ALVEY BIG GAME VINTAGE FISHING REELS, INFORMATION, HISTORY, REFERENCE and Specifications, reeLpedia ® by Bernie Ladd.1/3/2014.
The Alvey factory was founded by Charles Alvey in 1920 in St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia. Reels produced during the 1920s and 1930s are especially prized and sought after by enthusiasts worldwide. Unfortunately, in the late 2000s, due to increasing competition from overseas manufacturers, Alvey was forced to shut down its fishing reel production facility.
Featured below are pictures of Alvey Big Game fishing reel models with detailed specifications.
ALVEY 6-inch, brass-bearing game reel. Australian silky oak brass backed drum width 2 3/4''; Silky oak back diameter 5 13/16 ''; Cast brass T saddle cross back nickel plated; anti-reverse-check, free spool option; claw crank drag; nickel plated brass crank-handle (all game reel models. Wood handle-knobs.-c. 1930. Extremely Rare. (Ay 1).
ALVEY 7-inch brass bearing, Big game reel. Camphor laurel wood, 316 s/s backed drum width 2 1/2''; rolled stainless steel (316) backplate diameter 7''; grease cup; on-off drag dial; on-off ratchet; claw crank drag; Heavy duty ribbed cast brass T saddle Y back (brass components originally nickel plated); wood handle knobs -c1940. (Ay 2)
ALVEY K1 7-inch Big game reel. Rose Mahogany wood, brass backed drum width 2 1/2''; cast aluminium alloy back plate diameter 7''; variable check, anti-reverse; claw crank drag; bulbous wood handle -knobs; brass bikerdyke line guard -c.1936. Extremely Rare. ( Ay 3)
ALVEY J2 7-inch Big game reel. Shallow aluminium alloy drum width 2 1/2''; cast aluminium alloy backplate diameter 7''; (cast aluminium alloy not originally anodised or plated) anti-reverse, free spool dial optional check lever; claw crank drag; cast alloy back & saddle; grease cup; bulbous wood handle-knobs; plated bikerdyke line guard; brass components nickel plated -c.1936. Extremely Rare. (Ay 4)
ALVEY J1 7-inch Big game reel. alloy deep drum width 2 1/2''; cast aluminium alloy back plate diameter 7''; anti-reverse free spool dial; optional check lever; claw crank drag; Cast aluminium alloy silver anodised; bikerdyke line guard; brass components nickel plated; bulbous wood handle knobs -c.1936. Extremely Rare. (Ay 5)
ALVEY BIG GAME fishing reel model H1 8 1/2 inch, deep sea big game reel blue anodised version (blue anodising not Alvey original colour). Extremely Rare.
Alvey game fishing reel history, information, and H1 game reel picture, courtesy Bruce Alvey, 28/2/2014. (Ay 6)
ALVEY H1 8 1/2 inch deep sea Big game reel. Drum width 3 3/8''; silver anodised cast aluminium alloy side plates and Drum; cast brass saddle; non-reversing star crank drag; anti-reverse free spool dial; front optional check; grease cup; brass components nickel plated; wood handle knobs; harness lugs. Extremely rare, estimate of 12 made. -c.1930s. (Ay 7} (Image courtesy Bob Dunn AFR book)
Alvey 7-inch single-handle game reel. Ball bearing; aluminium alloy side plates; drum width 3 3/8"; non-reversing claw crank drag; front optional check -c.1939. Extremely Rare. Information and picture courtesy Bruce Alvey. (Ay 8)
Charles Alvey with a group of employees at the Alvey factory, 1920.
Charles Alvey, in 1936.
Jack Alvey, in 1962
with fish caught using his Alvey reel
Charles Alvey & Son factory at St Lucia, Brisbane, in 1960.
Bruce Alvey at the Alvey Museum holding the Ron Dempster Award, for exceptional contribution to the future of recreational fishing in Queensland. Courtesy Bruce Alvey, 2014.
Alvey advertising poster -c.1940.
Alvey advertising poster -c. 1950.
Charles Alvey & Son 1937 catalogue.
Alvey advertising booklet -c. 1950s-60s.
Alvey advertising booklet -c. 1950s.-60s
Alvey folding
brochure -c. 1960s.
Alvey advertising brochure -c. 1982.
ALVEY 650 Two Speed Star Drag Sidecast reel.
Mechanical operation description:
In this reel, the direct winding action of 1: 1, can be changed to a gear-drive multiplying speed of 3: 1 ratio. This function is achieved by sliding the slotted stainless steel slide-plate, fixed to the back plate, that is tensioned by a large hexagonal nut (see image 3). This simple gear engagement system was problematic in that the mechanism was not ergonomically designed (meaning not designed for human manual precision handling). In simple language, the hexagonal nut is difficult to operate efficiently. This difficulty in correctly applying tension on the slide-plate would cause elicitation of various gear engagements, or gear meshing problems. Of course, when the plate was correctly tensioned, another difficulty would emerge: - it was then difficult to manually slide the plate unless the tensioning hexagonal nut was loosened! It is also pertinent to mention, that when the reel is in 3: 1 gear drive, the star-drag clutch is inactive, and the spool-drum can be cranked either clockwise or anti-clockwise. The difficulty of correctly tensioning the slide-plate, to engage and dis-engage the gear-drive 3: 1 action, was not popular with fishermen, hence Alvey’s newly designed 2-speed fishing reel gained very little market interest and the production was promptly discontinued. Only a very small number of Alvey 2-Speed Star Drag Reels were produced. Thus today, this particular model Alvey 2-Speed Reel is rare and a highly prized collectable, eagerly sought after, by Alvey Reel enthusiasts worldwide.
Specifications:
Rolled 316-grade stainless steel backplate diameter 6 1/2 inches; Fiberglass drum (spool width 2 1/2 inches; 316-grade stainless steel turntable back strap support; Ferguson style turntable (pivot); Alvey decal on back; gearing cogs of stainless steel; single bulbous handle knob; counterbalanced crank handle; star drag clutch configuration; rear grease cup. -c. 1970. Rare.
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