Sneck Hooks hook silhouette
Hook Reference › O. Mustad & Son Hooks › Mustad 3861 — Sneck Hooks

O. Mustad & Son 3861

Sneck HooksDocumented box: 1925 or later I

Evidence reviewed October 7, 2026. Marks: P photographically · V verified · I inferred · E estimated · S speculative What they mean

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Summary

Mustad’s box for pattern 3861 calls the hooks Mustad-Sneck Hooks P. The hook has no eye; its shank ends blind in a notched, or marked, section P.

Photographic record

2 photographs

Cream box lid printed in gold with a key trademark and the text O. Mustad & Sön, Qual. 3861, Hollow Point, Mustad-Sneck Hooks, Marked Bronzed; a 6 is handwritten beside No.
IMG-1Mustad — New entry — image 1 Key Brand box lid for Mustad Qual. 3861 Mustad-Sneck Hooks, with the size 6 written by hand (P).

How to identify it

The documented box has a cream card lid printed in gold and framed by small rosettes P. A skeleton key stands between the words Key and Brand in the left column. Below the maker’s name and address, the lid reads Qual. 3861, Hollow Point, Mustad-Sneck Hooks and Marked Bronzed P.

The size is not printed. It is written by hand beside the printed No., here a 6 in violet P.

Loose hooks carry no marks, so a match rests on the notched blind shank end and the bend profile I.

Technical profile and measurements

Features of the model, as recorded
FeatureRecordedEvidence
EyeBlind — Marked Shank
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No eye; the shank ends squarely cut, without flattening, knob or taper P. About nine transverse notches per edge run along roughly the final quarter of the hook's length P.

OBS-1OBS-2
WireStandard, Round
Shank2X Long — Marked / ridged
BendSneck, Standard gap, Offset / kirbed
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Squarish profile: rounded upper corner, nearly straight vertical back and rounded lower corner. The point leg runs back nearly parallel to the shank, rising slightly toward the tip P.

OBS-4
PointHollow Point
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A single prominent barb stands out at a steep angle P. Its exposed face looks gray and metallic against the bronzed body P.

OBS-6
FinishBronzed — stated on packaging
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Glossy bronzed finish throughout, matching Marked Bronzed on the box P.

OBS-7LBL-2

The point is long and straight and tapers to a fine tip P. The box calls it a Hollow Point; the grind cannot be seen in a side view P.

Between the bend and the notched end, the shank is straight and plain, with no kink or bait barbs P.

Measurements

Per size, with how each dimension was taken
SizeOverall lengthShank lengthGap widthBend depthWire diameterWeight
6Specimen S119.2 mm EcaliperMEA-118.3 mm EcaliperMEA-26 mm EcaliperMEA-3—0.8 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.

Cream box lid printed in gold with a key trademark and the text O. Mustad & Sön, Qual. 3861, Hollow Point, Mustad-Sneck Hooks, Marked Bronzed; a 6 is handwritten beside No.
Open full size

S1 · Box of size 6, with hook

Size
6 (printed on the label)
Container
Box
Hook condition
Finish largely intact. A few small pale patches on the upper shank near the notched end, fine dust, and a tiny reddish fiber on the upper bend. No rust; the point is undamaged (P).
Packaging condition
Good — moderate wear, legible
Wear
lid top edge, near top left corner: Small tear at the edge where the surface paper has lifted. LBL-6
Wear
lid top, upper right, below border: Small pale scuff just below one of the border rosettes. LBL-7
Wear
lower right corner of lid and tray: Lid corner is split and its layers separated. Paper fibres are frayed at the corner and along the tray edge below it. LBL-8
Wear
lower edge, tray wall below lid: Tray wall edge below the lid is worn, with brown board exposed along its length. There is a shallow curved dip at the centre. LBL-9
Wear
lid top, scattered: Light general soiling and a few small brown specks on the cream ground. LBL-10
Measured
size 6
Photographs
IMG-1IMG-2

Box: lid top intact and legible, with light soiling and small specks, a small edge tear at top left, a split and frayed lower right corner, and worn lower edges showing bare board P.
The hook was photographed apart from the box. Its link to this box is probable but not shown I.

What the label says

LBL-1 trademark · lid top, left column, upper half from IMG-1
Key
Brand
LBL-2 printed · lid top, centre block from IMG-1
O. MUSTAD & SÖN
Manufacturers
OSLO - NORWAY
Qual. 3861
Hollow Point
Mustad-Sneck Hooks
Marked Bronzed
LBL-3 printed · lid top, left column, lower corner from IMG-1
100
No.
LBL-4 printed · lid top, lower right above border from IMG-1
Made in Norway
LBL-5 handwritten · lid top, lower left, right of printed No. from IMG-1
6 (single freehand numeral in violet, ink or copying pencil)
Trademark
Skeleton key printed in gold on cream card: oval bow with a scalloped opening and a collar, long stem, and a rectangular bit with a small star-shaped opening. Key is printed above it and Brand below; the final d of Brand is weakly printed but legible P.
As entered on the specimen record
Key
Brand
O. MUSTAD & SÖN
Manufacturers
OSLO - NORWAY
Qual. 3861
Hollow Point
Mustad-Sneck Hooks
Marked Bronzed
100
No.
Made in Norway
Layout
Left column: Key above a key device and Brand below it, with 100 and No. at the lower corner.
Center block: maker, address, pattern number, point, name, and shank and finish lines.
Made in Norway sits at lower right. A border of small rosettes frames the lid top.
Later marks
6, a single freehand numeral in violet ink or copying pencil, beside the printed No. P

Pattern history and manufacturer context

Design lineage

The pattern’s name uses the term sneck. Merriam-Webster defines a Kendal sneck bent as a fishhook of wide, squarish, curved pattern and traces the name probably to Kendal, England V.

Dating

The lid gives the maker's address as OSLO - NORWAY P. Kristiania took the name Oslo on 1 January 1925 V, so the box was printed in 1925 or later I.
No evidence fixes an end date for this box design.

O. Mustad & Son — O. Mustad & Son traces its roots to 1832 at Vardal, Norway, and industrialized fish hook production at Gjøvik in 1877 V. Its corporate headquarters are at Gjøvik V. Read the maker’s history →

Use

  • Bait fishing

Modern equivalents and related hooks

Best matchRelated by Attribute

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

SilhouetteHook ModelMatchAnalysisCompare
3336 No. 5/0 — Mustad Sneck Hooks silhouette3336 No. 5/0 — Mustad Sneck Hooks74%Matches: Bend, Shank, Gap, Eye, Eye Orient. +5 moreDiffers: Wire: Standard vs Fine (1X Fine); Point: Hollow Point vs Superior; Application: Bait vs Salmon, Sea Trout, Bait +2 moreCompare
194M No. (unspecified) — No. 194M Sneck Hooks silhouette194M No. (unspecified) — No. 194M Sneck Hooks73%Matches: Bend, Shank, Wire, Gap, Eye +4 moreDiffers: Point: Hollow Point vs Superior; Finish: Bronzed vs Black Japanned; Offset: Offset / Kirbed vs Straight +3 moreCompare
3867 No. 8 — Sneck Hooks silhouette3867 No. 8 — Sneck Hooks70%Matches: Bend, Shank, Gap, Eye Orient., Point +3 moreDiffers: Wire: Standard vs Extra-Heavy (2X+); Eye: Blind — Marked Shank vs Blind — Tapered Shank; Finish: Bronzed vs Blued +5 moreCompare
3337 No. 9 — Mustad 3337 Superior Sneck Hooks silhouette3337 No. 9 — Mustad 3337 Superior Sneck Hooks69%Matches: Bend, Wire, Gap, Eye, Eye Orient. +3 moreDiffers: Shank: 2X Long vs Standard; Point: Hollow Point vs Superior; Finish: Bronzed vs Blued +5 moreCompare
CBH — Cincinnati Bass Hooks silhouetteCBH — Cincinnati Bass Hooks69%Matches: Gap, Eye, Eye Orient., Point, Forging +3 moreDiffers: Bend: Sneck vs Kirby (offset); Shank: 2X Long vs 1X Long; Wire: Standard vs Fine (1X Fine) +2 moreCompare

Sources, open questions, and record notes

Sources & Documentation

This specimen and its packaging — photographed, 2 images
Supports: country of originsub brandsize documentedquantity per packageis snelledmeasurements availableoverall lengthshank lengthgap widthwire diameter measuredmeasurement noteseyebendbarbfinishpackagingdating rangemeta titlemeta descriptionprimary search termssummaryidentificationtechnical notesdesign lineage

Entry last updated October 7, 2026. Entries are updated as new specimens, measurements, or documents come to light.