Ajax Nottingham Fishing Reels – History & Technical Information. Reelpedia® Page 60

Introduction:
The Ajax Nottingham wooden and metal ball-bearing reels were manufactured in Newcastle, Australia by reel maker Jack Richards, from the early 1940s through to the 1970s.

A notable feature of Australian-made wooden Nottingham reels—including the Ajax models—was the use of cone-adjustable ball bearings. To our knowledge, this type of bearing assembly was unique to Australian production, as English-made Nottingham reels were not manufactured with cone ball bearings. Instead, most English reels utilised a fixed centre-pin spindle within the drum assembly, and in some higher-end variants, ball bearing races.

The Australian use of cone bearings—often salvaged from bicycle pedals or front wheel hubs—reflected both ingenuity and resourcefulness during the post-Depression era and the material shortages of the 1940s. Ajax reels adopted this cost-effective solution, favouring cone-adjustable ball bearings over the traditional sleeve bearings used in earlier Australian Nottinghams.

While many Australian ball-bearing Nottinghams were custom-built ‘one-offs’ or workshop-crafted reels, Jack Richards set himself apart by producing a wide commercial range, from 3½" to 9" in diameter, spanning several decades. These reels were typically branded AJAX, with the name stamped on the bearing cover plate, cast brass cross back, or brass T-saddle neck support.

Early AJAX reels featured spools (drums) and backs made from Australian cedar, paired with cast brass cross backs. In later years, teak—often salvaged from shipwrecks along the Hunter River—replaced cedar. A newly designed back made from cast aluminium was also introduced, incorporating a brass T-saddle semi-strap back. Handle knobs were originally turned from cow horn, then later produced in wood or aluminium—materials used across both the earlier brass cross-back models and the later cast aluminium back reels, depending on availability at the time. 

As noted by Bob Dunn in Australian Fishing Reels (page 22): “The AJAX reels seem to have been promoted and sold virtually by word of mouth. No brochures have been discovered. No advertisements appeared in fishing magazines of the period. No tackle catalogues carried the reels – or at least by name.”

Depicted below are 13 distinct AJAX reel models, presented with full technical specifications and detailed photographic documentation. (B L. 2025)