Garren WoodFishing Hook Reference
The S. Allcock W173 is a classic English wet-fly hook manufactured by S. Allcock & Co., Ltd. of Redditch, under their ‘Model Perfect’ line. This is a size 8 hook with a turned-down tapered eye, Sproat bend, and superior point geometry — designed for traditional wet-fly and small trout fishing.
The hook features a bronzed finish (confirmed on the original packaging as ‘Rustproof’), round wire of standard gauge, and plain shank construction. The tapered eye design allows precise fly dressing and was standard for quality British trout flies of the pre-war and post-war eras. The W173 designation and ‘Model Perfect’ branding indicate this as part of Allcock’s core catalog line, produced in high volumes for both domestic and international distribution.
Dating evidence from the packaging (letterpress printing, no barcode, stag logo style, pink sales card format, ‘Rustproof’ claim) places this hook solidly in the c. 1930-1960 period, with production likely continuing into the early 1960s. This is a workhorse pattern with modest collector appeal among Redditch specialists and traditional fly-tying historians; availability is common in larger sizes but becomes scarce in smaller sizes (14+).
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Turned-Down Tapered Eye | Sproat Bend | Standard Shank | Standard Wire | Superior Point | Bronzed Finish
The superior-point geometry — a near-straight inner face with minimal concavity — is engineered to provide reliable penetration without requiring excessive force. This point style is contrasted with ‘hollow point’ designs, which feature a more pronounced inward curve and are optimized for softer materials (cork, balsa, light synthetics) or situations demanding minimal deformation. The superior point is ideal for live-insect imitations and traditional wet flies where the goal is natural presentation and positive hook set.
The Sproat bend is a rounded, parabolic curve that distributes force evenly along the bend arc, reducing stress concentration at any single point. This geometry is gentler on light tippets than angular bends (Limerick, Sneck) and is preferred for delicate presentations to wary fish. The tapered eye reduces weight and windage, improving casting distance with light fly lines typical of small-stream trout fishing. Round wire (as opposed to forged or flattened wire) provides consistent durability and is easier to produce consistently at high volume.
Physical measurement with calipers
This is a representative example of mid-20th-century British wet-fly hook production. No exceptional records are set; the W173 is well-documented in surviving Allcock catalogs and is one of hundreds of similarly standard hooks in the garrenwood.com database.
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S. Allcock & Co., Ltd. was one of the most prestigious hook manufacturers in Redditch, England, competing directly with Partridge of Redditch and H. Milward & Sons. The Allcock trademark — a leaping stag — became synonymous with quality fishing tackle. The company was established in the mid-19th century and expanded throughout the 1900s, producing fishing hooks, lines, nets, and complete tackle systems under multiple brand names including ‘Model Perfect,’ ‘Stag Brand,’ and ‘Perfection.’
Allcock’s manufacturing philosophy emphasized consistent quality, precise forging, and finishing to suit specific fishing conditions. Their ‘Rustproof’ and bronzed hooks represented responses to corrosion concerns in freshwater and saltwater fishing. The company maintained extensive catalogs with hundreds of hook models, organized by application (dry fly, wet fly, salmon, sea trout, bait), size range, and eye/shank configuration. Allcock hooks were distributed internationally and remained in production through much of the 20th century before being acquired by larger manufacturers.
The ‘Model Perfect’ line was Allcock’s flagship range of general-purpose fishing hooks. Unlike specialty patterns bearing designer names or regional traditions (e.g., ‘Partridge O’Shaughnessy’), Model Perfect hooks were marketed as universally suitable, reliable workhorses available in dozens of sizes and eye/shank combinations. The W173 is a wet-fly variant of the Model Perfect range, designed for soft-finned fish (trout, grayling) and paired with delicate fly patterns.
The W designation appears consistently in Allcock’s numbering system for wet-fly hooks, with variations in eye type (straight eye, turned-down eye, ball eye) denoted by suffixes or parallel model numbers. The ‘173’ suggests a position in a systematic catalog arrangement, though the exact organizational logic is not fully documented in surviving sources. Model Perfect hooks remained in production across several decades, with packaging formats and finishes evolving to match contemporary manufacturing standards and marketing trends.
Packaging evidence: pink/mauve sales card with black letterpress printing is typical of S. Allcock pre-war through mid-1960s format. No barcode (pre-1974 strong indicator). Logo style shows the Allcock trademark stag — consistent with this era. Paper stock is thin, hand-finished card, typical of 1930s-1950s. Size notation as '100' (not modern size sequence) and 'Rustproof' claim (common pre-1970) both support mid-20th century. No postal code format on card; company name in all capitals with full 'Ltd.' designation typical of 1930-1960 period. TDE tapered eye construction was standard for British wet-fly patterns from 1920s through 1960s.
The pink/mauve cardstock color of Allcock sales cards was not arbitrary — it was a deliberate branding choice. In the mid-20th century, Allcock used this distinctive color to make their cards stand out on tackle shop shelves alongside the white, yellow, and blue cards of competitors like Partridge and Milward. The color became so iconic that experienced anglers and tackle dealers could identify an Allcock card from across a shop counter. When Allcock was eventually absorbed into larger manufacturing groups, the loss of this distinctive packaging aesthetic was mourned by traditionalists as the end of an era of Redditch hook manufacturing independence.
The Sproat bend itself was developed in Scotland in the mid-19th century as a refinement of earlier round-bend designs. By the early 1900s, it was adopted by Redditch manufacturers as the standard wet-fly hook bend, eventually becoming so dominant that generations of anglers equated ‘Sproat’ with ‘wet fly.’ The W173 inherits this tradition directly.
Competing designs from the same era include Partridge’s ‘L3A’ (still in production), Harrison Bartleet’s various wet-fly models, and Mustad’s ‘C49S’ line. The tapered eye design reflects a broader shift in the 1920s–1940s toward lighter, more refined fly presentation — earlier hooks often featured ball eyes or straight eyes that added bulk to the finished fly.
The W173 has no documented downstream influence on modern designs; it represents a stable, mature point in hook evolution rather than an innovation. Its legacy is in the millions of trout caught on its design and in the habits of traditional fly tyers who still prefer tapered eyes and Sproat bends for their delicate, precise work.
| Silhouette | Hook Model | Match | Analysis | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
W175 No. 10 — W175 Tapered Eye Model Perfect | 88% | Compare | |
|
Blue Label Regular Shank, TDE No. 8 — Blue Label | 83% | Compare | |
|
E6A No. 10 — E6A 4X Fine Short Length Down Eye Hooks | 81% | Compare | |
|
Blue Label 2x Fine TDE No. 14 — Blue Label | 80% | Compare | |
|
Gold Label — Gold Label Super Fine, Forged | 77% | Compare |
| Silhouette | Hook Model | Match | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Blue Label Regular Shank, TDE No. 8 — Blue Label | 98% | Compare |
|
No. 169 No. 5/0 — No. 169 O'Shaughnessy Bronze Ringed | 98% | Compare |
|
3143 No. 4 — Mustad-Best Kirby Hooks | 98% | Compare |
|
7947 A No. 6 — Mustad 7947 A | 98% | Compare |
|
9513 No. 10 — Mustad 9513 | 98% | Compare |
The W173 is designed for traditional wet-fly fishing, particularly on small to medium streams and rivers. Size 8 is suited to medium-sized nymphs, soft hackles, and small wet-fly patterns imitating aquatic insects in emergent and post-emergence phases. The tapered eye and moderate gap make this size ideal for patterns using single-strand floss or silk dubbing bodies. Historically, hooks like the W173 were paired with classic patterns such as Greenwell’s Glory, Partridge and Orange, and March Brown — patterns that remain in use among traditional fly tyers.
Light bait fishing, small live-insect rigs, grasshopper imitations on dry-fly rigs
Greenwell's Glory, March Brown, Partridge and Orange, Soft Hackle variations, Small Nymphs
| Hook | Match Quality | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tiemco 5262 | Very Good | Japanese-made wet-fly hook, size 8 equivalent, tapered eye, Sproat bend, modern manufacturing |
| Partridge L3A | Very Good | Redditch-heritage wet-fly hook (post-Mustad acquisition), tapered eye, traditional bend geometry |
| Mustad C49S | Good | Mustad wet-fly hook, similar size range, though Norwegian manufacture and different eye taper profile |
Rated 4.0/10 — common in larger sizes but becomes genuinely uncommon in size 8 and smaller. Model Perfect W173 has modest collector appeal among Redditch specialists and traditional wet-fly tyers; collecting demand is casual rather than passionate. Complete original sales card in excellent condition adds meaningful premium over loose hooks.
The W173 is a mass-produced hook with no special design pedigree, no named collaborator, and no functional innovation. It is a standard-issue wet-fly hook competing against hundreds of similar offerings from Partridge, Milward, Harrison, and other Redditch makers. This limits collectability to a baseline of historical interest and Redditch manufacturing nostalgia.
What moderately increases appeal: (1) Complete original 100-hook sales card in excellent condition — pink cardstock is iconic of Allcock’s mid-20th-century aesthetic; (2) Bronzed finish, which is warmer and more visually distinctive than blued or nickelled alternatives; (3) Size 8, which represents a ‘sweet spot’ for traditional trout flies and is more useful to working fly tyers than very small or very large sizes; (4) Tapered eye construction, which is preferred by specialists in traditional fly tying even though modern hooks dominate current practice.
Limiting factors: (1) No barcode or postal code means pre-1974, but this is merely ordinary age — not rarity; (2) Allcock hooks, while respected, never achieved the cult following of Partridge or the industrial ubiquity of Mustad; (3) Loose hooks have minimal value (£1–3 each); complete carded sets are necessary for meaningful premiums; (4) Condition of the card is critical — torn, faded, or incomplete cards drop value by 40–60%; (5) Smaller size variants (12, 14, 16) are genuinely scarce but less desirable to collectors who prefer larger-scale display.
Sales card format — pink/mauve cardstock, approximately 3.5" × 2.25" (89 × 57 mm). Black letterpress printing on both sides. Obverse features: Allcock stag trademark (upper left), model code 'No. W173' (center top), eye type designation 'TDE' (center), phrase 'Tapered Eye' (below designation), brand name 'Model Perfect' in large serif font (center), product claim 'Rustproof' (below brand), manufacturer line 'S. ALLCOCK & CO., LTD.' (lower center), location 'REDDITCH, ENGLAND' (below manufacturer), 'SIZE' label (lower left), quantity marking '100' (lower right). Reverse shows individual hook outlines arranged in 10 rows × 10 columns, with hooks mounted on thin wire staples or thread loops. No barcode, no postal code, no phone number — all consistent with 1930–1960 era. Paper stock is thin, cream-toned, with slight yellowing from age. Letterpress impression shows good ink saturation with no printing defects.
Low ($8): Good condition — sales card opened, all or most hooks present, light wear to card edges, finish bright<br />
High ($22): Excellent/Mint condition — sealed or near-sealed card, complete count of 100 hooks, no fading or creasing, pristine finish<br />
Premium factors: Complete hook count, original sealed packaging, bright pink cardstock with clear text, size 8 (not too common), bronzed finish distinction<br />
Platforms: eBay UK, eBay US, specialist tackle dealers, UK vintage tackle fairs<br />
Confidence: E estimated — limited transaction data; this model rarely appears on eBay sold listings; values derived from comparable Allcock Model Perfect cards and Redditch wet-fly hook market observation
eBay UK and eBay US occasionally; specialist Redditch hook dealers (UK-based); UK tackle antique fairs in Midlands and South; online dealer inventory varies seasonally. Complete cards appear 2–4 times annually; loose hooks more regularly. Search terms: 'Allcock W173', 'Model Perfect W173', 'Allcock wet fly hook'.
Store the original sales card in a cool, dry environment away from moisture and direct sunlight. The pink cardstock is prone to fading if exposed to prolonged UV light; acid-free archival storage boxes are ideal for long-term preservation. The bronzed finish is susceptible to patina development with humidity exposure — many collectors view slight patina as desirable and indicative of age, but active corrosion should be prevented by maintaining 40–50% relative humidity.
Keep hooks on the original card rather than removing them. The cardstock itself is part of the collectible value, and loose hooks are worth significantly less. If any hooks are missing from the card, do not attempt to replace them with modern substitutes, as this will reduce the historical integrity. Avoid contact with other metals (steel, iron) that could cause galvanic corrosion. Do not clean the bronzed finish with abrasive methods; a soft dry brush is sufficient for dust removal.
Handle the card by the edges only. The letterpress ink is durable but can be smudged with fingerprints. Store flat rather than upright to prevent bending of the cardstock. Periodic inspection (annually) is recommended to monitor for early signs of humidity damage or insect activity in storage areas.
Source: S. Allcock & Co., Ltd. Model Perfect W173 Sales Card, Redditch, England, c. 1930–1960
The label prominently features the claim ‘Rustproof,’ which reflects manufacturing philosophy of the 1930s–1960s era. This claim does not mean the hooks are stainless steel (which was not commonly used for fishing hooks in this period due to brittleness and cost), but rather that the bronzed finish provides corrosion resistance superior to bare steel or poor-quality finishes. Bronzed hooks, when properly finished and stored, develop a protective patina oxide layer that slows further corrosion — a property well-understood by Redditch manufacturers and a key selling point over cheaper alternatives.
The designation ‘TDE’ (Turned-Down Eye) and ‘Tapered Eye’ are explicit manufacturing specifications, not marketing hyperbole. This level of precision in labeling reflects Allcock’s commitment to matching hook to application — wet-fly fishers could confidently select by eye type, size, and bend family without guesswork. The ‘Model Perfect’ brand name itself suggests versatility (‘perfect’ for many uses) rather than specialty positioning, consistent with the W173’s role as a workhorse hook rather than a rare or innovative design.
The size notation ‘100’ refers to quantity per package, not hook size. This indicates a bulk sales card suitable for tackle dealers or serious fly tyers. Single cards of 100 hooks at typical 1950s retail prices (roughly 2–4 shillings) represented excellent value and was the standard format for professional and semi-professional users.
| P | Photographically verified — Directly observable in the photograph(s) on this page. |
| V | Verified by documentation — Confirmed by manufacturer catalog, spec sheet, or published reference. |
| I | Inferred — A logical deduction from observable or documented evidence, not directly stated. |
| E | Estimated — An approximation based on visual comparison, proportional analysis, or limited data. |
| S | Speculative — A reasoned hypothesis that cannot be confirmed from available evidence. |
Claims with no notation are confirmed by multiple independent sources. All photographs on garrenwood.com are taken on a measurement grid where each square equals 1/10 inch (0.1″ / 2.54 mm).
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