Otto Zwarg, OttozwargReels, O. Zwarg Co. Inc. Maker, Antique Fishing Tackle, antique fishing reels, Norman J. Pinardi, Florida made reels, Florida Reels, Florida Antique Tackle Collectors Club, National Fishing Lure Collectors Club, Old Reel Collectors Association, FATC, FATCC, NFLCC, ORCA, St. Petersburg, 300 SAGUENAY, 600 MAXIMO, The Worlds' Finest Salt Water Reel, LAURENTIAN, custom made, custom reels, hand made reels
A Collector's Guide to the Life & Work of Otto Zwarg
Master Reel Maker
"No reel left the Otto Zwarg Company without Otto putting
the reel in free spool and then spinning the spool and holding
it to his ear to listen for any noise.It had to be silent and perfect in every way, or
else it was sent back for more work.That was Otto."
Contact me:
NJPinardi@aol.com
to discuss purchase of any items
marked Otto Zwarg, Otto Zwarg Co., Inc. or Otto Zwarg, Maker
Thanks for
visiting
my site. Author Norman J. Pinardi,
antique fishing tackle collector,
Member FATC, NFLCC, ORCA
njpinardi@aol.com
Presentation Reels
Because of the high quality (and cost)
of Zwarg reels, they were sometimes given as a special award
or gift, and inscribed with the name of the recipient, etc.
Several examples of Zwarg presentation reels follow.
Presented to L.G. "Bally" Balfour
This presentation reel was
commissioned by Otto Zwarg Company vice president E.G.
Fitzgerald, for presentation to his employer and friend,
L. G. "Bally" Balfour. Fitzgerald was the Southern
Sales Manager for the L. G. Balfour Company, which made
high school and college rings for many schools around
the country.
The inscription on the reel reads "
'Bally,' FROM THE SOUTHERN SALESMEN, Jan. 7, 1950."
The
serial number is D-138.”
Presented by NBC to comic Jerry Lester,
for his Happy
Bean Bag show
This reel was a special commission from NBC-TV,
which presented it to a comic named
Jerry
Lester, who had created the character "Happy
Bean Bag."
Lester had a particularly successful
TV show in the early years of television, and
NBC-TV presented him with the reel to
commemorate the show.
The engraving reads "For
Jerry Lester, Happy Bean Bag, from NBC-TV,
Season 1950-51."
Presented to Zwarg supervisor Rudi Kramer
This is a one-of-a-kind,
1/2-0 size reel
made
by Zwarg employee
Ritchie Haertel for his co-worker and friend, Zwarg
supervisor Rudi
Kramer.
Rudi Kramer's initials "R K" are engraved on
the back plate.
Norman J. Pinardi,
Collector of Antique Fishing Tackle
and Florida Made reels
Bradenton Florida, NjPinardi@aol.com
Copyright 2015 Norman J. Pinardi, All Rights
Reserved, web site content and photos.