A.B.Urfabriken and Swedish Distributors

Göte Borgström first presents his first four Record casting reel models to Swedish wholesalers.

In the very earliest phase of manufacture, in 1939 Göte Borgström had 25 examples of the A.B.Urfabriken Record 1500, 1600, 1700 and 1800 manufactured.

These were put into a bag and he travelled to Gothenburg to meet the distributor Paul Berghaus.

Berghaus liked what he saw, but did not want to have the name A.B.Urfabriken on the reels.

Gote Borgström was in need of money, so he agreed on manufacturing them with the name Pebeco.

Berghaus ordered 3000 reels, got a promise about a further 2000 examples.

The next customer who was scheduled, was Wilhelm Dönninghoff´s head of purchases.

Borgström met head of purchases Torsten Persson at a hotel room in Gothenburg.

Persson asked how many reels the A.B.Urfabriken could deliver. Borgström answered ‘about 15000 the first year and 25000 the following two years’.

Persson suggested that "Denninghoff´s should buy 10000 reels the first year and 15000 the following two years, with one condition, Denninghoff´s should have exclusive rights for the reels."

As  A.B.Urfabriken needed that order to survive, Borgström agreed to the business deal."

A.B.Urfabriken was permitted to sell a very small edition without the brand mark  W.D. This caused reels without W.D to be more unusual than with W.D, as was the Pebeco reel. Strangely enough often more is payed for a reel with the W.D label.

During the autumn of 1940 the first reels were delivered to Denninghoff´s and Pebeco.

Both companies had big advertisement campaigns during the spring of 1941 for their reels. In 1941 the product line was increased with a cheaper reel, Record 1400.

All reels have a caramel-coloured handle (*Record 1800) and an uncoloured agate stone in the spool cap  during their first years.

Shades on the handle can vary, the Pebeco and W.D reels were given a darker shade.

To give a difference to the different reel numbers, the handles got different colours.

The 1600 a transparent green handle, the 1700 a white handle, the 1800 a transparent yellow handle. 

If the first 1800 ones were delivered with a caramel-coloured handle is still uncertain, but probable.

In 1942 the product line was increased with Record 1550, 2000 and the fly reel Precision.

All reels have MADE IN SWEDEN engraved on the handle side during the years 1939-1943.

In autumn 1942-spring 1943 coloured agate stone were included  on the reels, 1500 and 1550 got cheaper agate stones  while the Record 2000 real ruby stone."

In 1943 the contract with Wilhelm Denninghoff´s expired. In 1943 the label MADE IN SWEDEN was moved to the reel foot.

Model A was printed on the reels and a new, lighter spool was fitted. 

Pebco was another major distributer of A.B.Urfabriken's  Record casting reels

This very rare 1940's era catalog was shared here courtesty of my friend Lars Ericsson.

Please feel to contribute if you have more to add to this history.