Is a Spool Just a Spool?

Not to the Collector

By Mike DiMattio

_____________________________________________________________

Have you ever wondered if your collectable Mitchell reel has the correct spool? Well I have on many occasions and this is what prompted me to do this analysis on the Mitchell 300 spool. What is amazing is that even though many modifications were made to the spool over the years, the spools are completely interchangeable. More specifically, a 1947 spool can be used on any model 300 up until the year 2002 when a total reel design change occurred. Think about this for a moment, that’s a period of 55 years during a time when Mitchell produced approximately 20 million model 300 reels. The number of spools made during this same period had to be at least triple this amount.

Spool design 1939-1947

1939-83 Large CapacityRZ

Not only do these spools fit the 300 model, they will fit on any model with the same body design. A fisherman could reach into their tackle box and not have to worry if they had the right size or type spool. Line could be changed effortlessly and instantaneously. The design was brilliant and I would argue that it competes with today’s high tech competition. This is part of the reason for Mitchell’s success; a time when capitalism succumbed to common sense.

1939-75 Small CapacityRZ

In the early years two distinct spools were manufactured. One to house heavier line (large capacity) and a small capacity design to hold lighter line. Every Mitchell 300 reel through July 1975 was sold with a large and small capacity spool, one of which (usually the large) was contained in a spool canister and sold with each reel or separately as an accessory.

Beginning with the window box in late 1975, Mitchell developed a blue plastic arbor that could be placed into the large capacity spool converting it to a medium capacity. This replaced the extra spool. In 1983, the company engineered their final design, a medium capacity that was made out of plastic for a period of two years. A more durable carbon graphite material was substituted for the plastic in 1985 and the design remained the same for the remaining 17 years of the egg shaped body production.

Spool Design 1947-1948

Because of this ability to interchange spools, it is very common to find the wrong spool on a reel. Below are pictures of each spool by year of manufacture to help collectors match the correct spool with the reel. Key design characteristics were photographed rather than capacity size. Only large capacity spools have a washer under the break spring. Small capacity spools do not and therefore it is absent from small capacity spool photos .

1983-2001 Medium CapacityRZ

1975-83 Arbor Insert

Also to note in the photographs are line capacity stickers and the paper spool wrap. These were placed on the spools from the late 50’s until the mid 80’s and also can help the collector identify year of production. An intact paper spool wrap would indicate that the spool was never used.

The following information is a synopsis of the changes. The dates may vary slightly depending on the historical reference being used.

__________________________________________________________________

~Design Change Highlights by Year~

1939 All aluminum, protruded spool release button, 4 spoke aluminum drag nut with no spool size insignia, non reinforced metal spindle back, 1^st version pawl.

Spool design 1939-1947

1948 Spool capacity insignia added to drag nut, spindle back reinforced, 2^nd version pawl.

1947-48 spool type

1949 3^rd version pawl with small capacity spool insignia.

Spool design 1948-1952

1952 4^th version (heart shaped) pawl, spool release button less protruded, plastic drag nut, shiny spindle back with “France” stamped on back seen in 1955 spools.