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Post 16 Jan 2023, 20:17 • #1 
Sport
Joined: 12/30/16
Posts: 43
Location: US-SF
I've been looking for a used Hardy reel and seems like a lot of them look like.... well, crap! Obviously they're well used but seems most of them are worse for the wear, which I wouldn't have expected given other used reels I've come across. I don't know anything about Hardy's history or how these reels age with time, but between the scrapes and paint / finish coming off around the edges, there always seems to be some type of discoloration around the release tab covers on the spools and I'm not sure if that's just built up grease that's easily cleaned up with alcohol to look as-good-as-new, or if it's being referred to "character" that comes with age due to the manufacturing specs of that time. I would think someone selling the reels would have cleaned it up before posting, but looking at these, seems like either they just pulled it out of a old box and didn't bother or this is how they age with time... in all their glory.


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Post 16 Jan 2023, 20:36 • #2 
Sport
Joined: 04/26/18
Posts: 32
Location: US-MO
I have hunted for Hardy reels the last few years and I have to agree. Most are our away wet and not particularly cared for. I have bought some that looked like garbage but yet still perform as new. I use those as “parts” reels. Like new ones do show up but they vanish fast. Don’t let looks let you down in regards of function.


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Post 16 Jan 2023, 23:39 • #3 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/11/06
Posts: 2516
Location: Nature Coast Florida
Yup, it's impossible to find good looking Hardy reels.



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Post 16 Jan 2023, 23:54 • #4 
Sport
Joined: 04/26/18
Posts: 32
Location: US-MO
That’s one heck of an array of multipliers. I read somewhere that Hardy can no longer service the multipliers. Don’t really understand that, but what do I know?


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Post 17 Jan 2023, 00:14 • #5 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/11/06
Posts: 2516
Location: Nature Coast Florida
About ten years ago a dealer I knew had Hardy do a search for spare Multiplier units. Supposedly they could only find seventeen total. Think I bought five or six of them.

Here's a couple Hardy's made for Scientific Anglers.



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Post 17 Jan 2023, 01:44 • #6 
Guide
Joined: 07/07/19
Posts: 221
Location: US-WI
mrkjhn wrote:
… there always seems to be some type of discoloration around the release tab covers on the spools and I'm not sure if that's just built up grease that's easily cleaned up with alcohol to look as-good-as-new, or if it's being referred to "character" that comes with age due to the manufacturing specs of that time. I would think someone selling the reels would have cleaned it up before posting, but looking at these, seems like either they just pulled it out of a old box and didn't bother or this is how they age with time... in all their glory.

I have found that most, if not all, of the discoloration around the latch covers can be cleaned up easily with some denatured alcohol on a q-tip. It’s typically dried oil/grease.
As for why sellers don’t clean that up, or why Hardy struggled with paint finish consistency during their pre-anodization era, I don’t know.
But that doesn’t keep me from greatly enjoying their overall design and functionality.


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Post 17 Jan 2023, 11:20 • #7 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 12/05/06
Posts: 2089
Location: US-PA
There are more than a few condition factors that come into play with Hardy fly reels coming up on the used market besides their age...

Many were painted versus hard anodized like many reels today and a painted finish just doesn’t hold up as well. I’ve seen paint bubbling on painted Hardy reels which I assume is because they were put away wet or damp. Obviously, those bubbles can break and flake off revealing bare metal or the paint just wears away from constant handling.

Of course you also have folks that fish their equipment hard and don’t give a rat’s arse what happens to it in the process. I still cringe thinking about the time I watched a guy with what appeared to be a nice bamboo rod & raised pillar reel string it up by letting the reel land with a hard clunk on a gravel parking area... :eek

Then you have my pet peeve which is lying a rod and reel on rocks to get a photo of the outfit or a fish & the outfit which inevitably will cause scratches no matter how careful you are. This accounts for a lot of the modern photog malady called “reel rash” that you see in the descriptions for used reels. I get the photo op thing but do you have to lay your rod and reels down on rocks?

I always go the extra mile to take care of my tackle whether it cost me $ or $$$. Being a little careful doesn’t detract from the enjoyment I get fishing and helps preserve my investment if I ever decide to sell anything...

...but that's me.


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Post 17 Jan 2023, 14:18 • #8 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/20/07
Posts: 8920
Location: US-ME
The stuff is used. If people clean up a reel--other than wiping dust off--before selling it, they risk a micro-inspection by the buyer, who finds an undisclosed glob of grease and disputes the sale. Practice varies, but I think it is best to get accurate photos and describe any significant cleaning, parts-replacement, or lubrication that has taken place. Or If the reel received routine care and is shown as is, say so. If the real is a junker that is slopped up, say "as shown" or "as is." Old products in pristine condition are hard to find. That's simply because most get used and with varying degrees of care. Let the buyer observe what is there by representing it clearly. Scratches, stains, etc.--no surprise. There is a cost of use and casual care that each user can consider against the cost of dainty use or extrordinary care. Just as with watches, pocket knives, or automobiles, potential sellers and potential buyers can decide whether the sales price differential is worth it.


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Post 17 Jan 2023, 19:42 • #9 
Administrator
Joined: 01/10/06
Posts: 7811
Location: Holly Springs, NC
mrkjhn wrote:
I would think someone selling the reels would have cleaned it up before posting, but looking at these, seems like either they just pulled it out of a old box and didn't bother or this is how they age with time... in all their glory.

This could be the Antique Roadshow Effect. I'm sure many of us have seen an appraiser explain that if the excited owner hadn't refinished their antique it would be far more valuable (that's so cruel to watch). 'Patina sells' is becoming ingrained in the antique business.

I'm more than OK with sellers not cleaning tackle before I buy it. A heavy handed cleaning can easily damage ferrules or pooch the finish. The colorful anodized reels from the 50s/60s can become a swirly mess from the wrong metal polish. The less done the better. I'll carefully clean the rod/reel myself anyway. Besides, unlike high end antiques, fishing grade tackle sells for less with dirt and mojo included.

I've shown these photos before. At first glance, the bottom rod looks almost pristine. It's not. Some ham handed moron 'enhanced' the cork (not me). It is very, very easy to over sand cork. Note how the reelseat lock ring is sliding onto the grip, which would never happen on a factory rod. The reelseat butt cap is rather scratched (second photo), which is a more reliable indicator of use. I bid accordingly and received a nice fishing grade rod.


More to the point in this thread, the Hardy made System 5 reel on the right was a dirty mess when I got it - the spool was sticky and the drag felt broken. After a full bulldog cleaning the finish is still chipped up, but the reel purrs nicely.



Tom


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