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Welcome to PhantomFisher the
online resource dedicated to the collection, preservation and
maintenance of vintage
Daiwa fixed spool
fishing reels.
Daiwa
started manufacturing fishing tackle at their factory in Japan
in 1958 this early production targeting the Japanese market. It
wasn't until 1966 that the company started selling their high
quality fishing tackle to the USA and European markets. In the
UK
Daiwa fishing tackle was initially distributed by the
famous Milbro Sports company, however in 1977 Daiwa Sports
Ltd started manufacturing and supplying fishing tackle
designed for the British angler from it's newly built rod making
plant at Wishaw
(near Glasgow) Scotland. If you would like to view a more
detailed history of the company then click
Daiwa History.
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Daiwa "Custom" Series |
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The "Custom"
series of fixed spool reels are a bit of a mystery
and information relating to their technical
specifications and year of manufacture has so far
been elusive! There are two reels in the series that
I currently know of, the Custom Red 95 and the
Custom S-270. Both reels are the same size and
appear to have identical mechanical parts however
the finish could not be more different. The Red 95
has a beautiful deep red body with bright chrome
spool, handle and bail assembly. The S-270 on the
other hand is gun metal grey with a matching spool,
bright chrome handle and bail assembly. The style of
the reels have a classic late 1960's early 1970's
retro look not dissimilar to the early Olympic 93
skirted spool model.
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A
distinguishing feature common to both reels is
the 20mm extension of the body at the back to
accommodate the extra long main shaft. The reels
are no lightweights at 595 grams each and are of
a very sturdy metal construction. Both reels
have a respectable 4.0:1 gear ratio and line
capacity of approximately 250 yards of 20lb
mono.
I have been unable to find any
reference to the Custom series on any Daiwa
literature and apart from the two reels in my
own collection have never seen any other
examples. If anybody reading |
this article has any other information on
the Custom series then please let me know. |
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Our new eBay
store is now open and features a great
selection of vintage Japanese fixed spool reels,
parts, spools, tackle catalogues,
leaflets and many more unusual and interesting
none fishy items. Stock is
constantly changing so if you don't find what
you are looking for on your first visit then
please try again in a couple of days. The Daiwa
S-270 reel above is for sale in the shop
for only £24.95 +p&p.
To visit our new
eBay store just click the PhantoFisher Trading
Company advert above. |
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Guess Who Made Your Old
Fixed Spool Reel?
Have you got an AL&W Penguin
or a Karmann 41 or even a Bronson 240H? If
the answer is yes then congratulations you
are the proud owner of a Daiwa made reel.
From the
mid 1960s through to the early 1980s Daiwa
produced reels under an variety of names and
for a number of famous companies including
AL&W (Canada), Bronson (USA), Karmann, King
Neptune, Normann, Revelation (USA), Sears
Roebuck & Co (USA) and Wilcox (USA). I am
sure there are others that will come to
light over time, if you know of any please
let me know so I may add them to the list.
If you
would like view the current list of Daiwa
made reels then please
click hear. By the way AL&W stands
for Allcock Laight & Westwood. |
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Daiwa No.720
When
the 700 series first appeared in the early 60's it appeared
to comprise just two reels, the 720 and 722. Both reels have
a similar rounded shape and it was not until the mid 60's
that other reels in the range started to appear in the more
familiar angular shape that eventually evolved into the very
popular and enduring 7000 series. The 720 and 722 has a
uniquely shaped red and gold coloured logo badge which
matches the contour of the reels bottom edge side plate to
perfection. |
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This small trout
size reel has a gear ratio of 3.2:1 and weighs in at
just 7oz (196g). One of Daiwa's earliest reels the
290-R was manufactured in the late 1950s. In later
reels only one 'n' was used in 'Norman'! Click on
the image to view the badge |
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EX9000S - Black Casting Spool |
EX9000S - Presentation Box |
EX9000S - Red Casting Spool |
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1979 the EX9000S has a corrosion resistant ultra-light
carbon/graphite body and rotor. The reel runs very
smoothly on two ball bearings and has a super wide
oscillating mechanism for effective line cross winding
ensuring friction free casting. This is a very large
reel and measures 260mm (10.5 inches) from the spool
front to the end of the main shaft housing at the back.
There are a number of unusual features on this reel
including a 3 screw fast take apart side panel for easy
access to the gear train, a large capacity spool that
screws directly onto the end of the main shaft, static
bail mechanism with line retaining clip and finally no
drag assembly what so ever!
Daiwa describes the
reel as a special model for surf casting and for this
purpose I have no doubt it would work ok however the
lack of a drag would be a disadvantage. This reel is
perfect for tournament casting over grass were it's
light weight body and large capacity tapered spool would
come into there own. The reel is supplied with two
spools, the black one has a stated line capacity of 250
metres of 0.233mm and the red one 250 metres of 0.202mm.
Gear ratio is 4.6:1 and the weight without line is 650
grams.
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EX9000S is one of the most unique reels Daiwa
have ever produced and even now nearly 30 years
after it was launched it would probably be able
to hold it's own on the tournament casting
field. It is not an easy reel to find in good
condition and a mint boxed example with booklet,
oil, bags and spares is very rare indeed.
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Daiwa 755H-RL - Acrylic
Side Plate
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example of the rare see through side plate version of
the Daiwa 755H-RL. I am unsure if this version was
produced as a salesman's sample or perhaps as a fishing
tackle shop display model, it may even have been sold as
a useable fishing reel. The clear side plate is made of
acrylic/plastic which enables the working gears and
spool rotor to be viewed. Apart from the clear side
plate this 755H-RL also has a red plastic handle and
ratchet lever, the normal examples I have seen have all
had black plastic handles and ratchet levers.
Manufactured
between 1966 and 1968 the 755H-RL was also known in the
Japanese market as the Daiwa Sunday DX 755H-RL.
This reel was one of the new shapes in the 700 series
being more angular than the original examples such as
the 720 and 722. The H-RL designation stands for 'High
Speed - Right or Left Hand Wind'. The reel weighs 13.5oz
(385g) has a gear ratio of 4.5:1 a single ball bearing
and line capacity of 160m of 6kg mono. As with many of
the 700 series, this reel sports a light gun metal blue
paint scheme. The 7000 series would eventually evolve
into the dark brown coloured 7000 series in the late
1960s. |
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UNICO
FR-95
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Here is an
unusual reel you do not see to often, it's a UNICO FR-95
fixed spool from around the mid 1960's.
It was undoubtedly manufactured by
Daiwa and although there are no marking on the outside
or inside of this reel to prove its heritage is is
definitely a Daiwa!
There are a number of features about
this reel that screams Daiwa for instance the handle
style, drag knob and bail arm shape and what about that
body! Inside the gear and worm drive mechanism are
almost identical to those found in the 8100 series and
later 500 series reels. |
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At first
glance you could be forgiven for thinking that this reel
is a prototype, a test bed for trying out new parts.
Looking from the back of the reel towards the spool cup
the body is quite thick which gives it a solid chunky
look. The
bail arm mechanism is very unusual and looks almost if it
was bolted on as an after thought! The handle is oversized
in appearance particularly at the collar where it joins
the reel body, however this is a feature is seen in some
of Daiwa's later models. |
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So is it a prototype?
No I am pretty sure it is not, I have seen two or three
other examples of this reel over the past couple of
years so I guess it is the genuine item.
The reel weighs just
over 14oz (400g) has a gear ratio of 3:1 and the spool
cup rotates on a roller baring. |
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