https://bass-archives.com/daiwa-and-shimano-1979/?fbclid=IwAR3-C2VsuOoDdn8tQVUtIczJc2lXuPzUrmiJeFnQPvwBT8bagKFySjZGNcY

Very cool article, thanks for sharing!

Man, I remember those ads in Outdoor Life, Field and Stream, etc. In a way, it almost looks like dirty pool that after Childres’ death that Shimano simply took his concept and ran with it. Business is cutthroat. 

i still have those reels in my cabinet, nice reels

 

chet

But it's wishful thinking to call these low profile reels.  

(all they really are is egg-shaped from the LW extended forward)

You won't find a bigger fan of Lew's 1973 design, which separated the LW from the freespool and was a paradigm step in baitcast spool speed and cast distance (always read effort).  

They also offered smaller diameter spools, which brought your thumb a bit closer to the rod.  

 

This BB-1N on a straight reel seat is actually a bigger thumb stretch

than Ambassadeur 4600C on the same rod.  

Noteworthy, if Lew had patented his design, none of those reels could have been made before 1995.  

@waymont Great article, thanks for sharing, I’ve got and old Shimano Bantam. 

I love mine! The rods Shimano made to go with them are works of art too, and they look awesome together. They are a pleasure to use, even today. I did buy an Avail lightweight spool for it, and upgraded the drag disc. My only 2 complaints are the handle is a bit small, and the lack of a modern instant anti-reverse is a bit annoying.

  I also recenly purchased a like new early shimano/Childre BB-1 speed spool. It came with the optional spool too. I hope to try it out soon.

On 5/5/2023 at 2:00 PM, waymont said:

https://bass-archives.com/daiwa-and-shimano-1979/?fbclid=IwAR3-C2VsuOoDdn8tQVUtIczJc2lXuPzUrmiJeFnQPvwBT8bagKFySjZGNcY

The Curado Bantam 100, first gen. The design Shimano ''stole'' fom Lew Childre...

 

On 5/6/2023 at 10:44 AM, bulldog1935 said:

But it's wishful thinking to call these low profile reels.  

You won't find a bigger fan of Lew's 1973 design, which separated the LW from the freespool and was a paradigm step in baitcast spool speed and cast distance (always read effort).  

They also offered smaller diameter spools, which brought your thumb a bit closer to the rod.  

 

This BB-1N on a straight reel seat is actually a bigger thumb stretch

than Ambassadeur 4600C on the same rod.  

For the time, they could be called low-profile.

My favorite bass reel of all time is the Shimano Chronarch 100.  Until recently, I bought like new reels on EBay for $100-$150.  I still use them.