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Airex
In 1947 Airex was the first U.S. Company to delve into
the manufacture of the “new” fixed spool, or spinning, reels. The
initial force behind spinning reels in the U.S. was famous sportsman Bache
Brown, who had been importing fixed spool reels from Europe in the 1930s.
The first spinning reel manufactured in this country was an American
version of the French Luxor, which evolved into the Bache Brown Mastereel
in 1947.
In the late 1940s, Airex was purchased by the famous
toy train manufacturer, the Lionel Corporation, of Long Island City, NY,
and they were soon the major manufacturer of spinning reels in the U.S. As
competition became more intense in the U.S. sales of Airex reels declined.
In 1964 the company was sold to Fuerer Bros. Of White Plains, NY.
AIREX REELS. Some of the more noteworthy Airex
spinning reels were:
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Bache Brown Mastereel. Initial Airex offering in
1947 (then called Luxor), it was the first American made spinning
reel. |
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Spinster. Inexpensive spinning reel that allowed
many anglers to give the system a try. |
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Vagabond. Streamlined reel that looks more like a
Mitchell 300. |
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Vic. Unusual shaped reel, with non articulating
spool. |
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Beachcomber. Surf casting spinning reel. |
The AIREX MEISSELBACH ABLETTE FLY REEL.
This reel causes a great deal of confusion to many
collectors due to the use of the "Meisselbach" name on the reel. The
reel has no connection to the Meisselbach reel company and was not
produced by Meisselbach for Airex. The Airex company just seems to
have borrowed the use of the name Meisselbach without the permission
or knowledge of General Industries Corp. the parent company of the A.
F. Meisselbach Mfg. Co. At the time of production of the Ablette
(1950s), Meisselbach had been out of the reel business for over a
decade. The Ablette is a nice fly reel, but it is not a
Meisselbach. |
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Notes |
| Airex was the first US
company to commercially produce spinning reels |
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