Ringers?

[lloyd3]

Older, old, & very old Pfluegers:





The one on the right is real.

[jhuskey]

lloyd3, I like the way you think.





Left to right: 1492 leaded, 1492 1940 painted, 1494 1938/39 transition painted, 1494 painted click/pawl likely around 1937-38, and 1495 1939 - all real

[lloyd3]

John:

Those are pretty sweet!

[jhuskey]

Thanks - not very good pics

[Brian K. Shaffer]

I was just thinking of doing this.... my " ringers " will follow shortly. Let the Medalist fest begin!

[3creeks]

Do you guys fish your vintage Medalists or just collect them? I have 3 old Medalists with the round guard in 3 sizes and they are my go-to reels. I just think they go well on a cane rod, even if it's a new one that I built.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

You can always tell the fishers by the line on the reels... which is mostly all the Medalists we'll see :-)

[jhuskey]

I fish all my reels, sooner or later. Medalist's are just so sweet on a cane, or fiberglass rod.

[flyslinger]

Fish ‘em? You bet!


I fish these guys hard and don’t have to worry about scratching them or cracking an agate one bit! Just a utilitarian reel that looks great. More often than not, I am going to be using one of my early Medalists.

[jhuskey]

Massive Bluegill flyslinger! Really like the counterbalance addition - nice reels!

[lloyd3]

I like them because I do fish them. It seems that the more worn they look, the better they work...



On old production bamboo (& loaded with silk), nothing seems more appropriate.

[Kenneth]

It seems that the more worn they look, the better they work...

On old production bamboo (& loaded with silk), nothing seems more appropriate.

I fish these guys hard and don’t have to worry about scratching them or cracking an agate one bit! Just a utilitarian reel that looks great.

Agreed, agreed!

I love the Medalist ringers, among my favorite reels.



And they just look so right on bamboo




Kenneth

[lloyd3]

Kenneth: Way cool!!! The international versions...I'd have to guess that just about any other maker's reels (including Hardy) are far-more common over there than such a uniquely American artifact. I'm guessing you really are "the only kid on the block to have one" when you're fishing with one of those.

You know, Bulldog called that early 1495 1/2 his "drool" Medalist over on the "other" site. I'm really liking how that 1" ring looks myself.

[Kenneth]

Thanks for the kind words.

I'm not the only kid on the block fishing Medalists, I'm practically the only kid on the block fishing vintage bamboo rods. In terms of American-made rods, Orvis bamboo can be found over here, but Grangers, for all their popularity, are few and far between, and the Divine in the image above, well, you can guess how rare that is. I must say my fishing buddies who've seen the Medalists all like them, diehard Hardy fans though they are.

Apropos Ron (Bulldog). I really miss him. He could be abrasive, but he brought a wealth of knowledge to the forum, and I must tell you that I went hunting for a 1495-1/2 due to his influence, so well-spotted!

Kenneth

[bluesjay]

Hi Guys, I think 'Bulldog' is active on the sister ship fiberglass site. What do you find for European bamboo in Italy?

Jay Edwards

[MickeyFinn]

lloyd3,
Left to right: 1492 leaded, 1492 1940 painted, 1494 1938/39 transition painted, 1494 painted click/pawl likely around 1937-38, and 1495 1940 - all real

Nice collection! Can you ellaborate on the leaded 1492? I didn't know that Medalists were ever produced in a leaded finish.

[MickeyFinn]

Left to right: double pawl 1494, transitional unbolstered 1494, patented 1494, patented 1494, patented 1495. Those are playing shelve queen for the time being, but a I have couple One Pfooted hot rods on active duty.

[jhuskey]

Very nice collection MickeyFinn! When Medalists were first made in 1928 (patent granted) they had a leaded finish. It was a softer finish than the mid-30's painted finish which is prone to chipping, vs. developing a softer worn patina like the leaded reels did. I will post a photo or two in the next couple days to show it better.

[Vaughanwilson3022]

Nice collections indeed - especially the rare lhw models.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

I think Lloyds are the only LHW shown so far.. am I mistaken ? I have a few LHW 1595's.. one in the box..
but I do believe we haven't seen a ringer Lefty yet.

Am I wrong - did I get confused somewhere along the way ? The first picture of Lloyds look to be in correct position.. but I do believe he indicated they were not made that way.

Gotta have a keen eye for these Medalists shenanigans.. I tell you what.