I bought a used Shimano Cardiff and noticed there wasn't a brake control knob like my Daiwa.  Do these things not have brakes?  I know some of the Garcias you have to take the side plate off and I've tried it with this reel.  The side plate ain't comin' off anytime soon.  Help me before I do something I really regret...like breaking it.

Yes, it has brakes but not like the Daiwa's. You have to remove the handle side to get to the brakes on the Cardiff. There are 3 thumb screws (2 on the CDF100A) holding it in place. Unscrew 'em and you will have access to the VBS. This is the only thing I don't like about the reel. Hope that helps.

P.S. Be careful when tightening the thumb screws. If you over tighten, the washers will break.

don't forget to hold up on the clutch bar when putting it back together.

don't forget to hold up on the clutch bar when putting it back together.

;D Good one!! I forgot about that. The first time I took the side plate off I thought I broke the reel because I didn't hold the clutch bar up when putting the plate back on. Infinite freespool!

I use a 300 for c-rigging.  Really like it for this.  Striper fisherman convinced me to buy my first one.  They will hold up.  Cali and tacoman are dead-on with their advice.  I did the thumb-bar thing, too.

The cast control knob is a brake, by applying pressure it brakes the rotation of the spool, all BCs round or low profile have it. Others have besides that one centrifugal or magnetic braking system, the Cardif has centrifugal braking on THE HANDLE SIDE of the reel, unscrew the big screws and the sideplate comes off leaving the centrifugal braking on plain sight:

Thanks Raul, that is the first reel I have seen with the brakes on the handle side.

Okay, now those pins, when pulled out is that more or less brakes?

The weight is ON when you slide it up along the groove until you hear click. More activated weights ----> more braking.