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Mustad-Bowed hook silhouette
Hook Reference › O. Mustad & Son Hooks › Mustad Hooks – 1608 A

O. Mustad & Son 1608 A

Mustad-BowedUndated

Evidence reviewed October 14, 2026. Marks: P photographically · V verified · I inferred · E estimated · S speculative What they mean

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Summary

Mustad 1608 A is a single-point hook made by O. Mustad & Sön in Norway. The label of the recorded specimen describes it as Ringed Bronzed Reversed Special and names the Superior point style.

The date of the label design is not established. Mustad’s own name for the bend, the direction of the offset implied by Reversed, and the intended use are also not established.

Photographic record

3 photographs

Mustad 1608 A — original box and yellow label — size 5/0 — Oslo factory marking
IMG-1Mustad 1608 A Box and Label Size 5/0 Label and wrapper of the size 5/0 specimen. The wrapper is torn at the left, and the label has edge loss and an ink smear.

How to identify it

On the recorded label, look for the Key Brand mark, O. Mustad & Sön, Manufacturers, Oslo — Norway, and Qual. 1608 A beside Mustad-Bowed Hooks. Superior is printed in small type above that line. Ringed Bronzed Reversed Special runs along the lower center.

The size is not printed on this label. It is written by hand after the printed No., here as 5/0 in purple ink.

On the hook, check for a closed ring eye, a plain straight shank, a bronzed finish, and a point with a near-straight inner edge and one barb.

Technical profile and measurements

Features of the model, as recorded
FeatureRecordedEvidence
EyeBall Eye, Straight / Inline
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Closed oval ring eye in line with the shank P. A notch or step shows where the ring meets the shank. The closure and wall thickness are not visible.

OBS-1IMG-3
WireExtra-Heavy (2X+), Round, est. ~0.045"-0.050" (~1.14-1.27 mm)CMP-3MEA-2OBS-6CMP-3 compared with 64 catalogued hooks classified Extra-Heavy (2X+)
ShankStandard — Plain
BendSproat, Standard gap
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Smooth, continuous round bend, with the point returning toward the shank P. The flat-lay photograph shows no offset, so the direction implied by the printed Reversed is not confirmed.

CMP-2OBS-2LBL-5LBL-7IMG-3CMP-2 compared with 110 catalogued hooks classified Sproat
PointSuperior
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One barb is cut from the inner face of the point, with a dark slit separating it from the point P. Its tip stands clear of the point surface.

OBS-4IMG-2
FinishBronzed — judged from the photographs
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The label prints Bronzed. The hook shows a dark brown-bronze finish with golden-orange highlights and a fine speckled texture on the inside of the bend P.

LBL-7OBS-7IMG-2

The point tapers to a sharp, intact tip. Its inner edge runs nearly straight from barb to tip P, as on the Superior point printed on the label. The outer edge is a smooth curve.

The shank is straight and plain, with parallel edges P. Highlight bands along the wire are consistent with a round section, but no end-on view confirms it I.

A silhouette comparison against the catalog places the bend position nearest Sproat, the shank proportion nearest Standard, and the wire thickness nearest Extra-Heavy E. These are comparisons of proportion, not caliper readings.

Measurements

Per size, with how each dimension was taken
SizeOverall lengthShank lengthGap widthBend depthWire diameterWeightShank:gap
No. 5/0Specimen S158.5 mm Egrid photoMEA-1 Check: The evidence record measured 48.2 mm (MEA-1).33 mm Egrid photoMEA-424 mm Egrid photoMEA-3 Check: The evidence record measured 16.3 mm (MEA-3).—1.21 mm Egrid photoMEA-2 Check: The evidence record measured 2.3 mm (MEA-2).—~1.3-1.4 : 1
Calibrated SVG True-scale preview

How hook dimensions are measuredA hook outline with dimension lines for overall length, shank length, gap, bend depth, and wire diameter.Overall lengthShank lengthGapBend depthWire diameter
Overall length
Eye to the farthest point of the bend.
Shank length
Eye to the start of the bend.
Gap
Point to shank, at right angles to the shank.
Bend depth
Shank to the bottom of the bend.
Wire diameter
Across the wire, measured by caliper where possible.

Specimens, packaging, and label

This record documents one specimen. It describes that specimen only, not every example of the model.

Yellow printed label on a torn paper wrapper reading Key Brand, O. Mustad & Sön, Qual. 1608 A, Mustad-Bowed Hooks and Ringed Bronzed Reversed Special, with a hand-written purple 5/0.
Open full size

S1 · Paper-wrapped package, size 5/0

Size
5/0 (printed on the label)
Container
Other
Hook condition
No visible rust, bend or break. The point tip is intact. Fine fibers adhere to the bend.
Packaging condition
Fair — significant wear, partially legible
Wear
label, left edge beside 100 and No.: Paper lost along the left edge of the label, leaving a scalloped edge with pale backing showing. LBL-10
Wear
label, lower left, around the handwritten 5/0: Purple ink smear streaking from the top of the slash toward the upper right, and an ink blot below the 0 touching the border ornaments. LBL-11
Wear
label, top right, over the O of SÖN: Small white spot of paper or ink loss on the diaeresis of the Ö. LBL-12
Wear
label, end of the OSLO — NORWAY line: Upper right arm of the final Y in NORWAY is abraded; the letter is still identifiable by its left arm and stem. LBL-13
Wear
wrapper, left side and below the label: Wrapper torn along the left side with pale tissue paper exposed at the lower left; creases; brown stains and smears across the lower half below the label. LBL-14
Measured
size No. 5/0
Photographs
IMG-1IMG-2IMG-3

Paper is lost along the left edge of the label. A small white spot marks the diaeresis of the Ö, and the upper right arm of the final Y in NORWAY is abraded. The wrapper is torn on the left with tissue exposed, creased, and stained brown across the lower half. The printed text is otherwise legible. The hook photographed is not shown with the package.

What the label says

LBL-1 trademark · label, upper left from IMG-1
Key
Brand
LBL-2 printed · label, top right from IMG-1
O. MUSTAD & SÖN
Manufacturers
OSLO — NORWAY
LBL-3 printed · label, centre right from IMG-1
Qual. 1608 A
LBL-4 printed · label, centre right, small line above the large line from IMG-1
Superior
LBL-5 printed · label, centre right, large line from IMG-1
Mustad-Bowed Hooks
LBL-6 printed · label, lower left, serif type from IMG-1
100
No.
LBL-7 printed · label, lower centre from IMG-1
Ringed Bronzed
Reversed Special
LBL-8 printed · label, lower right from IMG-1
Made in Norway
LBL-9 handwritten · label, lower left, purple ink, right of printed No. and left of Ringed Bronzed from IMG-1
5/0
Trademark
Black line drawing of an old-style key standing upright: oval bow with a lobed opening, round shaft with a collar, and a bit with notched wards at the lower right. The word Key is printed above it and Brand below it.
As entered on the specimen record
Key
Brand
O. MUSTAD & SÖN
Manufacturers
OSLO — NORWAY
Qual. 1608 A
Superior
Mustad-Bowed Hooks
100
No.
Ringed Bronzed
Reversed Special
Made in Norway
Layout
Yellow label with a repeating eight-pointed rosette ornament on all four sides. Key Brand at upper left, maker lines at top right, Qual. 1608 A, Superior and Mustad-Bowed Hooks at center right, 100 and No. at lower left, Ringed Bronzed Reversed Special at lower center, Made in Norway at lower right.
Typeface
The 100 and No. at lower left are in serif type.
Printed marks
Key Brand trademark and rosette border. No barcode, postal code, price or retailer mark is visible on the face shown.
Later marks
5/0 in purple ink, right of the printed No. and left of Ringed Bronzed. The ink is smeared from the top of the slash toward the upper right, with a blot below the 0.

Care of this specimen: Support the torn left edge when handling, and keep the package flat.

Condition

No visible rust, bend or break. The point tip is intact. Fine pale and dark fibers adhere to the bend P.

Storage and Preservation

Store the package flat in an acid-free sleeve or folder, away from direct light and damp. Keep any hooks dry.

If the package is opened, record the count of hooks, since the label prints 100.

Pattern history and manufacturer context

Series

The label prints Mustad-Bowed Hooks as the large line name, with Qual. 1608 A beside it. Whether Bowed names a line of patterns or a bend shape is not established.

The introduction date, size range and later history of the line are not recorded.

Dating

Mustad tackle manufacture dates from 1877 V. The label prints an Oslo — Norway address line, the Key Brand mark and Made in Norway, with no barcode, postal code, price or retailer mark on the face supplied P. No source dates this label design, so no date range is proposed.

Designer

Not named.

O. Mustad & Son — Mustad dates from 1832, with tackle manufacture from 1877 and headquarters at Gjøvik V. Hans Mustad's firm moved nail and some iron production to Lilleaker, Kristiania, in 1876 V. No source consulted says where hooks were made. Read the maker’s history →

Use

  • Bait fishing
  • Saltwater

Primary application

The label states no application. In the traditional size scale, hooks of 1/0 and larger serve salmon flies, large streamers and saltwater work, and the hand-written 5/0 falls in that range I. No source ties the 1608 A to particular species or methods.

Collecting and buying

4 / 10CollectabilityRarity: Uncommon

Provisional rating of 4. No production dates, catalog listing, surviving count or sold results are recorded, so scarcity is not shown; neither is commonness.

Basis: Provisional. No scarcity source is recorded: no production dates, catalog listing, count of surviving examples or sold results.

No source records production dates, a catalog listing or a count of surviving examples for the 1608 A, and no sold results are recorded. Scarcity is therefore not shown, and neither is commonness.

The label leaves a hand-marked size slot after the printed No., which suggests the model was packed in several sizes I. The record here covers size 5/0 only. The condition of the photographed package does not affect the rating.

Market value

Insufficient recorded sales data to estimate a reliable value.

0 sold observations recorded; 2 are needed, with the basis and date of the range, before a value is shown. Asking prices are shown as asking prices only.

No sold results are recorded for this model, so the value range shown has no sales basis. Asking prices are not counted.

Recorded sales and listings
ListingPriceDateCondition
100 #11 FLY TYING HOOKS MUSTAD RINGED RUSTPROOF REVERSED SPECIAL NORWAY 1608AFrom $9.99 askinglive listingNew other (see details)

Where to find

No source records where examples of the 1608 A are usually found.

Label and source analysis

Hand-Written Size Marking

The hand-written 5/0 in purple ink gives the size of this specimen P. The images do not show who wrote it, with what tool, or when. No source consulted describes Mustad’s size-marking practice.

Modern equivalents and related hooks

Modern equivalents
HookMatchNotes
Mustad 92671ModerateMustad lists 92671 as a Beak hook with a reversed point, needle point and ringed eye. Its 5/0 wire is 1.72 mm V. The 1608 A has a Superior point, and its wire is estimated near 2.3 mm E.

Best matchRelated by Attribute

Computed automatically from catalog data — updated as new hooks are added.

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Ranked purely by silhouette geometry — attribute labels are ignored.

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Sources, open questions, and record notes

Sources & Documentation

This specimen and its packaging — photographed, 3 images
Supports: hook nameconstructionquantity per packageeyebendwirefinishbarboffset kirbedcondition notesmeasurement notesdating rangepackagingsecondary applicationsfly patternscollectability ratingraritycollectability summaryrarity basiswhere to findfun fact titlefun factmeta titlemeta descriptionprimary search termssummarytechnical notesseries historyprimary applicationcollectability detailidentification

Entry last updated June 9, 2026. Entries are updated as new specimens, measurements, or documents come to light.