John James 3817 — Kirby Ringed

Kirby Ringed hook silhouette
John James 3817 — Kirby Ringed

John James & Son 3817

Kirby Ringed

Evidence reviewed October 28, 2026. Marks: P photographically · V verified · I inferred · E estimated · S speculative What they mean

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Summary

The 3817 Kirby Ringed is a John James & Sons hook with a ring eye P. This record rests on one boxed specimen in size 1/0.

No catalog listing for the model was found, so its production dates are not established.

Photographic record

4 photographs

Lid of a small cardboard box with a blue label reading John James & Sons' Kirby Ringed fish hooks, 100, 3817, and a stamp below it reading 1/2 inch longer.
IMG-1John James — New entry — image 1 Box lid, size 1/0. Blue label printed JOHN JAMES & SONS', 100 KIRBY Ringed 3817, with 1/0 added by hand and a stamp below reading 1/2 INCH LONGER.

How to identify it

The lid label carries the model code 3817 and the name Kirby Ringed, one on each side of a circular trademark P.

A stamp below the label reads 1/2 INCH LONGER P. It does not say what length it is measured against, and it gives no X-long grade.

Technical profile and measurements

Features of the model, as recorded
FeatureRecordedEvidence
EyeBall Eye, Straight / Inline
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Ring eye: wire bent into a loop, in line with the shank in side view. A narrow seam shows at the wire end; brazing cannot be seen. P

OBS-1OBS-2IMG-2IMG-4
WireFine (1X Fine), RoundCMP-3OBS-3CMP-3 compared with 128 catalogued hooks classified Fine (1X Fine)
Shank4X Long — Plain
BendCarlisle, Narrow gap, Offset / kirbed
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Smooth, continuous round bend with no flat or angular section. The point section runs back roughly parallel to the shank, leaving an open gap. P

CMP-2LBL-2LBL-4OBS-4IMG-4CMP-2 compared with 45 catalogued hooks classified Carlisle
PointStandard / Spear
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One cut barb: a small raised sliver on the inner side of the point, angled back toward the bend. It appears intact. P

OBS-6IMG-3
FinishBright / Uncoated Steel — stated on packaging
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The box label prints BRIGHT. Where rust is absent the hook shows bright silvery metal; no bronze, blue or black coating is visible. P

LBL-6OBS-7IMG-4

The shank is plain round wire, straight from the eye to the start of the bend, with no ridging, kinks or serrations visible P. The point is a straight, evenly tapering spear form ending in a fine tip, with no hollow or cutting facets visible P.

The name Kirby is associated with a bend described as having an offset point V. The supplied photographs are side views of the hook lying flat, so any lateral offset of this point cannot be judged from them.

Measurements

Per size, with how each dimension was taken
SizeOverall lengthShank lengthGap widthBend depthWire diameterWeight
1/0Specimen S146.3 mm EcaliperMEA-139.2 mm EcaliperMEA-29.9 mm EcaliperMEA-3—1.1 mm EcaliperMEA-4—
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.

Lid of a small cardboard box with a blue label reading John James & Sons' Kirby Ringed fish hooks, 100, 3817, and a stamp below it reading 1/2 inch longer.
Open full size

S1 · Boxed hooks, size 1/0

Size
1/0 (printed on the label)
Container
Box
Hook condition
Surface rust, heaviest on the lower bend and point and scattered along the shank, with rust in and around the eye ring. The hook is not visibly bent or broken; barb and tip are present. (P)
Packaging condition
Fair — significant wear, partially legible
Wear
lid top edge: Yellowed tape or film along the top edge, lifting at both ends, with brown staining beneath it. LBL-11
Wear
lid, lower right corner: Rust-brown stain spot. LBL-12
Wear
lid left and bottom edges: Yellow-brown staining and frayed, fibrous paper along the edges. LBL-13
Wear
label, below 'ENGLAND': Small dark speck on the label. LBL-14
Measured
size 1/0
Photographs
IMG-1IMG-2IMG-3IMG-4

The three hook photographs are assigned to this box by file name and size label; the link is probable, not certain. Box seen from the lid only: the lid is discolored and soiled, with yellowed tape lifting along the top edge, brown staining and frayed paper at the edges, a rust-brown spot at the lower right corner and a small dark speck on the label below ENGLAND. The label is intact and legible. The inside was not photographed.

What the label says

LBL-1 printed · lid label, top line from IMG-1
JOHN JAMES & SONS'
LBL-2 printed · lid label, left of mark from IMG-1
100
KIRBY
LBL-3 trademark · lid label, center circle from IMG-1
[?][?][?][?] [?][?][?][?]
LBL-4 printed · lid label, right of mark from IMG-1
3817
Ringed
LBL-5 printed · lid label, center from IMG-1
FISH HOOKS.
LBL-6 printed · lid label, lower left from IMG-1
BRIGHT
LBL-7 printed · lid label, lower right from IMG-1
Size
LBL-8 printed · lid label, bottom line from IMG-1
MADE IN ENGLAND
LBL-9 handwritten · lid label, right of 'Size' from IMG-1
1/0
LBL-10 stamp · lid, below label (fraction stacked) from IMG-1
1/2 INCH LONGER
Trademark
Circular black-ink mark between 100 and 3817 on the blue label: a plumed or crested bird-like figure above a crown-like shape, inside a ring. The lettering along the lower arc is too small to read.
As entered on the specimen record
JOHN JAMES & SONS'
100
KIRBY
[circular trademark, lettering on lower arc: [?][?][?][?] [?][?][?][?]]
3817
Ringed
FISH HOOKS.
BRIGHT
Size
MADE IN ENGLAND
Layout
Blue label on the lid. The firm name runs across the top. 100 and KIRBY are stacked at left and 3817 and Ringed at right, with the circular trademark between them. FISH HOOKS. is centered below. BRIGHT is at lower left and Size at lower right, with MADE IN ENGLAND along the bottom. The number of [?] marks in the trademark lettering is approximate.
Printed marks
Stamp on the lid below the label: 1/2 INCH LONGER (the fraction is stacked). P
Later marks
1/0, written to the right of Size on the label; the last character is slightly open. P

Pattern history and manufacturer context

John James & Son — John James and Sons of Victoria Works, Redditch, is listed as established in 1835 and incorporated as a limited company in 1902. A 1914 entry describes needles, fish hooks and fishing tackle for sea and river fishing. V Read the maker’s history →

Use

  • Bait fishing

Collecting and buying

Not rated. No source or recorded sale shows how often the 3817 turns up or what it sells for.

No sold sales are recorded for this model, so no value range is shown.

Modern equivalents and related hooks

Best matchRelated by Attribute

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

SilhouetteHook ModelMatchAnalysisCompare
3321-Br No. 1/0 — Carlisle silhouette3321-Br No. 1/0 — Carlisle89%Matches: Bend, Shank, Wire, Gap, Eye +6 moreDiffers: Finish: Bright / Uncoated Steel vs Bronzed; Application: Bait vs Bait, Saltwater; Shank ratio: 84.7% vs 80.5% +1 moreCompare
3191 No. 5/0, 6/0 — Mustad-Carlisle Hooks silhouette3191 No. 5/0, 6/0 — Mustad-Carlisle Hooks82%Matches: Bend, Shank, Wire, Gap, Eye +5 moreDiffers: Point: Standard / Spear vs Superior; Finish: Bright / Uncoated Steel vs Bronzed; Application: Bait vs Bait, Saltwater +3 moreCompare
3214 No. 3/0 — Mustad-Carlisle Hooks silhouette3214 No. 3/0 — Mustad-Carlisle Hooks80%Matches: Bend, Shank, Gap, Eye, Forging +3 moreDiffers: Wire: Fine (1X Fine) vs Standard; Eye Orient.: Straight / Inline vs Turned Down; Point: Standard / Spear vs Superior +5 moreCompare
3700 No. 4/0 — Mustad 3700 silhouette3700 No. 4/0 — Mustad 370080%Matches: Bend, Shank, Wire, Eye, Eye Orient. +4 moreDiffers: Gap: Narrow vs Standard; Point: Standard / Spear vs Hollow Point; Finish: Bright / Uncoated Steel vs Blued +3 moreCompare
3382 No. 2 — Kirby Whiting Hooks silhouette3382 No. 2 — Kirby Whiting Hooks77%Matches: Bend, Wire, Gap, Eye, Eye Orient. +5 moreDiffers: Shank: 4X Long vs Special Long; Finish: Bright / Uncoated Steel vs Tinned; Application: Bait vs Other, Bait +3 moreCompare

ExploratoryRelated by Shape (SVG)

Ranked purely by silhouette geometry — attribute labels are ignored.

SilhouetteHook ModelMatchCompare
33960 No. 2 — Mustad 33960 Sproat silhouette33960 No. 2 — Mustad 33960 Sproat85%Compare
777 No. 1/0 — No. 777 First Quality Hollow Point Sproat silhouette777 No. 1/0 — No. 777 First Quality Hollow Point Sproat83%Compare
Carlisle No. 2 — Carlisle Hook silhouetteCarlisle No. 2 — Carlisle Hook82%Compare
3190 A No. 3/0 — Superior Mustad-Carlisle Hooks silhouette3190 A No. 3/0 — Superior Mustad-Carlisle Hooks82%Compare
3214 No. 3/0 — Mustad-Carlisle Hooks silhouette3214 No. 3/0 — Mustad-Carlisle Hooks81%Compare

Sources, open questions, and record notes

Sources & Documentation

This specimen and its packaging — photographed, 4 images
Supports: bendwirecountry of originquantity per packagesize documentedoverall lengthshank lengthgap widthwire diameter measuredmeasurements availablemeasurement noteseyebarbfinishpackagingsummarytechnical notesidentification

Entry last updated October 28, 2026. Entries are updated as new specimens, measurements, or documents come to light.