# Old Penn Reels



## Surf Fish (Dec 16, 2005)

There seems to be a few people here interested in old Penn reels. I just added a section to my fishing web site with some history, information, and pictures of some of the old Penn stuff I've collected. 

http://amelia-island-fishing.com/fishing/penn/index.cfm

If anybody has any Penn history tidbits to add, I'd appreciate them. It's new, so probably some typos...

Note to the managment: This is not a commercial link. It's a privately owned fishing web site. The owner (me) isn't selling anything.


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## Carolina Rebel (Aug 25, 2005)

Awesome man, I've got more old Penn reels laying around than I care to admit. That 155 is a casting machine, at least with the plastic spool. I dropped my plastic spool on concrete got a metal replacement, I'm hoping it'll still cast well.


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## Orest (Jul 28, 2003)

*Nice*

I hope they don't erase your link.

I got the same bug you got, now I have 3 old Penn reels.


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## VICIII (Apr 8, 2005)

My metal spool for the jigmaster sucks as well... I dropped it and it now wobbles too much to use... It even cut my toe pretty good before it hit the tile and still bent too much to use.. Sorry no pics on the toe it was a bleeder...


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## Orest (Jul 28, 2003)

*Shark bait*



> toe it was a bleeder...


How's those spools working out?


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## eklutna (Mar 12, 2006)

I collect Penn reels as well. My collection is from the 1930ies and 40ies. I try to focus on the thirties. The early reels say “fishing tackle manufacturing company” on the side plate and lack the graphics of later reels. They also have clickers that are shaped in a dome or have a hatch pattern. You will not find any writing on the stand or on the bushings or other parts.

I have 30ies version of the Seaford, Seahawk, Long beach and senator.

I have a Penn Seagate just like yours. It is a 1942 model. I got mine in a box (green box with orange and yellow label with Penn written in white)with the Catalog 10 and the lube (orange) and a receipt from maces. 


I also have a 1936 Penn Senator 9/0, long beach 65 from the same year. I also have a 1935 long beach 65 and a later and rarer Penn long beach 62.

Thanks for sharing your collection.


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## Surf Fish (Dec 16, 2005)

eklutna said:


> I collect Penn reels as well. My collection is from the 1930ies and 40ies. I try to focus on the thirties. The early reels say “fishing tackle manufacturing company” on the side plate and lack the graphics of later reels. They also have clickers that are shaped in a dome or have a hatch pattern. You will not find any writing on the stand or on the bushings or other parts.
> 
> I have 30ies version of the Seaford, Seahawk, Long beach and senator.
> 
> ...


I've got one coming that the guy said is a Long Beach, but it doesn't look like any Long Beach I've seen so far. Doesn't have the torpedo knob - it has a round wooden knob, and the clicker knob looks like it has crosshatch on it, so it might be an oldie. Does your old Long Beach look like this one?










Looks like the Seagates are hard to find, I've only seen one on eBay.

The oldest catalog I've got so far is 22, which I think is vintage 1960 or so.


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Nice website some of those old penn reels were good work horses back in thier day.


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## philr (Sep 4, 2004)

*Leveline 350*

Does anyone have any info on the Penn "Leveline 350". All I find on Google is links to E-Bay. I'm not a collector, I'm a packrat. A neighbor gave me the Leveline 350, a #9 Peerless and a Penn #78 and $10 to clean out his garage. HEY that was quite a deal in 1965.

Phil R


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Here is a discussion on this subject from another site. Hope this help you out.

http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/showthread.php?t=493084


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## Surf Fish (Dec 16, 2005)

philr said:


> Does anyone have any info on the Penn "Leveline 350". All I find on Google is links to E-Bay. I'm not a collector, I'm a packrat. A neighbor gave me the Leveline 350, a #9 Peerless and a Penn #78 and $10 to clean out his garage. HEY that was quite a deal in 1965.
> 
> Phil R


Well, they were made a ways back. One just went on Ebay today for about $38 and it had the original old style pre 1960 box with it. There's a bunch of them still floating around..


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## eklutna (Mar 12, 2006)

Surf Fish

The picture of the reel that you posted looks like a Penn 259 long beach deluxe. This reel later was called the live liner. I have one but not nearly as pretty as yours. Yours is earlier than mine as well. The reel is a late thirties or early forties reel (earlier than 41). The stand should not have any writing on it and the makers mark on the right hand plate should have the older stile mark. The catlin (not wood) handle with the oil point gives away the age. Catlin is a special type of plastic that is very impact resistant. It is still used in making billiard balls. I have one reel with that stile handle and it is a Penn 62 long beach. From the same time frame as your deluxe. 


Catalog 22 is from 58/59. I collect catalogs that are earlier than catalog 20. 


Philr

The Penn 350 is first seen in catalog 20 that was issued in 1957. The catalog calls it the reel with the brain and it first sold for 20 dollars which was not cheep in those days.


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## VICIII (Apr 8, 2005)

Orest said:


> How's those spools working out?




Great..
I took apart one reel that needed drags replaced and to be cleaned. When I got it apart I cleaned a bunch of stuff off, replaced the drag, and basicly got it looking new inside. 
I will not go back and reel anymore. Do not know why. I put the old drags back and same thing. It is like I added parts to the thing. I am taking it in to be looked at by a professional soon. Very frustrating.....
The Spools are great and I just need to land a nice size fish with them.


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## Surf Fish (Dec 16, 2005)

eklutna said:


> Surf Fish
> 
> The picture of the reel that you posted looks like a Penn 259 long beach deluxe. This reel later was called the live liner. I have one but not nearly as pretty as yours. Yours is earlier than mine as well. The reel is a late thirties or early forties reel (earlier than 41). The stand should not have any writing on it and the makers mark on the right hand plate should have the older stile mark. The catlin (not wood) handle with the oil point gives away the age. Catlin is a special type of plastic that is very impact resistant. It is still used in making billiard balls. I have one reel with that stile handle and it is a Penn 62 long beach. From the same time frame as your deluxe.


Thanks, and you called it exactly right. No markings on on the stand - the only marking is the logo on the right side plate, and it says "Penn Long Beach Deluxe". 

The reel looks better in person than it did in the pictures - here's how it looked when it got here, I haven't even wiped it off yet. Handle knob looks like brand new, so Catlin is good stuff looks like.

Thanks for the info.


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## Surf Fish (Dec 16, 2005)

Anybody know where any scans or PDF's of any really old Penn reel catalogs are on the internet?


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## eklutna (Mar 12, 2006)

Surf Fish said:


> Anybody know where any scans or PDF's of any really old Penn reel catalogs are on the internet?


ORCA has a library that is extensive. They have most of the catalogs that Penn produced. They charge a nominal fee for reproduction and postage. I plan to buy copies of all pre war catalogs that they have and load them into my database. I am in the process of a 1000 mile move and will wait until I get settled to proceed.


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