OLD REEL COLLECTORS
Reels of the Past and Some Still Here => PENN REELS => Topic started by: MAXED OUT on January 06, 2023, 08:15:06 PM
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This question is often asked by someone wanting to know how collectable or valuable thier Penn reel might be. Several variables are involved. Older reels may have slight differences thru the years, while others have noticeable differences.
I could go on forever about this, but some of the best info can be found in Mike C. Penn history book. If you have a question about dating your old Penn Reel, post it up here and we will help you out. P.S. I know nothing about international reels
Dating this squidder to a 3 year period is possible if you know what to look for.
(https://oldreelcollectors.com/gallery/medium_2-080123194147-15841408.jpeg)
(https://oldreelcollectors.com/gallery/medium_2-080123195438-158721.jpeg)
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Can you tell by looking how old this one is . I have the Book but do not see this one in it anywhere .
(https://oldreelcollectors.com/gallery/medium_2-080123200445-15881105.jpeg)
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Hello Rick, the history book leaves out a lot of the tidbits to help people find the era for their reel. So many variables that would take another book just to skirt the surface.
Your squidder has the word "gear" at midway point of the shift lever sweep. This would date your reel to approximately pre 1960. Penn switched black sideplates to dark maroon and the word "gear" disappeared, never to return. Now, let's whittle it down from there. Your reel has no visible parts numbers and that means pre-1950. Your reel also has a smooth sided counterbalance on the handle. This would date it to 1942, or 1946. I can't see the spool, which would determine if it's pre war or not. Look for a lip where the arbor meets the side flanges. If there is a lip, it's pre war. If there is a smooth transition from the arbor to the flange, then it's 1946
Hope this helps. Feel free to ask a follow-up question if you can't make sense of my jibber jabber
-Ted
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If you blow that picture up it LOOKS like there is a Lip on the Spool and te Spool looks like Aluminum BUT did they make aluminum spools back then?
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That Reel was on E-bay on a Buy it Now and some one just bought it for 35 bux.
Jiggy 240 No Numbers (https://www.ebay.com/itm/175554722557)
Deal or NO DEAL ????
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Well, I'd say it wasn't a bad deal on that 140 squidder. Early Squidders are like hens teeth because they were very expensive($25), about the same price as a 9/0 at that time. The squidder is a ball bearing reel, and up thru mid 50's Penn only had 3 models with ball bearings...the squidder 140, the 14/0 & 16/0
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I ended up with this Reel and here are some HOPEFULLY AGE IDENTIFYING pix for Mr Max to elaborate on ;D
The Spool is Plastic NOT ALUMINUM and has looks like a Blender option on the clicker side .
The clicker side of Spool
(https://oldreelcollectors.com/gallery/medium_2-140123092553-1590388.jpeg)
The Edge of Spool looks like a small raised edge on it
(https://oldreelcollectors.com/gallery/medium_2-140123092549-1589521.jpeg)
And the Knob (Odd Color ,almost See thru or opaque
(https://oldreelcollectors.com/gallery/medium_2-140123092549-15892245.jpeg)
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Looking at the spool, it's 1946 squidder. A person could buy a decent used car for $25 in 1946, or buy a 140 squidder for $25
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Using Penn catalogs to date a reel is very helpful, but don't go by the illustrations in the catalogs. Penn used same illustrations for many years of catalogs, despite some cosmetic changes that should've been illustrated, especially the changes in handle arms and knobs and counterbalance.
So, back to my point. Starting in 1950 Penn reels now had visible stamped part numbers on most every part. So if your reel has part numbers, you know it's 1950 or newer. The slotted rod clamp phased out in 1954 is another telltale sign. Another is type of spool, and also type of knob and blade, and yet another is for senators with bushings and when those switched to ball bearings.
So, here we see a numbered 9/0 with slotted clamp, bushings, counterbalance handle, and 3 piece spool. Easy to say this one is 1950-53
(https://oldreelcollectors.com/gallery/medium_2-170123173928-1592933.jpeg)
(https://oldreelcollectors.com/gallery/medium_2-170123173928-15921934.jpeg)
(https://oldreelcollectors.com/gallery/medium_2-170123173934-15941467.jpeg)
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Ok so My Squidder with the Off -On- Gear notations, and No Numbers, Plastic Edged Spool with the Blender Blades inside on Clicker Side and a Notched Lever tab is 1946 ?
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Ok so My Squibber with the Off -On- Gear notations, and No Numbers, Plastic Edged Spool with the Blender Blades inside on Clicker Side and a Notched Lever tab is 1946 eh?
Yes grasshoppa, 1946
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Look for a lip where the arbor meets the side flanges. If there is a lip, it's pre war.
(https://oldreelcollectors.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=346.0;attach=953;image)
But it does have a Lip .
So don't that make it a Pre -War ?
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OK I GOT IT ....lol
You mean a lip on the inside of spool where the Line goes .
One with the lump is older than the one without it . Thanks for explaining this .
(https://oldreelcollectors.com/gallery/medium_2-210123082909-16081952.jpeg)
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These first posts were just an example of dating early 50's Penn reels. Dating pre-1950 Penns isn't too tough if you know what to look for. Pre war Penns can usually also be dated to within a 2-3 year window, and in many cases to 1 particular year.
Dating mid 50's to 80's Penns is not rocket science, but it helps to have a few thousand boxed reels pass thru your hands to notice the subtle changes thru the years.
Also, if you have a Penn box with or without a reel, that needs dating, we can possibly help with that also.
-Ted-
PS....when I say "we" can help, I'm hinting that I am not a total know it all, and new discoveries do happen, so nobody knows every tidbit about every model Penn made. I also have half dozen of the most knowledgeable Penn collectors on speed dial, including the Author of Penn History book Mike C
Knowing what you got can be enlightening and could also fill your wallet depending on historical significance or rarity.
Imagine a guy in a tackle shop that also sells used reels from "trade ins" and gifted a 'trade in" reel to a young boy and his dad that were gonna go fishing and looking to buy a reel. The reel was a 1932 Penn Model k, worth $1500-$2000. Shop owner found out months later and hoped someday the dad & son might return to his store so he could enlighten them, but that never happened. True story, cause it was me that told the shop owner about the value of the model k he so kindly gifted to a customer
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OK I GOT IT ....lol
You mean a lip on the inside of spool where the Line goes .
One with the lump is older than the one without it . Thanks for explaining this .
(https://oldreelcollectors.com/gallery/medium_2-210123082909-16081952.jpeg)
Yes, that is the lip that is pre war era. After the war that lip was changed to a rounded transition from arbor to spool flange
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Ok, here is another pre war Penn. The long beach 60. 1941 saw many changes in some of Penn models. The long beach 60&65 changed to plastic spools. The plastic spool continued thru 1947. Penn did offer a metal spool for the 60&65 during this time, but it was optional and extra cost. The pre war plastic spool 60&65 we're boxed with a label that designated L.S. on the label, which means "lightweight spool". The plastic spool has larger arbour than the metal spool, and has less line capacity, but the pre war L.S. models still stated the same 250yds for the 60 & 300yds for the 65. In 1946&47 the yardage was corrected to 200yds & 250yds for the 60&65, and the label no longer had the L.S. designation.
(https://oldreelcollectors.com/gallery/medium_2-050423143047-17302317.jpeg)
So now that you're totally confused, I have here a 1942 Long Beach 60 in correct pre war box and it does have plastic spool, but no L.S. designation on the label, but the label also doesn't mention metal spool, so yes, this is a 1942 Long Beach 60 with correct box. This can all be very confusing, but small tidbits can solve most questions. The spool does have the pre war lip, and all parts are non numbered and era correct. The Long Beach60&65 came with non clamp seat, but from 1941-47 Penn offered a clamp seat option for the 60&65. It was a very expensive upgrade @ $2.50 on a $5.50 reel, so Penn used them up as standard equipment on the 1941 & 1942 L S. 60& & 65's as well. If you find a lb60 with a clamp seat, you have a tough reel to find, but they are out there. 1941/42 were the only years the lb 60 had a clamp seat as standard equipment(not an upgrade) according to the catalogs.
(https://oldreelcollectors.com/gallery/medium_2-050423143049-1730529.jpeg)
Here is 1942 Long Beach 60 with no L.S. designation, but it is definitely pre war (250yds) and has correct spool, and also has the clamp seat that Penn put on almost every 1941/42 plastic spooled Long Beach 60.
(https://oldreelcollectors.com/gallery/medium_2-050423143059-17321780.jpeg)
.....more to come
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This particular Long Beach 60 also has a very rare and unique semi translucent knob. Hard core Penn collectors will tell you these are about as common as a unicorn or a black polar bear. The brown spool is also uncommon, most were black
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(https://oldreelcollectors.com/gallery/medium_2-050423143116-17341148.jpeg)
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Now here is another pre war long beach 60 that would be 1938-40 time frame. The generic "Long Beach" logo gives no hint at the model#, but the bottom of the seat will have yardage capacity stamp. This one stamped 250YDS means it's a long beach 60. If it were a 65, the yardage stamp would read 300YDS
(https://oldreelcollectors.com/gallery/medium_2-070423145832-17501270.jpeg)
(https://oldreelcollectors.com/gallery/medium_2-070423145909-17512151.jpeg)
This same reel will also have the tall skinny coin edge counterbalance on the handle blade. 1941 Penn redesigned the counterbalance to short and squatty and smooth side as shown on the reel pictured in the original post of the boxed long beach
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Here are a few from my collection. I'm on a low budget and most of these have been sold to collectors, and those funds go towards buying more reels.
Far left is 1959 prototype long beach 60 box. Rest are all pre 1950. Note the slanted title on the labels. Far right is 1941/42 long beach 60 L.S. with correct box. The front right reel is 1942 long beach 66.
(https://oldreelcollectors.com/gallery/medium_2-270423185346-1840143.jpeg)