Highest Grade | Hand Forged | Turned Down Eye | Fine Points | Reversed

Edgar Sealey & Sons S 4324 – Additional Info

1. Identification

Brand: Edgar Sealey & Sons
Model/Code: S 4324 “Octopus” Brand
Size: A full production run display. It ranges from a massive 5/0 (far left) down to what appears to be a size 14 or 16 (far right), though the handwriting stops numbering around size 10.
Estimated Era:1930s–1950s.
- Reasoning: The telephone number “REDDITCH 148” indicates a pre-STD (Subscriber Trunk Dialing) era. The typography and the specific “Octopus” logo design predate the company’s acquisition by Dunlop Sports later in the 20th century.

2. Technical Specifications

Eye: Turn-Down-Eye (T.D.E.). The eye is bent downward relative to the shank, a classic design for snelling (tying line directly to the shank) or tying flies with a specific downward pull.
Wire: Hand Forged. This indicates the wire has been flattened (usually along the bend) to increase strength without adding bulk. The gauge appears standard-to-heavy, suitable for large fish.
Shank/Bend: Long Shank / Limerick Bend. The bend has the sharp, angular curve characteristic of the “Limerick” style, rather than the perfect roundness of a “Sproat” bend.
Point: Reversed (Offset). The label explicitly states “Reversed.” This means the point is bent slightly out of alignment with the shank (offset). This increases hook-up rates with bait but can cause artificial flies to spin in the water.
Finish: Bronzed. A traditional lacquer over steel to prevent corrosion, giving it that brown/gold hue.

3. Historical Context

Edgar Sealey & Sons was a titan of the Redditch tackle industry. Redditch, a town in Worcestershire, England, was once the needle and fishing hook manufacturing capital of the world, producing up to 90% of the world’s hooks in the 19th century.

The “Octopus” Brand: The octopus logo (visible at the bottom center) was Sealey’s trademark for their highest-quality goods. They claimed these hooks had the “tenacity of an octopus.”
Manufacturing: The text “Brockhill Works” refers to their specific factory in Redditch. During this era, “Hand Made & Tested” wasn’t just marketing fluff; hooks were often manually inspected, and the forging (flattening) of the bend was done by skilled workers operating drop stamps or hammers.
Legacy: While Edgar Sealey is perhaps best remembered today by collectors for their “Octofloat” split cane rods, their hook production was massive. The company eventually merged into the larger conglomerate of British tackle manufacturers and ceased independent hook production as automation took over in Norway (Mustad) and Asia.

Fun Fact: The “Salescard” format itself tells a story. In an era before digital catalogs, a salesman would carry a heavy leather case filled with these cards. The grease marks and smudges on the card (visible near the top left) are likely the fingerprints of shopkeepers from 70+ years ago inspecting the goods before placing an order.

4. Usage & Equivalents

Best Used For:

Historical: As the card notes, these were “Salmon, Grilse, Trout and Bait Hooks.”
Bait Fishing: Because of the “Reversed” (offset) point, these are superior bait hooks. The offset creates a “cam” action that hooks fish in the corner of the mouth more effectively when using worms or minnows.
Classic Wet Flies: You could tie classic patterns (like a March Brown or Butcher) on these, but the offset point might cause the fly to spin, twisting your leader.

Modern Equivalent: It is difficult to find a high-quality offset fly hook today, as modern fly anglers prefer straight points to prevent leader twist.

For Fly Tying: The closest shape (without the offset) is the Mustad 3366 (a sprocket/limerick hybrid) or the Kamasan B800.
For Bait: A VMC 9291 “Faultless” hook is a very close functional match to this classic Limerick bait hook.