spinning when a fish takes line. first applied to the Freedex spinning and trotting reel, the Landex handle has a latch which de-couples the handle from the drum when line is taken, stopping the handle moving. Turning the handle to retrieve line re-engages the drum and allows the handle to rotate the drum again. You can see the mechanism for this in the open view above. A shaped cam behind the handle engages two pivoted levers mounted on the drum. In the other direction, the cam pushes the levers out, allowing the "de-coupling" action described above. The cage and checkwork of the reel is the same as the Beaudex of the same period. Almost all pre-war Young's reels had a drilled spindle boss, - you may have notice that, with the exception of the Condex, the post-war reels share the same chromed, dome-headed screw to secure the spindle.
I will freely admit that of all the post-war reels from Young's, the Valdex is my favourite. I love the simplicity of the design. It was introduced in 1959, the brainchild of Ted Young who was responsible for many of the firms innovations. It was designed to be assembled and serviced without the aid of tools and it is indeed possible to strip the reel down to its basic components entirely by hand. You will see from the checkwork that this was easily adjusted from left to right hand winding, a feature common to all but the Condex by this time.
All of these reels were detailed in the reel papers supplied with Young's products. This edition is from the post-1950 era, and was included with the boxed Pridex described above.
All of these reels were detailed in the reel papers supplied with Young's products. This edition is from the post-1950 era, and was included with the boxed Pridex described above.