Garren WoodFishing Hook Reference
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Milward 2627 R — Aberdeen Spear Pointed (Ringed) is a Redditch bait hook packed 100 to a box under the Iron Arm trade mark. The label spells out the full specification: spear point, Aberdeen bend, ringed eye, count, and pattern number. It does not print the Milward name, so the Iron Arm mark is the maker’s identifier.
The documented 1/0 measures about 1.74 in (44 mm) overall with a 0.51 in (13 mm) gap. It has a round Aberdeen bend, a straight ringed eye, a spear point with a single cut barb, and a dark blued finish that shows a blue-violet sheen under raking light.
Two boxes are recorded: a kraft box pencil-marked 1/0 in its size field, and a cream box with a sample hook fixed to its face under clear tape. Their labels carry the same text in different typefaces, which shows the label was reset at least once. The hook is a plain utility pattern, and collector interest rests mainly on the Iron Arm packaging and its condition.
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Straight ring eye | Aberdeen bend | standard shank | standard wire gauge | standard spear point | blued finish
The bend is a true round Aberdeen, with the point running nearly parallel to the shank. On the documented 1/0 the shank measures about 1.22–1.28 in (31.0–32.5 mm) against a gap of about 0.49–0.53 in (12.4–13.5 mm), a shank-to-gap ratio near 2.5 : 1.
The eye is a straight ringed eye, also called a ball eye, closed in line with the shank, and the wire shows no visible taper at the eye. RINGED on the label refers to this eye. The wire is round and plain, estimated at 0.036–0.040 in (0.91–1.02 mm) E, with no slices or shank markings.
The point is a spear point with a straight taper to the tip and a single cut barb, matching the SPEAR POINTED heading on the label. In close-up the barb cut shows a bright, finely serrated edge of bare steel.
The finish is dark blue-black with a blue-violet sheen under raking light, consistent with bluing I. Neither label names the finish.
Physical measurement with calipers
We have measurement for size 1/0. Know any others? Submit calipered measurements and we'll review and add them. Thank you!
Sources: this specimen and its packaging.
2627R is Milward’s pattern number for a spear-pointed Aberdeen with a ringed eye, packed 100 to a box. The label states the specification in full: SPEAR POINTED across the top, ABERDEEN for the bend, RINGED for the eye, the count, and 2627R in the lower right. The R suffix corresponds to the RINGED descriptor I.
The photographs record the pattern in more than one size and under more than one label setting. A kraft box pencil-marked 1/0 and a cream box carry the same label text in different typefaces, and a second hook photographed on the grid measures about 2.2 in (56 mm) overall, well above the documented 1/0. The U.S. trademark notice beside the Iron Arm suggests stock printed with the American trade in mind I. No Milward catalog page listing 2627R has been located, so its production dates and full size range remain open.
Neither label gives a date, an address, or the Milward name, so the range rests on the marks the labels do carry. The Iron Arm trade mark appears on Milward-Bartleet tackle that dealers date to the early 1900s and on a Milward rod with a 1959 decal, so the mark alone does not narrow the range. 'Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.' is the U.S. trademark notice specified by statute before 1975, when the Patent Office became the Patent and Trademark Office, which points to a label designed before that change I. The two boxes recorded here carry the same text in two different typefaces, so the label was reset at least once while the pattern was in production. No dated Milward catalog listing for 2627R has been located, and the c. 1930-1960 range remains an estimate E.
The 2627R labels never print the Milward name. The maker is identified only by the Iron Arm, an arm in banded armor holding a curved blade above a striped heraldic wreath. The same mark appears on Milward-Bartleet tackle tins that dealers date to about 1900, where it is paired with the Bartleet name, and on a Milward coarse rod carrying a 1959 decal.
The Aberdeen belongs to the family of regional patterns, with the Dublin, Kendal, and Limerick, named for hook-making centers that Redditch makers competed with in the early nineteenth century. Its defining features are a round bend and a long shank, a combination suited to long, soft natural baits.
The 2627R is a straightforward Redditch version of the pattern: round bend, straight ringed eye, spear point with a single barb, and a dark blued finish, each stated on the label or visible on the hook.
The same layout remains in production. Mustad’s 3261 Classic Aberdeen combines a round bend and long shank with a ringed inline eye, in sizes through 2/0 and several finishes, blue among them.
| Silhouette | Hook Model | Match | Analysis | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
32810 No. 1/0 — Mustad-Aberdeen Hook | 94% | Compare | |
|
37360 No. 3/0 — Aberdeen Hook | 87% | Compare | |
|
3282 No. 1 — Aberdeen Hook | 86% | Compare | |
|
3260 B No. 1 — Aberdeen | 85% | Compare | |
|
37353 No. 1 — Mustad 37353 Aberdeen | 83% | Compare |
| Silhouette | Hook Model | Match | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
|
32800 No. 4/0 — Aberdeen Hook | 98% | Compare |
|
10371 No. 5 — H. Milward & Sons' 10371 | 97% | Compare |
|
|
37360 No. 3/0 — Aberdeen Hook | 97% | Compare |
|
3261 No. 1 — Aberdeen Hook | 96% | Compare |
|
37363 No. 3 — Mustad 37363 Aberdeen | 95% | Compare |
The 2627R is a bait hook. The long shank gives room to thread a worm or hold a small baitfish, and the round Aberdeen bend keeps the gap open for the point to take hold. The documented 1/0, with a gap of about 0.51 in (13 mm), is a middle size for worm and small-fish baits.
In British sea angling the round-bend Aberdeen is a standard hook for estuary flatfish and for worm, prawn, and sandeel baits, and it is not a pattern for heavy tackle. In North America the Aberdeen is widely used as a live-bait and worm hook for panfish and other light freshwater fishing.
Estuary and shore fishing with worm, prawn, or sandeel baits; live-minnow and worm fishing for panfish and other light freshwater species
Not typically used for fly tying
| Hook | Match Quality | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mustad 3261 (size 1/0) | Good | Mustad’s Classic Aberdeen shares the round Aberdeen bend, long shank, and straight ringed eye, and is listed in sizes through 2/0 and several finishes, blue among them. Retailers describe it as a light-wire bait hook, so compare wire diameter against the Milward 1/0’s estimated 0.036–0.040 in (0.91–1.02 mm) before substituting. |
Rated 2.5/10. The 2627R is a plain Redditch utility bait hook, and collector interest rests mainly on the Iron Arm packaging. Boxes with a clean label, a legible size in the No. field, and a full count are the most desirable.
The 2627R is a plain utility bait hook, and the hook alone carries little collector premium. Interest centers on the box. The Iron Arm trade mark, the U.S. trademark notice, and the two typeset versions of the label give the pattern some appeal to collectors of Milward and Redditch packaging.
Condition drives desirability. The boxes recorded here show the usual problems of paper-labeled hook boxes: foxing, water staining, rust spotting, and old clear-tape repairs. The example to look for has a clean label, a legible size in the “No.” field, and a full count. A box that still carries its sample hook shows the size at a glance, which helps both buyers and cataloguers.
Two boxes are recorded. The first is a kraft-paper box with a cream label pencil-marked 1/0 in the size field; the label has heavy brown water staining, rust spots, creasing, and a torn notch at its right edge. The second is a cream box with a sample hook held to its face by clear tape that also crosses the label; the label shows foxing and edge wear, and its size field carries only a faint, illegible trace. Handwritten marks in heavy black ink sit beside the cream box label. Both labels print, inside a ruled border, SPEAR POINTED, the Iron Arm trade mark captioned 'Trade Mark.' and 'The Iron Arm.', 'Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.', ABERDEEN, No., RINGED, 100, 2627R, and MADE IN ENGLAND. The kraft box label is set mainly in bold sans-serif type with MADE IN ENGLAND in serif capitals. The cream box label is set in serif display type with MADE IN ENGLAND in spaced sans-serif capitals. Neither label names Milward or gives an address.
Low ($4): Good condition — opened box, all or nearly all hooks present, light-to-moderate wear on card and finish.
High ($10): Excellent condition — sealed or near-sealed box, complete 100-hook count, minimal surface wear, crisp printing.
Premium factors: Sealed original box, complete count, bright blued finish, clean label printing, size scarcity (sizes 10-16 premium over larger sizes).
Platforms: eBay (UK and US auctions), occasional vintage tackle dealers, British tackle fairs.
Confidence: E estimated — based on general market activity for common mass-produced English bait hooks. Limited recent sales data for this specific model. Estimate assumes typical condition worn box with hooks present.
Search auction and dealer listings for 'Milward', 'Iron Arm', and 'Aberdeen ringed' as well as '2627'. Because the label does not print the Milward name, many boxes are listed only as Iron Arm or Redditch hooks. UK specialist tackle dealers and fishing-tackle auctions list Milward packaging, and boxed Milward hooks appear occasionally on eBay UK and US.
Identify the box by its trade mark. The 2627R labels do not print the Milward name. Look instead for the Iron Arm, an arm in banded armor raised from a striped heraldic wreath and holding a curved blade, captioned “Trade Mark.” and “The Iron Arm.” with “Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.” below it.
Check the full label layout: SPEAR and POINTED across the top, ABERDEEN in large letters, the size field after “No.”, RINGED, the count 100, and 2627R in the lower right with MADE IN ENGLAND along the bottom. Two typeset versions exist, one set mainly in bold sans-serif type and one in serif display type.
The size is written or stamped in the “No.” field and may be faint or missing, so measure the hook. The documented 1/0 is about 1.74 in (44 mm) long with a 0.51 in (13 mm) gap. No maker’s stamp is visible on the shanks photographed here, and loose hooks are hard to attribute without the box.
Bluing is a thin oxide layer and gives only limited protection against rust. Moisture and handling are the main threats. Salts from bare fingers can start rust on blued steel, so handle the hooks with clean nitrile gloves and return them to the box promptly.
Store the boxes flat in a stable, dry place away from light, and away from attics, basements, and outside walls where humidity swings. A polyester or polypropylene sleeve or an acid-free box will support a weakened carton; avoid PVC plastics. If silica gel is used, place it in the outer storage container rather than loose among the hooks, and recondition it before it saturates.
Leave the old clear tape on the cream box in place. Aged tape adhesive can stain and embrittle paper, but lifting it risks tearing the label, and that work belongs to a paper conservator. The rust spots on the kraft box label suggest the box has been damp, so check the hooks inside it periodically. Keep each hook with its own box so the size record and provenance stay together.
The cream box carries handwritten marks in heavy black ink to the right of the label: a large “11”, a smaller “5” and “0” set above a slanted stroke, and a capital “A” below. The marks sit outside the printed label and were added by hand.
The “5” and “0” may record a size, 5/0, or may complete a price reading 11.50 S. The “11” and “A” read as dealer or stock codes S. The label’s own size field after “No.” carries only a faint, illegible trace, so the size of this box is not confirmed. The larger hook photographed for this entry, about 2.2 in (56 mm) overall, is well above the documented 1/0.
The kraft box is marked “1/0” in pencil in the label’s size field. That note is the evidence for the size of the documented 1/0 specimen.
Source: Printed labels on two H. Milward & Sons 2627R boxes photographed for this entry: kraft box pencil-marked 1/0; cream box with illegible size field
Both labels carry the same text inside a ruled border, set in two different typefaces. Read in order, the label is a compact specification.
SPEAR POINTED names the point style. ABERDEEN names the bend. RINGED names the eye, a round eye turned from the shank wire. 100 is the count, and 2627R is Milward’s pattern number, with the R suffix matching the RINGED descriptor I. The space after No. is the size field, filled by hand or stamp; the kraft box carries a pencil 1/0 there.
The center of the label holds the trade mark: an arm in banded armor raised from a striped heraldic wreath and holding a curved blade, captioned “Trade Mark.” and “The Iron Arm.” The label gives no maker’s name or address. The Iron Arm, which Milward used on hook boxes, tackle tins, and rods, is what ties the box to Milward.
Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. is the notice for a trademark registered with the U.S. Patent Office; here it covers the Iron Arm mark. U.S. law specified this wording until 1975, when the office became the Patent and Trademark Office and the notice became “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off.” MADE IN ENGLAND is the country-of-origin mark.
Redditch was the center of the British needle and fishing-tackle trades. In 1823 the town already had 17 hook-making firms competing with makers in Aberdeen, Dublin, Kendal, and Limerick, and the pattern names that survive, the Aberdeen among them, come from that competition. Trade directories for 1868–69 list 117 firms in the Redditch area making needles and fishing tackle, and in the Victorian period the district produced most of the world’s needles.
Consolidation reshaped the trade in the twentieth century. Milward absorbed several Redditch competitors and kept their brands in use, and in 1930 it joined Hall’s of Studley under Amalgamated Needles and Fish Hooks Ltd, which set up ENTACO as its manufacturing company in 1932.
A mid-century 2627R box therefore comes from a Milward operating inside a larger group while still selling under its own trade mark. The plain, specification-style label with its U.S. trademark notice fits a firm packing standard patterns in bulk for home and export markets I.
| 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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