Kentucky Style Reels
(Click on small images for an enlarged view)
This page consists of early fishing reels
manufactured by some of the finest reel makers in America. Most of these early
artisans were jewelers and watchmakers by trade, and their craftsmanship shows
in these magnificent early bait-casting fishing reels. These early reels
consist of names such as B.C. Milam, B.C. Milam and Son, B.C. Milam and Sons,
Meek, Meek and Milam, B.F. Meek, B.F. Meek and Sons, J.F. and B.F. Meek,
Meek-Horton, Horton Mfg. Co., Talbot, Wm. H. Talbot, Talbot Reel and Mfg. Co.
and many more from various other companies. As you can see by their names,
they were closely related and in some cases family operations. Some of these
names are very rare and highly sought after.
The pictures below are some of the
examples that I have been able to collect. There are many more Kentucky Reels
and Boxes that I am looking for and would appreciate any opportunity to add to
my collection.
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 #3 Bluegrass Reel and Box. Horton, Mfg. Co., Bristol, Conn. |
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| # 3 Bluegrass Reel. B.F. Meek and Sons. Louisville, Ky. | #33 Bluegrass Simplex. Horton Mfg. Co., Bristol, Conn. | ||
 # 25 Bluegrass Simplex, Horton Mfg. Co., Bristol, Conn. |
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 #3 Tournament. B.F. Meek and Sons. Louisville, Ky. |
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| #33 Bluegrass Reel. B.F. Meek and Sons. Louisville, Ky. | |||
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| #3 Bluegrass Presentation Reel. Horton Mfg. Co., Bristol, Conn. | #3 Tournament Narrow Spool. B.F. Meek and Sons. Louisville, Ky. | Meek #3 Tournament. Horton, Mfg. Co. Bristol, Conn. | |
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| #33 Bluegrass Reel. Huge Aluminum Spool. B.F. Meek and Sons. Louisville, Ky. | #33 Bluegrass Reel. Huge Wood Arbor. B.F. Meek and Sons. Louisville, Ky. | #4 Bluegrass Reel. Horton Mfg. Co., Bristol, Conn. This was the personal fishing reel of Henry Kiest. | |
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| Two examples of the backplates of personally engraved Kentucky Reels. Just another example of the artistic perfection of these early Kentucky Reel makers. | |||
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