The Hardy Salmon Perfect Eunuch check

It’s been a busy week buying tackle in the West Country for Thomas Turner, with one large collection consisting of 17 Hardy Reels and eight Hardy rods, plus a Hardy Pall Mall Centenary Set consisting of an 8’ Gold Medal split cane rod and a 2 5/8” Hardy All Brass Perfect ‘Houghton’ Reel mounted within a rosewood chest and plaque.  

One of the other highlights is a very rare Hardy 4” Salmon Perfect reel with the rare 1912 Eunuch check (no ball bearings). There has been much debate over the years as to why Hardy introduced this check, but many are in agreement that the Eunuch version arrived just after WW1, when ball bearings were in short supply post-war, and the Eunuch was the product of the lack of ball bearings which in part makes sense. Hardy still wanted to continue to produce the Salmon Perfect so this seemed the perfect way to do it (excuse the pun). So, the general consensus is that ball bearings were in short supply outside the War effort and the Eunuch check was born. 

I have heard that others think Hardy were trying to save time and materials, hence introducing the Eunuch check. It is rarer than the more solid built early 1912 model, this reel having the heavy bridge support and most with a Turks head locking nut over the strapped brass rim tension regulator, which a lot of fishermen then and now admire and like to use. 

Eunuch Hardy Perfects were not just limited to Salmon Perfects, Hardy introduced the check to Contracted (Narrow Drum) models also. Most Narrow Drum Perfects I have seen have the Mark I check mechanism, so presumably would date circa 1917-1920. The small Hardy Perfect 2 7/8” narrow drum are always very desirable. Whatever is the correct answer as to why the Eunuch check was introduced, it didn’t last for long, hence why now finding Perfects with this rare check is always a bonus! 

This reel is still in stock at the time of writing, click here to view it.