Italians or Germans?

Not WW2/1 unless you want to go there but reels. Having broke my multiplier recently I dived into my junk pile and came up with two old Ryioby reels and opened them up. Both had the main drive shaft broken, how or when I don't remember. So I looked up their website which looked like to be of some Italian origin I think and asked for spares. They got back straight away and told me the factory that made those reels closed in 1066. I think they got back straight away because they were pissing themselves.
So I dived deeper in my junk pile and found an old DAM Prince 1016 reel(D.A.M. stands for Deutshe Angelgeräte Manufaktur). Now I found this washed up on the beach some time ago, rod still attached and it looked very sorry and nothing moved quite as it should but I opened it up and all looked good. With some oil and a bit of coaxing its all working well. Out of interest I googled it and they are quite old, one bloke was selling one for £26 as a collectors piece which I didn't quite get but what a reel, not only ancient and been knocking around the bottom of the ocean for a spell but with a bit of oil and gentle coaxing and its all working beautifully. Only one tiny bit of rust on the thick end of the bail arm and the casing is a bit pitted but sand paper and a bit of paint is putting that right.
Its is a clunky old thing and weighs a bomb but it will do until I replace my multiplier and a good spare reel. I am sure of one thing, it will never break and last me the rest of my days.
A begrudging Germany 5 - Italy 0 but England 5-Germany 0 was good and please don't mention the war, I'm not.

Back in my sixties/early seventies match angling days in fenland when Bream and swingtips ruled I was introduced to a superb little Italian fixed spool reel called "Cargem Mignon" by top Sheffield matchman Earnest Stamford .
I used it to good effect long after my days chasing a match win were over.
I sold it in the early eighties to a friend who needed one for his son who was taking up the sport.
It never let me down, smooth as silk in operation .

Do you mean Ryobi ?. If it is, here's a bit of history on the company. Very respected manufacture in Japan. All reels are designed and manufactured in-house which is very rare today. They are the No1 selling reel in Japan followed by Shimano. Since 2000 Ryobi sold its fishing section to Johshuya Co Ltd. Which has taken over the production, sales and after maintenance of "RYOBI" brand fishing tackle. So Ryobi could concentrate on its electrical side making hand tools etc. Johshuya Co.Ltd has not changed the way how the reels are made.

Yes I did mean Ryobi Ian, spelling mistake. I didn't know they were Japanese. I think their website was Italian based, perhaps it was just their European branch which made me think they were Italian. I have had a few of their reels, the manufacture quality cannot compare to this German one I have rejuvenated, everything is so solidly built compared to the two Ryobis I have which have both broken somewhere in the past.
I don't normally consider these things but having been looking inside these reels the difference is very obvious and the fact I think this DAM must be 40-50 years old and been down the bottom of the sea and its now working perfectly is testament to their quality. I rarely break coarse reels but sea reels I find break readily, gears/handles normally break, bearings or cogs wear down but I cannot imagine this will break down anytime.
And I don't mind the weight, might act as a counterbalance to my casting and I don't hold a casting rod so that wont matter, yet to try it though. Load some 20lb line on it today and ready to fish again.

DAM has been making fishing items since the 1800s. Again a company that still makes its reels in-house using quality parts. It's no surprise the reel you found in the sea still works with a bit of fiddling. They produce some quality kit. Shame there is no official distributor in the UK. Not counting MAD, MADCAT etc