Mitchell Reel Museum Discussion Group

Hello Mates,

Here's another Mitchell series favored by copiers in the fifties. The An-Glo made in Japan with inverted cover plate?



The good news about these is the quality of workmanship, gearing and all, is not even close to the original. Though similar, none of the parts are original Mitchell that I could find. Even the spool spindle shaft is a different diameter creating a different spool, drags and so forth. When cranking it sounds like a pepper grinder. Still things we must know to preserve authentic Mitchell reels.

Best Regards,
Wallace

hello i forghet the pictures

Hello Johnny,

I am sorry I failed to see these pictures you posted. Thank you for sharing them with us.

Best Regards,
Wallace

Hello Randy, welcome aboard
Thanks for the pictures mate, I had not seen the Argus, as you rightly say all these look-a-likes show how important Mitchell were in the world of fishing.

The Japanese were introducing many products around this time and in some cases, motor cycles come to mind, they were making radical improvements.
I note with interest that they didn't change much here, hard to improve on I guess.

Kind regards Roy

Wallace, Interesting that the original 302 design was not neccessarily a Mitchell product. I can see how the design may have been sold (or Licensed) throughout the world as well as to Mitchell. Of course Mitchell would have produced the best product as they were firmly in the reel business, but the Japan copies are very faithful to the design and operation, although the materials and manufacturing methods they used may not have been up to par. For instance, the anti reverse mechanism on the Argus pictured above without the Japan embossed on the foot is made of cheap plastic pressed on a knurled shaft - it couldn't possibly work more than a few times. Point is, Mitchell made the best product which Europeans and Americans recognized and are responsible for making Mitchell famous for quality reels. You can "feel" Mitchell quality compared to a look-a-like when you pick them up, like the bail wire plating - feels like nickel instead of chrome, the plastic spools look very similar but you can tell a differnce. All in all the look-a-likes are good usable reels and probably sold for a lot less money than a Mitchell - may still be true today. I do believe that Mitchell brought the Salt Water to market first as I have yet to see a half bail look-a-like although I know the Japanese produced 300 look-a-likes with half bails as I have a green International 100 as you pictured elsewhere here on the forum. Thank you, Wallace for stirring the pot and getting us to think about - or at least speculate - as to the origins of the world. Randy

My collecting interests have taken me to many other areas besides Mitchell reels. In addition to Mitchell reels, especially 300 and 302's, I collect Ruger Firearms, Sheridan pellet guns and Fender Bass guitars. During the late 70's there was a lawsuit made by the parent company of Gibson against Ibanez for copying the Gibson headstock design. Many people believe that the lawsuit involved Fender against the Japanese manufactures because the original company which Ibanez evolved into was a Japanese manufacturer who produced look a like guitars for a guitar store in Pennsylvannia. Many Japanese companies produced look a like guitars of Gibson, Fender, Gretsch and others and some, especially Greco, made some very high quality guitars. Even before the lawsuit was settled Ibanez changed the design of their headstock and Greco stopped making high quality clones of Gibson guitars by 1988.

Back to Mitchell Look-a-Likes- during the 1950's and '60's there had been no lawsuits that would have prevented Japanese manufacturers from copying any design and marketing it around the world. In fact, as us "older folks" remember, we made fun of the Japanese crap that was sold in the U.S.A.!! Now it's the Chinese flooding the market with import merchandise. Unless Carpono et Pons actually sued a japanese manufacturer for copying its design it is doubtful they would have stopped producing items until the pressure of "cease and desist" caught up to them. Therefore, instead of Carpno et Pons licensing and condoning the manufacturer of 302 type reels, I think the design was merely copied and sold in other parts of the world with relitive impunity. As in the case with the guitars, there were very cheap and junky copies and there were some very high quality copies made. I think the 302 Look-A-Likes I have seen very closely follow the design but not nessecarily the quality of materials used and they usually renamed them and marked them "JAPAN" in some way.

Here is another 302 Look-A-Like I found recently, called "Star-Lite". It appears to be the same reel as the An-Glo and Argus except "Made in Japan" is stamped on the trip tab. I wonder how many other names we will add to these.

Hi Randy,

Thanks for sharing mate, I find this interesting!

Best Regards,
Wallace

Hi Jim
It was really good to meet you too mate, it was a day to remember.

If we could turn the clock back 60 years things could perhaps be done differently, wonderful thing hindsight isn't it.

Kind regards Roy

Hi Tirtou,

Another interesting find! Thank you for sharing. It's still mysterious to me.

Regards, Wallace

Here is another one - a Spin Lite made in Japan copy. I was glad to get this as I haven't heard of it before. Interesting how they etched the arrow so you would know which way to turn the anti reverse lever! (which doesn't work). Also interesting about this one is there is no roller bearing on the main shaft. (a cost cutting effort). Spin Lite name is upside down. They can copy anything!

Hi Randy

I find this topic very interesting as I'm sure many other do.
I just wish I could contribute something constructive, perhaps one day I'll find something.

Kind regards Roy
 

I have a Lafayette reel. I cannot find any information on the reel.

Look at how long that handle is! I've never seen a whole reel before. Nice catch! Finding information on these old reels, especially Japan made, is the next thing to impossible.