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Edgar Sealey & Sons S 4324 H.E. — Hand Forged, Redditch, England
A forged, bronzed No. 10 hook sold under Edgar Sealey’s Octopus trade mark. The photographed specimens have a looped eye bent away from the point, a Sproat-type bend, a straight fine point with a large cut barb, and wire of about 0.02″. The label reads ‘Highest Grade’, ‘HAND FORGED’ and ‘Turn-down-eye, fine points, Reversed’; the eye direction in the photographs does not match the label and is unresolved.
The box is a buff card slide box with a pasted green label carrying the octopus-and-shield roundel. Edgar Sealey began hook-making around 1930, and the Octopus mark places this box c. 1930–1963 E. No intended use is documented for the pattern.
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Edgar Sealey & Sons S 4324 H.E., Size No. 10, Hand Forged, Looped Eye, Sproat-type Bend, Reversed, Bronzed
Forged Construction
The label states ‘HAND FORGED’ V. In the photographs the bend shows the flattened sides and paired highlights of a forged hook P; the cross-section itself is not visible. Forging flattens the sides of the bend to stiffen it against opening under load; it does not make the hook lighter. Whether the forging was done by hand cannot be judged from the specimens.
Point and Barb
The close-up shows a straight, conically tapered point: the inner edge runs straight from barb to tip, with no hollow curve P. This matches the label’s ‘fine points.’ The barb is large and deeply cut, stands well off the wire, and is set about 0.14″ behind the tip E.
Reversed Offset
The label states ‘Reversed’ V. In English trade usage a reversed hook has its point offset to the right; kirbed is the opposite offset. The offset is not visible in the flat-lay photographs. Offset is a separate choice from bend shape and is not characteristic of any bend family.
Looped Eye
Both specimens have a looped eye: the wire end is bent back along the shank, and the step where the returned end finishes is visible about 0.27″–0.28″ behind the eye tip P. The eye bends away from the point side — turned up P — although the label reads ‘Turn-down-eye’ V. See the eye notes for the unresolved discrepancy.
Physical measurement with calipers
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Sources: this specimen and its packaging.
‘4324’ is a pattern number, not a size designation: the size is printed separately on the label as ‘No. 10’ P, so the same S 4324 H.E. code would normally cover a run of sizes. ‘H.E.’ most plausibly stands for ‘Heavy Eyed,’ since Sealey’s 1950 sample book includes a ‘Hand Forged Heavy Eyed’ card I. No Sealey key to these suffixes, or to the ‘S’ prefix, has been located.
The size range, catalog dates and any variants of S 4324 H.E. are not documented. The pattern should be checked against the Hand Forged and Hand Forged Heavy Eyed cards in the 1950 Octopus Brand sample book and against Sealey’s High Class Fish Hooks catalog.
Lower bound: Edgar Sealey & Sons began hook-making c. 1930 and is listed in Kelly's Directory of 1932 at Brockhill (Brookhill) Works, Hewell Road, Redditch (I — reported secondhand). Upper bound: the Octopus trade mark on this label was still advertised in 1959 and is reported to have been replaced by a 'two fishes' logo around 1963 (S — single secondary source). The box — buff card slide box, pasted green printed label, 'LTD.' in the company name, no barcode — is consistent with this range but does not narrow it E. Range c. 1930-1963 E.
The octopus on this label is Edgar Sealey's registered trade mark — the roundel reads 'REGISTERED TRADE MARK' — and the firm used it across its whole range, not on one pattern. A 1959 advertisement urged anglers to 'Say Octopus for hooks and Rods,' and the name carried onto rods such as the Octofloat. Sealey's 1950 Octopus Brand sample book also includes a separate pattern card titled 'Octopus,' so at Sealey the word served as both a brand and a pattern name.
The Sproat is a 19th-century bend. The Limerick is generally dated earlier, so the Sproat was not displaced by a ‘more modern’ Limerick. The S 4324 H.E. combines a forged Sproat-type bend E, a reversed offset V and a looped eye P.
Offset direction is independent of bend shape. Redditch makers commonly offered the same pattern straight, kirbed or reversed, and Sealey’s own 1950 sample book lists forged reversed hooks (‘Forgé Renversé’) as a separate card V.
How this pattern relates to other Redditch makers’ forged reversed hooks of the period is not documented. Claims about when offset or Sproat hooks fell from favour need a source before they are published.
| Silhouette | Hook Model | Match | Analysis | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
3718 No. 4 — Herter's No. 3718 Salmon Fly Hook | 81% | Compare | |
|
3911 No. 4 — Mustad 3911 | 77% | Compare | |
|
6812 No. 1 — Best Hollow Point | 76% | Compare | |
|
5795 No. 12 — Mustad 5795 | 75% | Compare | |
|
L220 No. 4 — L220 Gilt | 75% | Compare |
| Silhouette | Hook Model | Match | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
3718 No. 4 — Herter's No. 3718 Salmon Fly Hook | 79% | Compare |
|
1810 TUE — Best Hollow Point Sproat | 75% | Compare |
|
S 1937 — Edgar S 1937 | 74% | Compare |
|
94842 No. 10–24 — Viking | 73% | Compare |
|
|
6812 No. 1 — Best Hollow Point | 69% | Compare |
The label does not state an intended use, and none is documented for this pattern. The hook’s features point in different directions. The looped, turned-up eye and fine point are associated with game-fishing hooks, including salmon and sea-trout patterns I, while a reversed offset is more usual on bait hooks I. At No. 10, with about 0.88″ overall length and about 0.02″ wire, it would suit small baits or wet flies for trout and sea trout. Use for pike or carp is not supported at this size E.
Not documented. Plausible uses include small-bait freshwater fishing or wet flies for trout and sea trout S.
None documented for this pattern.
Rated 6.5/10 E — an original boxed Octopus Brand hand-forged pattern with an unusually detailed specification label. Sealey produced hooks from c. 1930 into the 1970s or later, so boxes are uncommon rather than scarce; value rests on label condition and completeness. No sales data recorded.
Positive factors: Original box with a clean, legible label and the Octopus trade-mark roundel. The label carries an unusually full specification (‘Turn-down-eye, fine points, Reversed’). Hand forging is stated on the label.
Limiting factors: Sealey was a sizeable Redditch firm (around 100 employees at its 1950s peak) that made hooks into the 1970s or later, so its boxes are not rare in absolute terms. Size 10 is a common size. Box contents and hook count are not documented. The box edges show minor wear.
Low ($45): box complete with legible label, some wear, contents partial or unverified. High ($120): crisp label, full count of 100 confirmed, box unworn. Platforms: UK eBay, specialist vintage tackle dealers, tackle auctions. Confidence: E — no recorded sales of this pattern; estimate based on comparable boxed Redditch hooks of the period.
UK eBay and specialist vintage tackle dealers in England; occasional appearance at UK tackle antiques fairs and auctions. Rarely encountered in North America. Redditch specialist dealers most likely source.
Identify Edgar Sealey S 4324 H.E. hooks by:
The photographed specimens have a turned-up eye despite the label’s ‘Turn-down-eye,’ so check any hooks attributed to this box against the label S. Loose hooks cannot be attributed to this pattern without packaging. Where possible, compare against the Hand Forged cards in Sealey’s 1950 sample book.
Store the box in a cool, dry environment away from moisture and direct sunlight. The bronzed finish is susceptible to patina development and oxidation if exposed to humidity or salt air. This patina is often considered desirable by collectors, but excessive corrosion can damage the finish and underlying wire. Keep the box away from damp basements, garages, or coastal areas prone to salt spray.
Store the box horizontally or in a vertical position against a shelf, but avoid compression under heavy objects. The original green cardboard label is fragile — handle by the edges only to avoid fingerprint marks, tears, or crushing. If the original tissue wrapper is present inside the box, leave it undisturbed; this adds authenticity and historical value.
Never remove individual hooks from the card unless they are to be used for fishing. The original presentation, count, and packaging context are primary value drivers. Avoid contact with other metals or dissimilar materials that could cause galvanic corrosion or transfer rust. Periodically inspect for insect damage (bookworms, silverfish) or mold growth, particularly if stored in older buildings with fluctuating humidity. A sealed acid-free storage box offers additional long-term protection.
Source: Edgar Sealey & Sons S4324 Original Box Label, Redditch, England, c. 1930-1950
‘SOLE MAKERS; EDGAR SEALEY & SONS, LTD., REDDITCH, ENGLAND’ — This text establishes Edgar Sealey as the sole manufacturer of this design and confirms Redditch, England as the production location. The use of ‘Sole Makers’ is a common British trademark claim from this era, asserting exclusive manufacturing rights to the pattern.
‘4324 H.E.’ (MODEL CODE) — The ‘H.E.’ designation likely stands for ‘Highest Grade’ or ‘Hand Forged Extra,’ a premium quality marker. The 4324 is an internal product code within Edgar Sealey’s catalog system.
‘Highest Grade’ — Appears prominently on the label, indicating this is Edgar Sealey’s top-tier offering. In the context of hand-forged hooks, ‘Highest Grade’ refers to rigorous quality control, hand-selection of materials, and premium finishing, not merely a product line name.
‘HAND FORGED’ — All-caps emphasis on the manufacturing method, highlighting craftsmanship as a key selling point. In 1930-1950, when industrial mass-production was increasingly dominant, hand-forging was marketed as a quality differentiator.
‘Turn-down-eye, fine points, Reversed’ — This technical specification string confirms: (1) Tapered (turned-down) eye construction; (2) Fine point geometry (likely referring to point sharpness and taper refinement); (3) Reversed offset (point angled to the right when viewed from above). This is a rare example of detailed hook specification on packaging, valuable for historian authentication.
‘100’ — Package quantity. The 100-hook count per box was standard for English retail bait hooks in this era, suitable for general tackle shops and individual anglers.
Source: Green printed label on original Edgar Sealey & Sons S4324 sales box, c. 1930-1950.
Redditch, Worcestershire, England became the world capital of hook manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution, with dozens of hand-forging operations established along the Redditch stream (which provided water power for trip hammers). By the early 20th century, the town was home to major makers including S. Allcock & Co., Partridge of Redditch, H. Milward & Sons, and numerous smaller specialists like Edgar Sealey.
Edgar Sealey & Sons occupied Brockhill Works, a modest facility typical of mid-tier Redditch makers. Unlike the industrial giants (Allcock employed hundreds; Partridge was a large factory operation), Edgar Sealey remained a craft-focused enterprise, maintaining hand-forging techniques when other makers were increasingly mechanizing. This was both a point of pride (marketed as ‘Highest Grade’) and an economic constraint — hand labor was expensive, limiting production and market reach compared to Mustad (Norway) and American industrials.
The company’s octopus logo and focus on bait hooks (rather than fly patterns) positioned Edgar Sealey as a specialist for coarse fishermen — pike, carp, and general mixed-species fishing where durable, heavy-wire bait hooks were essential. This was a solid market niche in the English Midlands, but it did not translate to the volume or geographic reach of larger competitors.
Edgar Sealey eventually ceased independent operation in the post-war period (likely 1950s), absorbed into larger manufacturing consolidation as hand-forging became uneconomical. Today, their hooks are valued by collectors not just for rarity, but as authentic artifacts of the Redditch tradition — material evidence of a manufacturing culture that defined English hook-craft for nearly 150 years.
| 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. |
Unnotated claims are the compiler’s synthesis; see 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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