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From
its beginnings in 1873 the firm of Hardy Brothers, of Alnwick,
developed the craft of reel-making to an unrivalled degree of
innovative precision. Today, certain models of reels from Hardy's can
fetch more than £15,000. The story of how the brothers progressed
from an ironmongers shop in Northumberland to becoming the suppliers
of fishing tackle to royalty and celebrities around the world is
meticulously recounted in a volume that is itself a collector's
edition. The Hardys were passionate about fishing, whether fresh
water or sea fishing, and their pursuit of excellence earned them a
Royal Warrant from George V, Royal Appointments from H.R.H. The
Prince of Wales (1902), The King and Queen of Italy (1903), and the
King of Spain in 1910, and such enthusiastic patronage from Zane Grey
that they named a reel after him. John Drewett,
thirty-five
years in the fishing tackle trade, spent nearly two decades
researching and writing the book. He travelled extensively to
interview surviving Hardy family members and craftsmen, and has
gained access to many private collections of Hardy's equipment and memorabilia.
The resulting 600
page book has 150,000 words of text and reference material, with more
than 800 colour pictures of reels, fishing tackle, members of the
family and firm, illustrations from Hardy catalogues and The Fishing
Gazette. The book has been conceived as both a retrospective on a
golden age of craftmanship and the evolution of the world's most
popular sport; a record of the company's production and the
development of tackle technology; and a comprehensive reference for collectors.
For more details please Email
Antique Knives |
