C.R. Klein reels were made by a man who had many talents. Carl Rudolph Klein was born in Germany in 1881. His ingenuity was shown we he lived in CA. The Los Angles, CA city directories in the 1930’s through the 1950’s list his occupation as a Machinist. While running his machine shop, he received patents on a gasoline engine, a spear gun and a fishing reel. He received the patent for his fishing reel on August 8, 1939. His expertise and engineering knowledge are manifest in the reels he produced. He made reels that varied from a 4/0 size reel up to a 12/0 size. Some of his reels are set in a cradle configuration. The reels are made of aluminum and of sturdy construction necessary to land big game fish. The reel spool can be set to be free running, locked in position or the outgoing line controlled by a drag system. C.R. Klein reels are considered to be one of the great early reels made in the USA. Carl died on May 26, 1956 in Los Angles, CA.
The C.R. KLEIN Reel
The C.R. KLEIN Reel Patent
C.R. KLEIN Articles in the December, 1933 Popular Science Magazine