Restored Hardy Perfect

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RyanAK
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Restored Hardy Perfect

#1

Post by RyanAK »

So I promised this review some time ago.  My apologies for taking so long to finally get it posted.  No real excuses...  just life.  
This a 3 3/8" Duplicated Mk II Perfect that had seen much better days.  From the photos of the pre-restored reel, I wouldn't say that the reel was abused or mistreated... but it had seen a lot of time on the water.  And to me, a reel like that has a lot of mojo.  Unfortunately, this reel, in it's found state, would not be able to return to the rivers and keep a fisherman company.  If nothing were to be done, it would finish life as little more than a paperweight, a conversation piece sitting on a desk or bookshelf.  Luckily, this reel found it's way into the hands of a man that carefully, using traditional craftsmanship, returned her to her previous state of grace.  
Here she is, stripped to her essential elements and ready to begin a new life as a fishing reel:Image(Photo by Restoration)
Now, if this reel looks familiar, that's because she was first introduced to this forum in a very long, very informative thread about reel restorations.  A lot of opinions were offered in that thread, both pro- and anti-restoration.  My own personal feeling is that if a tool that can no longer server its intended purpose can be returned to its former functional state, than so much the better for that tool.  Better to continue to serve a useful purpose than linger as yet another 'decorative' piece of kitsch.  
The controversy with restoring a reel seems to lie with the possibility of it eventually being passed off as a mint original.  I'll let that topic be, as I know passions run high when the subject is touched upon.  But I will say this: if you know anything about these classic Hardys, this reel would never be confused as a mint, original reel.  The restorer has placed his own maker's mark upon the reel, documenting that this is the reel's second go-'round as a classic piece of tackle.  

Here she is: an 80 year old reel brought back to her former prestige by Mr. John Mackenzie.  Image
(My Photo.  BTW - That's one of Andy's great reel bags!)
The reel is tight as a drum, absolutely flawless mechanically.  She sounds brilliant and is as smooth as a reel can be.  I've never handled a reel with all of it's original leading in tact, so cannot comment as to how historically accurate the new finish is, but it is a deep, smooth, even black that I find much more attractive than the current Hardy Perfect finishes.  I'm looking forward to seeing how the new leaded finish ages as this reel is going to have a busy second life.  A second life as a fishing reel.  
I could not possibly be happier with this reel.  John is a gentleman of the finest kind and I now count him as a good friend.  His ability as a craftsman is first rate, and I absolutely commend him for his level of skill, his attention to detail, and his forthright honesty and pride in marking his work.  For much (MUCH) less than the price of a new Hardy Perfect, I was able to get one of the true classics of our sport and return it to its intended use.  And I gained a good friend in the process.  
I will be posting additional photos of some of the reel's details as soon as I get my macro lens back from my brother.  In the meantime, please feel free to ask any questions and I'll do my best to answer them.  
John can do just about any work your reel could possibly need and his rates are very fair.  So if you have a reel that could once again return to the water with just a little help, consider giving it that second chance.  John also occasionally has reels he has restored for sale.  Contact info by me through PM until John gives me the go-ahead to post his info here.  


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dder
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Restored Hardy Perfect

#2

Post by dder »

Ryan, thanks for posting your restored reel.I,m more of a fisher than a collector and it makes me happy to see these old reels being used. They were made to fish with not sit on a shelf. I think your spending the funds to have it brought back and your friends skill to do so are admirable and while it may bother some they are just tools to be used(for fishing). Keep us up to date after you get a season on it as to how the finish wears in. Love the red agate too. I always think the maker would be happy to see the reel he made out catching fish and being used and sort of feel they are there in spirit with me although I,m not sure if its William or Walter any more we still go fishing as much as time allows. Good on you for saving a classic. Daryl

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Restored Hardy Perfect

#3

Post by MikeT »

Nice looking reel.  Well done.

About the first thing I noticed was that you replaced the original white handle with a modern black plastic handle.  Was the original unusable?

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krautcaster
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Restored Hardy Perfect

#4

Post by krautcaster »

I can only congratulate Ryan to this great purchase.

What a spectacular reel!

Allthough I appreciate in general that Hardy revived the Perfect model with their current production run, for me personally it would ALLWAYS be one of the old reels. In particular, if that "original" reel can be had for less money than a current reel. Just to imagine that these reels have reeled in fish for almost a century before they got into my hands gives me goosebumps. And with a restoration like on Ryan´s red agate Perfect, an old reel can look like it just left the Alnwick factory in 1931.

I have to admit that I envy Ryan for this superb reel. To sooth that itch, I just bought from John Mac that very old 2 7/8" Uniqua that he had also introduced to forum members when he restored it a while ago. I don´t have it here yet, as John is currently also overhauling an even older 3 3/8" Perfect for me, to be shipped to me together with the Uniqua when he is done with it.
With all due respect for John´s photograhic skills, I think that the images that he posted of the small Uniqua then may not have been the best, as the Image used in them produced some visual effects that were misleading about the actual surface finish and the overall looks of the reel. (I know that this was the case with some initial images he had sent me of a 3 1/8" Uniqua that he had restored for me. When I photographed the same reel later, the images were quite close to the actual looks of the reel. You can see some of them here).
So, once I have the 2 7/8" Uniqua and the old Perfect here, I will take some pictures of them with my camera and if they turn out well, I will also post them in this thread.

I hope that more board members will become owners of reels that were overhauled by John. From many a positive comment posted in this forum about his restoration work, I assume that John must have done numerous repairs for board members, since his work was first discussed here. But I believe that he has never offered a reel for sale in our Classified section. I think that we should encourage him to do so - there should be quite some interest in his restored reels here.

Andy

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ttrotter
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Restored Hardy Perfect

#5

Post by ttrotter »

Just gorgeous, Ryan and a reel worthy of spending it's [second!] life on the water rather than as a paperweight. Well done Mr. Mackenzie!.

Ryan, sending you a pm.

Regards,

Tom

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RyanAK
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Restored Hardy Perfect

#6

Post by RyanAK »

Mike T - Thanks for the compliment.  I've always had a soft spot for old things, bamboo rods and classic reels are no different.  I can appreciate new tackle, but the storylines that come attached to these classic pieces make for a special time on the water. 
Daryl - I bought the reel from John after he had completed the restoration.  I had noticed the handle as well, but don't know the backstory on why it was replaced.  I do know that John takes every effort to keep a reel as correct as possible, going as far as using original parts or manufacturing to original spec any replacements that are needed.  The reel feet on these old Hardys is a good example.  We all know that many of the original classic feet were altered in one way or another through the years.  When John encounters this on the reels he restores, he will either replace the foot with an appropriate original foot off of another donor reel or will, get this, cast a new foot using the original brass to make the casting.  So while the handle on this Perfect isn't the white one you see in the first photo, I assume that the black handle is an appropriate replacement for this reel.  Hopefully John will pick up on this thread and comment.
Andy - I'm with you!  When given the option, I would much prefer to fish with a rod or reel that has a story to tell.  I'd also encourage forum members to consider a restored classic the next time you're considering a reel purchase.  You end up with a piece of kit that essentially works and looks brand new, yet retains the mojo that only an 80 year old classic can retain. 
Photographs - it takes some effort to get good detail shots.  Our very own Bulldog took some time to post a tutorial here: photo details
To everyone who's been sending me PMs - I will respond soon!
 

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RyanAK
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Restored Hardy Perfect

#7

Post by RyanAK »

John just emailed me and asked that I pass along his contact info to anyone who wishes to get in touch with him.  His email address is:

XXXXjohnsemail@wp.pl - (remove the XXXX)

John also said he will comment on this thread, so please feel free to ask any questions here on the board for the benefit of the whole forum. 

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FWdB
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Restored Hardy Perfect

#8

Post by FWdB »

Very nice reel and great restoration work by John. Certainly no need for controversy here. That was solely based on the realistic probability of reels being restored and sold on without the necessary disclosure of the fact.

I’m sure that in time this will prove to become a non-issue for the work of people who decide not to hide in the woods, but instead offer their skills and services to the collecting community. The best thing that could happen is that it's there for everyone to see, marked with a personal stamp and reels like this being showed, discussed and passing hands on this forum.

The one thing that will remain controversial is perfectly fine but far from mint original reels being restored to mint condition. I believe that ownership is key here: if it’s your reel you decide what to do with it, but also: sell and tell. I think reels with old repairs or battle scars are very charming, others will disagree. No problem!

My personal experiences with John are also very positive. He made me a replacement for the missing turk’s head locking nut on my BFP. Quality of work couldn’t be better, waiting time was very short and costs very, VERY fair.

I’m looking forward to seeing John join the discussion, actively participating and contributing to this forum and rising from below the radar!

And again, congrats with a beautifully “revived” Perfect!

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bow river
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Restored Hardy Perfect

#9

Post by bow river »

Ryan

Very nice reel for you to fish and enjoy for the next 30years

And it"s a stamped honest reel. Restored bamboo rods is ok. So fixing them old reels back to there glory days should be fine. And in my opinion on some it should even raise the value. It"s still a early reel and they just not making them anymore


I"d sooner have your reel then one that's made up as a copy of a hardy. Yours is still a hardy you see

Your red agate is stunning in that reel.


I have one with John now again getting a repaired job done on it. It"s good we have someone from the forum who can fix these old reels good as it"s very hard to find someone that is willing to do the hard fixes.


Wilf.

I think I"d like to see a picture of your new Turks head.
Come book a fishing trip with me on Canada's best trout river , the world famous Bow River , also other fine mountain rivers , I collect old Hardys , Dingleys, Youngs , also buy sell & trade

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RyanAK
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Restored Hardy Perfect

#10

Post by RyanAK »

Hey Rich. Glad you like the reel. And I'm also glad that there is someone out there to take care of these old reels. As you say, they aren't making them anymore.


Wilf - Turks head. Please! Glad you had a good experience working with John.

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FWdB
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Restored Hardy Perfect

#11

Post by FWdB »

You have seen it guys, and if you've got the 2010 calendar you have been looking at it for a month... Image

Image 

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RyanAK
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Restored Hardy Perfect

#12

Post by RyanAK »

Wow. Beautiful reel, and thank goodness there is someone out there that can make that one-off piece to make that reel complete. It's really an invaluable service, and I think Wilf's reel is a perfect example.

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Restored Hardy Perfect

#13

Post by restoration »

Now that I have gotten over the shock of hitting my 60th birthday and realising, with relief, that this event did not conclude with my total decline into demented senility;  I have decided it is time to accept the invitation to get involved with this thread.

First of all let me thank the gentlemen on this thread for their positive comments and encouragement. I will do my very best to answer the queries raised in this topic and to answer any other questions that may crop up after I have posted my little offering.

I had never really intended staying below the radar and this came about from advice that was given to me many years ago. I had been cautioned by several people about the idea of restoring vintage reels and I was advised not to go public about my activities because this would raise suspicion's about the credibility of my work and the integrity of any item I had worked on and more importantly the people who's reels I had worked on did not want their business known by the collecting fraternity because there was the risk of devaluation of their item.

When I first looked at the Perfect reel I sold to Ryan I thought is was one of the rare original natural finish reels (Spitfired) and I thought it should be restored using an ivorine handle. After I had cobbled together the remaining parts I would need to complete the rebuild I washed all of the bits in pure spirits. When this was done it became evident that the frame, spool and winding plate had been bronzed in the past and the yellowing I had seen on all of these parts were caused by grime that had accumulated over the years. So for this reason I discarded the white handle and decided to use an original ebonite handle instead.

The Turks head I made for Wilf  some time ago and I have to admit the cutting tool (Tap) took a lot longer to make than the little nut. The photo below is of the tap and it has 26 teeth to the inch based on the nominal British Standard Thread (BSF) form and it measures 0.092 of an inch on the outside diameter. I am sure I did not charge enough money for the nut and I think Wilf should send me more so that I can buy a Bus Pass for myself.



Image

Thank you all once again and kindest regards - John Mackenzie

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FWdB
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Restored Hardy Perfect

#14

Post by FWdB »

LOL, you indeed charged me a very small amount and even after adding a little bit to it myself it still was no money at all. But I might contact you in the near future for a bigger restoration project, and I'm sure others will too. That will help you to buy yourself a buss pass at the very least. I'm glad you're out in the open now, no matter what reasons you had for staying below the radar. And before I forget: congratulations with your 60th birthday!

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RyanAK
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Restored Hardy Perfect

#15

Post by RyanAK »

Hi John! Thanks for joining the discussion on your restoration work. Interesting that your initial impression of the reel was that it may have been a natural finish Perfect and it was only once you started down the road of bringing the reel back that you discovered that it had originally been bronzed/leaded. I think that speaks volumes about the honesty in your work. A lesser man would have created something false (Spitfire) instead of staying true to the reel. 
I'm building up a blank right now that this reel will be dedicated to:  From Dennis Stone, a 9' 3/2 Hollowbuilt 3/4wt.    


I'm also impressed by the work you put into a small part of Wilf's splendid BFP. To take the time to create the tool to make that Turk's head!... Well at least you'll have the tool in the future if someone else has a need for that part! Again, it's nice to have someone in the community that will take on even the smallest of restoration jobs because they understand that these old reels are special to their owners. Thank you for that John.


And happy birthday!

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Brian K. Shaffer
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Re: Restored Hardy Perfect

#16

Post by Brian K. Shaffer »

Reading this 12 year old article brought up a question, is there a calendar in the works ?
Many thanks for including us in the rebuild here.
" There's no such thing as a fly fisherman wholly satisfied with his casting performance. " ~ Jim Green (1971)
" Just once I wish a trout would wink at me. " ~ Brian Shaffer

Use the SEARCH for justification and reasoning.

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