Okuma centre pins

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jasonbean1

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Very few about nowadays, looking around the range seems to have got smaller.

What is there current range? just after something for general light trotting
 
sam vimes

sam vimes

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It's a bit difficult to tell without a trade catalogue. The Okuma website is essentially Okuma USA. However, even that doesn't show the full range of Okuma centrepins. It's missing the Sheffield and Sheffield DRII (a more colourful version of what was the Trent in the UK).

I suspect that we are down to the RAWII, Sheffield, Aventa Pro and Aventa in the UK at the moment, but none of them are that easy to source new for a sensible price. The Trent, Kennet and Martin Bowler are long gone.

The RAWII, Sheffield and Aventa Pro (bronze coloured) are essentially the same reel in different frocks. The basic Aventa (silver coloured) is supposed to lack ball bearings, though it's reputed to run on bushes, it's not a true pin.
 
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davebhoy

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sam vimes said:
It's a bit difficult to tell without a trade catalogue. The Okuma website is essentially Okuma USA. However, even that doesn't show the full range of Okuma centrepins. It's missing the Sheffield and Sheffield DRII (a more colourful version of what was the Trent in the UK).

I suspect that we are down to the RAWII, Sheffield, Aventa Pro and Aventa in the UK at the moment, but none of them are that easy to source new for a sensible price. The Trent, Kennet and Martin Bowler are long gone.

The RAWII, Sheffield and Aventa Pro (bronze coloured) are essentially the same reel in different frocks. The basic Aventa (silver coloured) is supposed to lack ball bearings, though it's reputed to run on bushes, it's not a true pin.
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The Aventa Pro and the Sheffield have the same backplate but the spools are noticeably different. I’m not sure if the bearings are of the same quality in both reels, I think I remember the Sheffield’s were supposedly more expensive but I might have imagined it. The Sheffield feels like a much nicer reel to me but that could be me being shallow and being fooled by its good looks.

I’m not a fan of how the Aventa Pro looks so I’m selling mine if you’re interested, Jason.
 
sam vimes

sam vimes

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davebhoy said:
The Aventa Pro and the Sheffield have the same backplate but the spools are noticeably different. I’m not sure if the bearings are of the same quality in both reels, I think I remember the Sheffield’s were supposedly more expensive but I might have imagined it. The Sheffield feels like a much nicer reel to me but that could be me being shallow and being fooled by its good looks.
Click to expand...

Take them apart and it's only the front plates and colours that are different. A fine way of minimizing manufacturing costs with numerous common parts. If you were of a mind to, you could easily make frankenreels by interchanging different parts. I couldn't say if the bearings are better quality as you move up the scale though, I've never taken any out. They are definitely priced differently though. Any differences you feel between reels may come down to little more than weight differences and the vagaries of some reels/bearings of the same type turning out to be better than others.
 
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stillwater blue

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I bought an Aventa pro a few years back. At the time I did of bit of research on the difference between the Sheffield and the Aventa pro, the bearing where the same on the two reels.

Whilst I found the Aventa pro a good reel I sold it as I find a wide drum reel alot more comfortable to use.
 
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davebhoy

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sam vimes said:
Take them apart and it's only the front plates and colours that are different. A fine way of minimizing manufacturing costs with numerous common parts. If you were of a mind to, you could easily make frankenreels by interchanging different parts. I couldn't say if the bearings are better quality as you move up the scale though, I've never taken any out. They are definitely priced differently though. Any differences you feel between reels may come down to little more than weight differences and the vagaries of some reels/bearings of the same type turning out to be better than others.
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I looked today on the bank and you’re right, although I’m not sure the same materials are used for both models. Could well be wrong on that too ;)
 
sam vimes

sam vimes

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davebhoy said:
I looked today on the bank and you’re right, although I’m not sure the same materials are used for both models. Could well be wrong on that too ;)
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The only model I know for sure is a different material is the Bowler, which is a magnesium alloy. That's why it's a fair bit lighter than the Sheffield that it's based on.

I've not seen a Sheffield EXP in the UK yet, but it looks like they've varied the design a tough for this one. There looks to be three screws securing the front plate to the spool rather than the usual two.
 
thecrow

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jasonbean1 said:
to me the spool looks corroded?
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I don't know what type of aluminium those reels are made from but LM6 would be imo the best to make reels out of considering the weather they would sometimes be used in, its very corrosion proof and a high silicon aluminium, the reel looks to be suffering from some oxidation.
 
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