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Mustad Hooks – 3290

Chestertown Hook hook silhouette
Hook Reference › O. Mustad & Son Hooks › Mustad Hooks – 3290

O. Mustad & Son 3290

Chestertown Hookc. 1950-1965

Evidence reviewed October 22, 2026. Marks: P photographically · V verified · I inferred · E estimated · S speculative What they mean

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Summary

The box identifies the model as O. Mustad & Sön Qual. 3290, “Mustad-Chestertown Hooks,” size 6, with “Superior,” “Marked,” and “Japanned” on the label P.

The photographed specimen is a blind hook with a blunt, slightly flattened shank end, a long mostly straight shank, a deep rounded narrow-gap bend, a single cut barb, and glossy black finish P. The point has the near-straight inner taper associated with Mustad’s Superior point terminology PV.

Independent sources describe the Chestertown pattern as a long-shank, narrow-gap hook used for winter flounder bait fishing V. A secondary listing also records Mustad 3290 in size 9, documenting at least one additional size V.

Photographic record

3 photographs

Mustad 3290 Chestertown Hook — original red packaging label — No. 6 size — Key Brand Superior
IMG-1Mustad 3290 Original Packaging Label No. 6 Red-orange lid label for O. Mustad & Sön Qual. 3290 Mustad-Chestertown Hooks. The label states Superior, Marked Japanned, 100, and Made in Norway; size 6 is stamped beside No.

How to identify it

Identify the package by the red-orange lid label reading “O. MUSTAD & SÖN,” “Qual. 3290,” “Superior,” “Mustad-Chestertown Hooks,” “Marked Japanned,” and “Made in Norway,” with the Key Brand skeleton-key mark at upper left P. The documented box carries a stamped size 6 mark P.

The photographed hook has a blind, slightly flattened terminal, long mostly straight shank, narrow opening, long point, single barb, and glossy black finish P. “Superior” should be read as Mustad point-style terminology V.

Technical profile and measurements

Features of the model, as recorded
FeatureRecordedEvidence
EyeBlind — Marked Shank
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Blind shank end with no formed eye; terminal is blunt, rounded, and slightly flattened P.

OBS-1IMG-3
WireExtra-Fine, RoundCMP-3CMP-3 compared with 73 catalogued hooks classified Extra-Fine
Shank3X Long — Marked / ridged
BendNarrow gap, Offset / kirbed
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Deep rounded bend with a narrow opening between shank and point. Offset cannot be determined from the side view P.

OBS-2IMG-3
PointSuperior
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Single cut barb with moderate projection; tip and shoulder appear intact P.

OBS-4IMG-2
FinishBlack Japanned — stated on packaging
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Glossy black finish is visible, and the package explicitly states "Japanned" P.

LBL-1OBS-6IMG-2IMG-3

The specimen has no formed eye; the terminal is blunt, rounded, and slightly flattened P. The shank is long and mostly straight, while the bend is deep and rounded with a narrow opening P. The side view does not establish kirbed or reversed offset.

The point is long with a nearly straight inner face and a single cut barb P. The label states “Superior,” “Marked,” and “Japanned”; Mustad documentation uses “Superior point” as point-style terminology PV.

Measurements

Per size, with how each dimension was taken
SizeOverall lengthShank lengthGap widthBend depthWire diameterWeight
(unspecified)Specimen S1——————
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.
Catalog records. One boxed size 6 physical specimen is documented in this record.
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Specimens, packaging, and label

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

Mustad Qual. 3290 Chestertown hook box label, size 6, marked japanned, Key Brand
Open full size

S1 · Boxed size 6 Mustad 3290

Size
6 (printed on the label)
Container
Box
Hook condition
Unused-appearing; intact point and barb; no obvious rust; minor pale specks and finish irregularities near the point and bend.
Packaging condition
Good — moderate wear, legible
Wear
lid label, left edge and surface: Clear adhesive tape overlays portions of the label; abrasion, adhesive discoloration, and edge wear are visible, especially at the left and lower edges. LBL-4
Measured
size (unspecified)
Photographs
IMG-1IMG-2IMG-3

Hook appears unused with intact point and barb and no obvious rust. Small pale specks and minor finish irregularities are visible near the point and bend.

What the label says

LBL-1 printed · lid label, main text from IMG-1
O. MUSTAD & SÖN
MANUFACTURERS
OSLO - NORWAY
Qual. 3290
Superior
Mustad-Chestertown Hooks
100
Marked Japanned
No.
Made in Norway
LBL-2 trademark · lid label, upper left from IMG-1
Key
Brand
LBL-3 stamp · lid label, lower left center between 100 and No. from IMG-1
6
Trademark
Black skeleton-key symbol between the printed words Key and Brand.
As entered on the specimen record
Key
Brand
O. MUSTAD & SÖN
MANUFACTURERS
OSLO - NORWAY
Qual. 3290
Superior
Mustad-Chestertown Hooks
100
Marked Japanned
No.
Made in Norway
Layout
Red-orange lid label with black decorative border; Key Brand skeleton-key trademark at upper left.
Printed marks
Size stamp: 6

Care of this specimen: Avoid lifting the existing clear tape from the label; store the box so worn label edges are protected from further abrasion.

Condition

Hook appears unused, with intact point and barb and no obvious rust. The label has tape, staining, abrasion, and edge wear P.

Storage and Preservation

Keep the box dry and supported so the worn label edges are not rubbed. Because clear tape already crosses the label, avoid lifting or peeling it during handling P.

Pattern history and manufacturer context

Series

The surviving box identifies Qual. 3290 as a Mustad-Chestertown hook and documents size 6 P. A secondary marketplace record identifies Mustad 3290 as a blind-eye Chestertown in size 9 V.

Modern reference sources describe the Chestertown pattern generally as long-shanked and narrow-gapped, with longstanding use in winter flounder bait fishing V.

Dating

The red-orange label with 'Oslo - Norway' address and '100 No.' quantity notation, combined with the letterpress printing style and decorative border design, indicates mid-20th century production. The absence of any modern postal codes or barcodes supports the pre-1970 dating. The 'Quality' designation was common in Mustad's 1950s-1960s export packaging.

O. Mustad & Son Read the maker’s history →
Chestertown Use. Modern references describe Chestertown hooks as long-shanked, narrow-gap hooks used for winter flounder bait fishing V.

Use

  • Bait fishing

Primary application

The Chestertown pattern is documented as a long-shank, narrow-gap hook used for winter flounder bait fishing V. References describe threading seaworm, mussel, sandworm, or bloodworm along the shank V. These sources establish the application for the Chestertown pattern generally rather than specifically documenting Qual. 3290.

Collecting and buying

4 / 10CollectabilityRarity: Uncommon

Modest historical interest due to specialized design and quality packaging, but limited by commercial rather than sporting heritage.

No model-level evidence establishes how often Mustad 3290 appears on the collector market or how strongly collectors seek it. The available secondary listing is not a recorded sold result, so scarcity and market demand cannot be rated from the documented evidence.

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 recorded sold result is established in the checked evidence. The secondary 3290 listing is not a sold-result record.

Where to find

eBay vintage tackle auctions, specialized fishhook collector forums, East Coast tackle shop old stock, fishing heritage shows and swap meets.

Label and source analysis

Original Packaging Analysis

Source: Original Mustad 3290 packaging label

The label directly identifies O. Mustad & Sön, Oslo – Norway, Qual. 3290, Superior, Mustad-Chestertown Hooks, quantity 100, Marked Japanned, and Made in Norway. A size 6 mark is stamped beside the printed “No.” line P. The Key Brand skeleton-key trademark appears at upper left P. Mustad documentation uses “Superior point” as point terminology V.

Modern equivalents and related hooks

Modern equivalents
HookMatchNotes
Eagle Claw L042 ChestertownGoodSimilar bend geometry but with turned-down eye and modern finish
Gamakatsu Flounder HookModerateModern flounder-specific design with comparable proportions but different bend style

Best matchRelated by Attribute

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

SilhouetteHook ModelMatchAnalysisCompare
3295 A No. 8 — Mustad-Chestertown Hooks silhouette3295 A No. 8 — Mustad-Chestertown Hooks76%Matches: Wire, Gap, Eye, Eye Orient., Finish +4 moreDiffers: Shank: 3X Long vs Extra-Extra Long; Point: Superior vs Hollow Point; Application: Bait vs Bait, SaltwaterCompare
Carlisle No. 5 — Carlisle Hooks75%Matches: Shank, Gap, Eye, Eye Orient., Forging +4 moreDiffers: Bend: Other vs Carlisle; Wire: Extra-Fine vs Fine (1X Fine); Point: Superior vs Standard / Spear +1 moreCompare
3298 No. 7 — Mustad-Chestertown Hooks silhouette3298 No. 7 — Mustad-Chestertown Hooks72%Matches: Gap, Eye, Eye Orient., Point, Finish +4 moreDiffers: Shank: 3X Long vs Extra-Extra Long; Wire: Extra-Fine vs Standard; Application: Bait vs Bait, SaltwaterCompare
7871 No. 3 — Bridgeport Aberdeen silhouette7871 No. 3 — Bridgeport Aberdeen70%Matches: Wire, Gap, Eye, Eye Orient., Point +4 moreDiffers: Bend: Other vs Aberdeen; Shank: 3X Long vs Extra-Extra Long; Finish: Black Japanned vs Blued +1 moreCompare
3450 No. 12 — Kinsey Hook silhouette3450 No. 12 — Kinsey Hook69%Matches: Wire, Eye, Eye Orient., Point, Finish +4 moreDiffers: Shank: 3X Long vs Short (1X–2X Short); Gap: Narrow vs Wide; Offset: Offset / Kirbed vs StraightCompare

Sources, open questions, and record notes

Sources & Documentation

This specimen and its packaging — photographed, 3 images
Supports: quantity per packageconstructioneyebendbarbfinishcondition notesmeasurements availablemeasurement methodmeasurement notescumulative records notepackagingmeta descriptionsummarytechnical notesseries historyidentification

Open questions

  1. Which dated Mustad catalog or price list first and last lists Qual. 3290?No dated primary Mustad catalog or price-list entry for Qual. 3290 is documented.Can you help? Please send a scan or photograph of any Mustad catalog or price-list page that lists 3290, including the publication date and page number.

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