Oldest Winston?

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Booman2
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Oldest Winston?

#1

Post by Booman2 »

I had the opportunity to buy #55xx, a 9 footer for a #10, built by Lew Stoner in 1933. The rod is in excellent+ condition. Tan wraps and early NS ferrule. It's among the most elderly ever seen by folks at Winston, and I wonder if anyone on this board has seen an earlier version. Sadly, I can no longer afford it after telling the seller what it may be worth and suggesting he double his initial asking price.

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firehole
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Oldest Winston?

#2

Post by firehole »

Booman2,
Are you sure 1933? I owned 61XX which Glenn gave me records showing it was built in 1946. They built on average around 100 rods or little more a year. My guess it's 1941/42. In Keane's book he refers to later Stoner Winston's running from 5000-7500 having red varigated jasper which is what mine had.
Dennis

Update: Adams catalog has 59XX as 1945/46.  
Last edited by firehole on 02/23/10 20:17, edited 1 time in total.

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Mainiac
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Oldest Winston?

#3

Post by Mainiac »

My oldest Winston was a serial number in the 4XXX's (don't remember the exact number but I can look up the number if needed).  It was made in 1939 by Lew and had tan wraps with some variegated accents here and there on the rod.  It was a 9ft.  4 7/8 oz. 7 wt. with very fine tips and had a purplish satin bag with the toggle (non-threaded) cap.  Very fine rod and one of very few I really regret parting with over the years.
"If you act like an asshole, don't be surprised when people treat you like one." - Darth Nihilus

BuzHackle.clarks
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Oldest Winston?

#4

Post by BuzHackle.clarks »

I have 9'  4 1/4 oz, serial #54XX and is also inked pat pending, and also has Nickle silver ferules and is wrapped in sort of a tan color. I believe Glen put it at somewhere in the mid 30's.

I also have an even earlier Rod that is a 3 pc., two tip, 8 1/2'er that weighs 4 1/4 oz. with cork filled slide band and nickle silver ferules. It has tan wraps as well. Both have classic Winston shaped cork.

All of my 6,000 serial number rods date just after the War and have Duronze ferules.

Kevin

bhuz
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Oldest Winston?

#5

Post by bhuz »

I have a 9' 5oz 2/1, serial #58xx.  According to Glenn, Stoner made this rod in 1940, the last rod made before the war.

Tom

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Oldest Winston?

#6

Post by BobB »

with those Winston serial numbers? Were they not consecutive?

bobbygImage


Booman2
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Oldest Winston?

#7

Post by Booman2 »

Strange stuff. I photographed the rod today and will send to Annette who had previously dated it for me from the Winston records. Mine is wrapped tan tipped maroon, with very fine diameter thread. It has 3x3 nodes very good varnish work, a red agate strippng guide and NS ferrules. No patent # which I understand dates it pre-1941 but I am not sure. The workmanship is excellent with only a max variation of about .002 between flats.  

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Mainiac
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Oldest Winston?

#8

Post by Mainiac »

Hopefully this will clear up the fuzzy serial number discussion a little.  I looked up the number of the old Stoner made 9 ft Winston that I owned.  My memory was incorrect and turns out it is serial number is 5762.  It was made in 1939, I know this for sure because the info came directly from Winston's records.  It was built for author Henry Bruns (Angling Books Of The Americas) and had his name on it.  Sorry about the photo quality, it is from the pre-digital age and is a scanned "real old fashion photo".  Note the suave shag rug featured with the rod.

Image

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j2t
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Oldest Winston?

#9

Post by j2t »

Mainiac wrote:Hopefully this will clear up the fuzzy serial number discussion a little.  I looked up the number of the old Stoner made 9 ft Winston that I owned.  My memory was incorrect and turns out it is serial number is 5762.  It was made in 1939, I know this for sure because the info came directly from Winston's records.  It was built for author Henry Bruns (Angling Books Of The Americas) and had his name on it.  Sorry about the photo quality, it is from the pre-digital age and is a scanned "real old fashion photo".  Note the suave shag rug featured with the rod.

Image
Marc,

Nice rod, but the REAL prize in that photo is the rug!!

Image

-Jared

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Mainiac
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Oldest Winston?

#10

Post by Mainiac »

Jared,

Thanks for the compliment.  In addition to the carpet, I also had beanbag chairs and a lion throw blanket on my bed.  Gigity-Gigity-Goo
Last edited by Mainiac on 02/27/10 07:56, edited 1 time in total.
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cdmoore
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Re: Oldest Winston?

#11

Post by cdmoore »

A rod recently sold on eBay was marked 7 1/2' 4 1/4oz and had the following response from Glenn:

"I found #5680 in the log book… built in 1937 by stoner and loskot in the sf shop on bryant st...it is a fly rod, solid built..."

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Hellmtflies
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Re: Oldest Winston?

#12

Post by Hellmtflies »

j2t wrote:
Mainiac wrote:Hopefully this will clear up the fuzzy serial number discussion a little.  I looked up the number of the old Stoner made 9 ft Winston that I owned.  My memory was incorrect and turns out it is serial number is 5762.  It was made in 1939, I know this for sure because the info came directly from Winston's records.  It was built for author Henry Bruns (Angling Books Of The Americas) and had his name on it.  Sorry about the photo quality, it is from the pre-digital age and is a scanned "real old fashion photo".  Note the suave shag rug featured with the rod.

Image
Marc,

Nice rod, but the REAL prize in that photo is the rug!!

Image

-Jared

Dude, that rug 'ill make ya wanna sit cross legged in front of a Lava Lamp and twist up a Fattie! O0

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carl otto
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Re: Oldest Winston?

#13

Post by carl otto »

As an aside, and hopefully considered, because of the discussion of thread colors etc.. The Winston rod numbering, I am told, went up to the rod number 10,000 AND THEN they started numbering the rods from 1 again. So one could find a SF built rod number #1500 from the very early 30's and also a SF built rod #1500 from around the 70's. Some time in the second generation around #2000? Winston moved to Twin Bridges. There are other minds on this forum with the more specific information.

Carl

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firehole
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Re: Oldest Winston?

#14

Post by firehole »

For Twin Bridges Winston's I think it's closer to #1500 since my Leetle Feller 7' 2/2 2 5/8oz #1810 was built by Glenn in Sept. 1979 per his records.
Dennis

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LeeB
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Re: Oldest Winston?

#15

Post by LeeB »

I have 8' - 2/2, 3 3/4 oz., with SN 1654. Per Glen, built by him in SF shop in Feb 1977. One of the last rods built there, and the transition was in progress. The rod has classic SF hardware, but tube has Twin Bridges label.
Lee

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BigTJ
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Re: Oldest Winston?

#16

Post by BigTJ »

Winston started in 1929 IIRC so it seems they started at 5,000 in 1929. 125 rods per year for 40 years is 5,000 rods which fits the flip in the 70’s. Here we are 50 years later the serial # I think is now in the 4,000’s (does anybody know the current number? ) so roughly 4,500 rods in 50 years or 90 rods a year. Long term average a bit above 100.. Can anybody confirm if this is correct?
Last edited by BigTJ on 05/20/20 08:03, edited 1 time in total.

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BigTJ
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Re: Oldest Winston?

#17

Post by BigTJ »

Lee there is a letter posted here on the forum about that transition. Tom went to Montana first in late 76 IIRC followed by Glenn in the spring of 77. I have a rod made by Tom in 75 I think it is serial 1575. It has Tom’s signature. Does your rod have Glenn’s signature? Mine has a bakelite seat and gold wraps with color preserver. Does yours have those wraps or the no color preserver which makes the gold thread turn orange, like the Montana era rods?

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Re: Oldest Winston?

#18

Post by DBH »

serial number is 5762. It was made in 1939, I know this for sure because the info came directly from Winston's records. It was built for author Henry Bruns (Angling Books Of The Americas) and had his name on it
. . . . I once owned this Winston - wrote about it in the introduction to my rod book and as a chapter in The Quiet Pool. I received it after corresponding with a Georgia dealer around 1985. It was accompanied by a personal letter from Hank Bruns to me explaining that the rod was acquired directly from Stoner in 1939 for the author's upcoming Sunset Magazine assignment in the Northwest. The rod arrived with rusted guides and I eventually traded it to a friend for his unfished Orvis Limestone Special. My old pal Dwight Lyons later restored the Winston and I at least had a chance to cast it a few months later. I wonder who is casting it now?

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Mainiac
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Re: Oldest Winston?

#19

Post by Mainiac »

Dan,

That Winston youre talking about is the same Winston I posted about years ago. See above. Serial #5762 was a 9 footer. I got it from an attorney from the Northwest (Washington, I think) in the mid 1990s. I remember this vividly because he shipped it to me in the Winston tube! I sold it a few years later. I know where it is. At least I knew where it was. But I dont think the guy ever sold it. You and I spoke about it on the phone over 20 years ago though you may not remember that.

Marc

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LeeB
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Re: Oldest Winston?

#20

Post by LeeB »

John - No signature, wraps as shown, S.F. hardware, but Twin Bridges case.

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