Nice jewelry but the screws are in bad taste.

They seem like a winner to me. I like that they are like the older CFO without the line guard. However I have to say that I am a bit bothered by the two different typed of screw heads visible on the spool side. I personally think that they should both be slot head. That won't keep me from desiring one though .
I can't remember right now, was the Hardy made special edition from a year ago slot headed only?

Those screws have Abel written all over them. I agree that slotted screws would look a lot better, but I'm sure the manufacturer prefers to use what they have in stock.

I'm still gonna get one ...

N

Yes, Abel uses slotted screws on their reel feet, but they are much larger than the little phillips on the latch covers. It would be a nice continuity to have them use the old-style screws all around.

Then again, this does allow Abel to give these reels a "family look" even if they are not officially recognized as the manufacturer.

Abel TRs are still my favorite series of freshwater reels, so I guess the aesthetics really don't bother me that much. Can't wait to get my hands on one of these - maybe hanging off one of Orvis' new glass 7.5' 4-weights ... ?

Since Brian did his normal wee-hours MO of an enigmatic post topping an antique thread, I'll give it a point.
(You didn't like my Rogue reel addendum to the disc drag thread?)

Unless your goal is selling a lot of replacement parts, nickel silver line guard is the dumbest idea ever, especially with already 50 years of data points. Noteworthy, nickel silver was harder than the enamel used on vintage frames. I used to have a bread-and-butter repair replacing the grooved nickel-silver line guard on Hardy Lightweight with the hard-chrome line guard from parted Olympic-Seiko Hardy clones.


Modern type-III anodizing is literally four times as hard as nickel silver. Having a softer line guard on a new CFO would be far less than brilliant - again, unless your goal is selling a lot of replacement nickel silver.

Thanks.
Here's the Rogue reel link for when somebody searches-up Rogue on this thread
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=67897#p417147

Noteworthy, the OP is no longer an FFR member, I wish i could find Arctic Grayling.
Seems pretty pointless to give an attaboy to an 8-y-o thread. Especially one without photos of the subject reel.

Great reels if you can find ‘em