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.
 |
 #3 Bluegrass Reel and Box. Horton, Mfg. Co., Bristol, Conn. |
 |
|
| # 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. |
 |
 #3 Tournament. B.F. Meek and Sons. Louisville, Ky. |
|
| #33 Bluegrass Reel. B.F. Meek and Sons. Louisville, Ky. | |||
 |
 |
 |
|
| #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. | |
 |
 |
 |
|
| #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. | |
|
|
|||
| Two examples of the backplates of personally engraved Kentucky Reels. Just another example of the artistic perfection of these early Kentucky Reel makers. | |||
 |
 |
||