Vintage Richard Wheatley Clip Boxes

[LeeB]

Nice! Thanks for checking. Also, FYI, here's another with rings in the smaller 4 3/4" x 3 1/2" x 1" size. A super little box for trout flies.
Lee
PS: Meant to mention earlier - I've been to Doak's shop in New Brunswick. A landmark for anyone fishing the Miramichi.

[Vintagestick]

LeeB,

Incredible. Two, and one in each size.

Are the RW Lozenge stamps identical? Is there anything stamped on the fillet?

-Rich

[LeeB]

Yes, same small marking on the edge, no others.

Here's a new question I have had regarding Wheatley boxes with security clips:
All three of this type that I've owned, have standard Wheatley markings on the outside, but the security clips are stamped, "Hardy's Alnwick England" and "Pat. No 180803".
- So seems clear the boxes were made by Wheatley, but were they sold only by Hardy, or by others as well?
- Was this the case for all the security clip boxes? Are they all stamped with the Hardy markings?
- Can the security clips be used to date these boxes, or were they available over a large period of time?
Thanks.
Lee

upload a picture

[NewUtahCaneAngler]

WOW Lee! Security clips, now I have another style of Wheatley box to seek. I've never seen one before and find them super cool!

Must have/find one! Thank you for sharing.
Joe

[Vintagestick]

Lee,

Are you kidding me! Wow, more incredible clip boxes.

I believe the security clips were a Hardy pat. But I could be mistaken. I'll look into it.

As I understand RW logos we can use the RW Lozenge stamps on the two boxes and estimate the ages:

1. Your box sitting on top - has large Lozenge logo, no "Made in England" = Mid-Late 20's but before 1928.

2. Your box on bottom - has large Lozenge logo and large "Made in England" = 1928-1960, but I would guess it was at the earlier end of the time period because of the security clips.

By the way, there was a Hardy badged RW clip box with Atlantic Salmon Flies that also had security clips for sale in the classified several weeks ago. I would have purchased it but it was outside my price rage. Lovely box though.

Keep those boxes coming.

-Rich

[Vintagestick]

Hello Wheatley box fans,

Here is a nice clip box with center swing leaf. It measures 6" x 3 1/2" x 1" and has 238 small clips. The box is circa 1960's - 1970's and is stamped with the small RW Lozenge and "Made in England" logo, and early Silmalloy logo on back. It is a great box for wet flies, soft-hackles and Nymphs, and easily fits into most vest pockets with it's slim 1" profile.

-Rich

[LeeB]

Signing off here for a while. Headed to B.C. to chase steelhead for September. Here's the bulk of what I'll be taking with me. Yep, I like these clip boxes, particularly the rarer, thin, 5/8" deep boxes (like the two in front), which I find so much easier to carry. Cheers!
Lee

[SpringCreek]

Good looking group of flies. Hopefully you’ll have the opportunity to fish the Skeena system this fall. Truly a wonderful place.


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[Vintagestick]

LeeB,

Clive from the Richard Wheatley Museum posted this on his Facebook page yesterday. I suspect it was in response to our questions about the Hardy "Security" clips.

Clive posted, "Not posted for a while as I have been busy retiring!! But here for the Hardy collectors is a page from the 1926 catalogue. Another version of the Dart with 16 clips was added in 1927."

He said he would get back to us with answers to a few of our others questions.

-Rich

[jp267]

Oh cool! I always wanted to know more about these. I have three of this particular model that were my Great Grandfather's.









Edit: Looks like each has 316 clips. The clips on the center panel are 49 each side and measure 1/2 inch long. The outside panels are 60 clips each and measure 1/2 inch long. The space between clips on the flip panel is about 1/2 inch and on the interior 1/4 inch. I feel like such a schmuck. I never noticed the faint Wheatley Inscription in the box on the back of the case.

[Vintagestick]

Jp267,

Very cool Wheatley box and it has family history too. To me that's the best kind.

The box in the photos is likely circa 1960's - 1970's and is stamped with the small RW Lozenge and "Made in England" logo on the end and early Silmalloy logo on back. Great box for wet flies, soft-hackles and Nymphs. Make sure you check each box carefully as your grandfather's boxes may have various versions of the RW stamps, and that is best way to ID an approximate age.

Keep those photos coming.

-Rich

[jp267]

Jp267,

Very cool Wheatley box and it has family history too. To me that's the best kind.

The box in the photos is likely circa 1960's - 1970's and is stamped with the small RW Lozenge and "Made in England" logo on the end and early Silmalloy logo on back. Great box for wet flies, soft-hackles and Nymphs. Make sure you check each box carefully as your grandfather's boxes may various versions of the RW stamps, and that is best way to get an approximate age.

Keep those photos coming.

-Rich

Great information! Thanks! I will check the others out and post pics if there's a difference. Thx again!

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[Vintagestick]

Richard Wheatley box fans,

Here is a really cool aluminum box from approximately 1910-1915. The box measures 6" x 3 1/2" x 7/8", comes with 40 large Salmon Fly clips on xylonite (plastic) clip plates held in place by 6 rivets, and the large Richard Wheatley RW Lozenge logo located on one xylonite plate. No stampings located on the outside of the box. I believe the first boxes with xylonite plates were held in with clips. When that failed due to the plastic warping, the boxes used rivets, some with 2 and some with 6 rivets.

Keep those boxes coming.

-Rich

[Vintagestick]

RW box lovers,

I don't know if this has been previously posted, but Clive from the Richard Wheatley Museum / The Great British Fly Box Company put this video out in 2016 to help RW fans date their boxes.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OsVmvGUsJZw

And clip boxes

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OqHo-85lHhQ

Enjoy.

-Rich

[jp267]

RW box lovers,

I don't know if this has been previously posted, but Clive from the Richard Wheatley Museum / The Great British Fly Box Company put this video out in 2016 to help RW fans date their boxes.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OsVmvGUsJZw

And clip boxes

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OqHo-85lHhQ

Enjoy.

-Rich

Thanks! Interested to know more.

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[bivisible-2]

I really like the 4-3/4 inch boxes the best, although the first one I ever bought was a 6 inch box, but that was back in the day when I didn't mind carrying extra weight in a heavily laden vest.

But here is a large Wheatley from my small collection -- as you can see it's a large 8 inch box, and will hold really large flies.

One thing though, since it's nearly 2 inches thick I am surprised it didn't include a swing leaf.

[Vintagestick]

bivisable-2,

Very nice early box.

I forgot Wheatley made an 8" box. I don't believe they are that common, especially here in the States. I posted some photos of an 8" compartment box on page 3 of the Wheatley compartment box thread.

You bring up a good point about it being close to 2" thick. Even fully dressed large Salmon Flies aren't that wide.

-Rich

[Vintagestick]

Hello,

Here is a old Richard Wheatley box I added to my collection recently. It's not in the best condition, but the box is over a 100+ years old.

This black Japanned tin Richard Wheatley salmon clip box is from approximately 1900-1910, +\-. The box measures 6" x 3 1/2" x 5/8", comes with 40 large Salmon Fly clips on xylonite (plastic) plates held in place by 6 rivets per plate. A Richard Wheatley RW Lozenge logo located on one xylonite plate and a small "England" decal on the other xylonite plate. No stampings located on the outside of the box.

A great box I look forward to filling with vintage gut-eye salmon flies.

Regards,

-Rich

[Vintagestick]

Hello,

Here is a really cool Ambercrombie & Fitch badged Richard Wheatley box. It took a little negotiation, but in the end I pulled the trigger and bought it.

This aluminum Richard Wheatley wet fly clip box is from approximately 1910, perhaps a little earlier. The box measures approximately 4 7/8" x 3 5/8" x 5/8". It comes with 85 clips (35 medium, 50 small) on xylonite plates held in place by six rivets per plate. A RW Lozenge logo is located on the lower left xylonite plate and small "England" decal, and Ambercrombie & Fitch Co New York decal on the upper right xylonite plate. It is filled with several vintage wet flies, likely from much later.

I really love these older Wheatley fly boxes, especially the older xylonite clip boxes in tin or aluminum. They are getting harder to find in the States these days but a few come up now and again. This one is especially nice since it has a full A&F Co decal.

Enjoy the photos and please continue to add more vintage RW fly boxes so we can all learn more about the history of this important fly fishing company.

-Rich

[john8]

I have a number of Wheatley fly boxes from my dad I think most are from the 1960s and early 1970s. Most are the thinner models, two have the leafs with hinges.


I have some other Japaned fly boxes not sure on the maker but they are made in England. I don’t think they are Wheatley but if you like Wheatley fly boxes these may be of interest to you. They have 5 shelves which have clips for flies.






Here is a close up showing the makers mark on the shelf there is no other ID found anywhere on the box