Anodize - aluminum - A very hard, protective, and decorative aluminum finish. A sulfuric acid bath is used in an electro-chemical process to convert the surface of an aluminum object to aluminum oxide. Depending on the particular process used, oxide may also be applied on top of the surface

Anti-reverse - A type of reel design where the handle is prevented from turning in the reverse direction. The spool is connected to the reel handle through the drag system. Thus, turning the handle may not actually turn the spool - if the drag is set too low.

Bakelite - An early plastic (phenolic) that largely replaced the flammable celluloid. Occasionally it was used for reel parts and side plates, but it is more breakable than hard rubber and has not survived as a basic reel material.

Bronze - A wide range of copper based alloys with aluminum, tin, silicon etc. Decorative and bearing bronzes are heavily used in reel making.

celluloid - Beautiful, clear, easily colored plastic often used for casting reel handle knobs. Prized by collectors, but supplanted by nylon and other less flammable plastics.

delrin - A high quality engineering plastic used for reel parts and even side plates. It is partially crystalline and takes a semi-gloss type finish.

Enclosed Spool reel type - Simply a reel where the spool ends are covered by side plates. Archetypical reels are Bogdan and Vom Hofe.

Gutta Percha - A natural "rubber", but straight chain of polyisoprene. It is hard, NOT elastic and can be molded like plastic into fishing lures, decorative vases, and especially golf balls.

Hard coat aluminum - Essentially a sulfuric acid bath process similar to regular anodizing but with changes in chemical concentration etc. Typically a .002 inch thick layer of very hard aluminum oxide is deposited on the surface. This layer maybe polished down to produce a lustrous finish.

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Hard rubber - This is extra heavy vulcanization of natural rubber, polyisoprene with addition of up to 50% by weight of sulfur. Hard rubber is still one of the toughest plastics ever made, but the hardening process is highly technical.

Head and Tail Plates - Also maybe called front and back side plates. These are simply the sides of an enclosed-spool type of reel.

Idler Gear(s) - In a system of gears it is a gear or gears located between a drive gear and the final gear in the system. The use of an idler gear permits the reel handle arm to be in the center of the face plate and rotate the same direction as the spool.

Impregnated wood - Often used to make reel handle knobs. This is a dense, compressed, resin filled plywood that is cut into stock sheets, rods and bars.

Jewel Bearing - Very low friction bearing typically used in bait casting reels. It consist of a small jewel with a polished pocket that receives a pointed and hardened shaft.

Kentucky Reels - Bait casting and a few fly casting reels designed in Kentucky and nearby states mostly for bass fishing. The high-end Kentucky reels were exceptionally well designed, and detailed.

Multiplying Reel - A reel with gears for faster line retrieve.

New York Reel - Made principally in New York, a reel type featuring heavy construction for salt water use. Typical features: Counter-balanced handle arm and heavy brass side housing the multiplying gear assembly.

Nickel Silver - A copper-zinc bronze with typically 10% - 18% nickel added. Rolling or drawing can harden this metal considerably for making rod ferrules.

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Pillars - Also called cross-posts that span the reel frame. Roller posts are usually designed to spin.

Revolving Plate - The handle arm is actually a plate with knob attached. The Hardy Perfect is the archetypical reel of this type.

Rims (bands) - Walker, Vom Hofe, and my reels feature side plates with nickel silver bands to protect the reel. Bands may be butt-silver soldered or scarf-lead soldered together.

Single-action - Simply no gears in the reel.

Skeleton Fly Reel - Often made of wire or stamped sheet metal, skeleton reels feature an exposed spool with attached handle knob.

Spey Reel - Large single or geared action reels usually with a strong drag mechanism. A spey reel will generally hold 200 yards of 30 lb backing and a full sized 120 foot double taper spey line.

Spindle Shaft - A shaft in the running mechanism of a reel; it is usually associated with the spool. Spool (bearings) may run on a fixed spindle shaft (Hardy or Abel reel) or a shaft maybe fixed to the spool and run on bearings in the face and tail plates (Vom Hofe).