 Old Pflueger Medalist Reels from my collection |
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1926 Pflueger Medalist reels were produced. They succeed the conservative design, and were produced until 2012. 1930s "DIAMOLITE LINE GUARD", "PATENT PENDING" stamped on top of the front plate and Model # stamped on below.Bronze spindle Round metal Diamolite line guard 6 rivets around spool latch cover Amber colored plastic handle Aluminum spool latch cover Knurled metal drag knob Sculpted cross pillars, riveted to body (The 2nd reel is 1394 that has no line guard.)    |
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  1940s "PATENT PENDING" stamp was deleted and "PATENTED" was stamped on right side below of the front plate.
The spool latch cover and the drag knob were now made of ivory colored plastic. |
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This 1494 is a rare reel with a small rectangular line guard, and has characteristics of 1930s–40s model.
It seems to have been manufactured between the change over from the round line guard to the rectangular in the late 1940s or early 1950s.
"DIAMOLITE LINE GUARD", Model #, "PATENTED" stamped on below of the front plate.
Unfortunately, the plastic parts of reels made during this period will melt down and shrink.  |
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1950s "PFLUEGER MEDALIST TRADEMARK MADE IN USA" stamped on spool latch cover and "DIAMOLITE LINE GUARD", Model #, "PATENTED" stamped on below of the front plate.
("PATENTED" stamp was changed to "MADE IN AKRON O USA" in 1959.) Steel spindle Rectangular metal Diamolite line guard 6 rivets around spool latch cover Ivory colored plastic handle Ivory colored plastic spool latch cover Ivory colored plastic drag knob Nylon drag plate Straight cross pillars, screwed to frame, and size of line guard became large, except 1492 (The 3rd reel may have been changed to a spool of 1960s, or only latch cover may have been changed to a thing of 1950s.)   |
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1960s (pre-1966) "PFLUEGER MEDALIST MADE IN USA" stamped on the spool latch cover. ("TRADEMARK" stamp disappeared in 1964.)
"DIAMOLITE LINE GUARD", Model #, "MADE IN AKRON O USA" stamped to below of the front plate. Rectangular metal Diamolite line guard 3 rivets around spool latch cover Ivory colored plastic handle Ivory colored plastic spool latch cover Ivory colored plastic drag knob Straight cross pillars, screwed to frame, except 1492 The 1492 1/2 finally showed up. |
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1966 Shakespeare Tackle Company acquired Pflueger, but production was continued in Akron until 1969.
"PFLUEGER", Model # "DA (Dual Action)", "MADE IN USA" stamped on below of the front plate. |
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1970s Pflueger made the Madison Model 4/5, 6/7, 8, and 9 under the ORVIS label. The production was moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas in 1969. The adjustment of the drag has the type that turns the disk with the lever besides same type as the medallist and adjusts the drag.   |
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1980s The production was moved to Japan, China and Hong Kong in 1979. Shakespeare Medalists had the reel foot that were coarser, less refined. "PFLUEGER MEDALIST by Shakespeare" stamped on the spool latch cover and "CJ (Japan)" or "AK (Hong Kong, China)" after Model # on below of the front plate. "JAPAN", "CHINA" or "HONG KONG" stamped on the reel foot. (The next reel is the 1492 CJ that was remodeled by me. Originally, the pillars of 1492 CJ were riveted to body.)   |
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1990s "PFLUEGER Medalist" stamped on the spool latch cover and "PFLUEGER", Model # "AK", "MEDALIST" on below of the front plate.
The pillars are put to body with screws. 2012 Pflueger Medalist was discontinued.
(This AK is a model that I bought in 2005.) |
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Sources of reference: Fly Anglers OnLine Pflueger Medalist Reels - A History. History of Akron & Summit County Pflueger. Shakespeare's history Shakespeare, Retrieved March 10, 2005. Fly Fish OHIO, Retrieved March 18, 2021. |
Please click here to return to last page. © 1997 Yoshikazu Fujioka |