Look like ZPI to me.

 

Yep, ZPI aluminum knobs

Those look a lot like the original Shimano knobs in my Bantum reels... Are they Hawgtech?

ZPI

I am enjoying my new Lews, but I agree with the others on this one: they're great in the under 200 hundred dollar range, but I'd go with Shimano over that.

 

X2.   The higher end Lews are basically the same as the $59.00 ones with a couple of extra bearings in the handle and here and there.  Stick with Shimano.

I have a shimano TLD 15/30s and 3 Penn 320 gt2s. My dad bought the Penns a while ago, which was still made in the US when he got them. All of them are solid graphite frames and side plates, and plenty strong. I was raised on deep sea and wreck fishing as a kid, and they are what we've always used. The graphite has held up great in the corrosive saltwater environment and big fish. I can't say the same for the the metal components like the handle and level wind assembly, which I had to disassemble and refurbish back to looking new. Of course I prefer a metal frame and sideplates on my conventional gear, but it's mostly for asthetic reasons and the way it feels in my hands, but I would not discount a well built graphite either.

I never tried the Lews, but I do like the higher end Shimano's

I've never tried the higher end Lews.  The most expensive Shimano baitcaster I've ever owned was the Curado E.  I have owned the first Citica that came out and a Lew's in the same price range.  I wore them both out but the Citica took much longer. 

I think the first Citica came out when you were around three years old, lol.

My personal opinion when comparing reels based on engineering the Japanese reels trump the Korean and Chinese based reels a good majority of the time.   The Korean reels often rely on bells and whistles to earn your purchase.  With this said I fish primarily Korean based reels, so my opinion in not one that is fan based.  When you get past the knobs and clicks and carbon fiber the Japanese reels are a better engineered product in my opinion.

I think the first Citica came out when you were around three years old, lol.

Yeah. My mistake. I should have said the first one I remember coming out. The E series is the one I was using for the comparison.