Garren WoodFishing Hook Reference
Evidence reviewed October 1, 2026. Marks: P photographically · V verified · I inferred · E estimated · S speculative What they mean
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The Van Vleck hook is a single hook patented in the United States as No. 842,594 and granted on January 29, 1907 V. Its patent form has a long, tapering point with a barb that the patent describes as forked V.
The entry draws on the patent record, close photographs of one loose specimen, and collector and marketplace sources. Points the sources leave open are listed in the questions below.
6 photographs · Hold Ctrl and scroll to zoom · drag to pan · double-click for 100%
Look for two legends struck on different faces of the bend. One reads IMP’D VAN VLECK HOOK P. The other begins PAT JANY and gives a date P.
On the photographed hook, the date digits are filled with dark residue, and the second digit of the day and of the year cannot be read with certainty P. An auction lot describes two hooks marked “Pat Jany 29 1907” V. Neither legend carries a patent number, so the date is the only link to patent 842,594 I.
Some examples are unmarked V, so a missing legend does not rule the type out. For those, compare the point and barb with the patent drawing I. One collector page notes three sizes, about 10/0, 11/0 and 13/0 V.
| Feature | Recorded | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Eye | Brazed Eye, Straight / Inline | |
| Wire | Heavy (1X Heavy), Forged | |
| Shank | Standard — Plain | |
| Bend | Wide gapShow noteHide noteDeep, rounded, U-shaped bend with the point directed back toward the shank. Broad flat faces and angular edges run around the curve P. | OBS-3 |
| Point | Show noteHide noteBarb raised from the outer side of the point, with a cut notch at its root P. Its tip may be forked; the photograph does not confirm it I. | OBS-5OBS-6 |
| Finish | Bronzed — stated on packagingShow noteHide noteSurface is golden-brass to olive-brown with grey-silver patches where worn through P. No label or source names the finish, so bronzed is inferred from the color I. | OBS-8 |
The photographed specimen has a long, tapering point whose straight edges converge to a sharp tip, with fine tooling marks across its face P. The outer-side barb matches the form shown in patent Fig. 2 I.
The shank is flattened, with broad faces and angular edges, and appears to narrow toward the eye P. No ridges, kinks or microbarbs are visible P.
A collector page describes the type as hand-made and forged, with wire more oval than sharply flat-faced V. Wire thickness falls in the heavy range of the catalog E.
| Overall length | 79.2 mm E |
|---|---|
| Shank length | 65 mm E |
| Gap width | 27.3 mm E |
| Wire diameter | 4.1 mm E |
| Shank-to-gap ratio | ~2.4:1 E |
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This record documents one specimen. It describes that specimen only, not every example of the model.
No packaging supplied. No size mark is visible in the photographed areas.
PAT JANY 2[?] 1[?]07
IMP'D VAN VLECK HOOK
PAT JANY 2[?] 1[?]07 IMP'D VAN VLECK HOOK
The design was patented as US 842,594, titled Fish-hook, by George H. Van Vleck and Louis C. Van Vleck of Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio V. The application was filed October 1, 1906, and the patent was granted January 29, 1907 V.
The patent describes a long, narrow, gradually tapered point, triangular in section, with a flat face that ends in a forked barb. A notch spaces the barbs from the bill, the curved portion of the hook that carries the point V.
In the drawings the barb faces the shank in Fig. 1 and the outside in Fig. 2. The patent calls the outside form preferable and says the bend brings the point near the line of pull V.
The legend cites a patent date that matches the grant of US 842,594, and its readable characters are consistent with that date I. A hook bearing a patent-date legend was probably made after the grant. No source gives production dates.
The patent describes the hook for catching tarpon and other large game fish V. No other intended use is documented.
No sold results are recorded for this model, so no value range is given. One listing's price was hidden and the other showed no sale result.
Marketplace listings and auction lots offer examples, in groups of two or three in the sources consulted V.
| Silhouette | Hook Model | Match | Analysis | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 10015T No. 8/0 — Pflueger Titan | 75% | Compare | |
| Not documented on specimen No. 10/0 — Martu | 63% | Compare | ||
 | 7734 No. 10/0 — Mustad 7734 Giant Tuna Hook | 60% | Compare | |
 | 7680 No. 1 — Blackfish Hook | 60% | Compare | |
 | 92627 No. 6 — Flounder | 58% | Compare |
| Silhouette | Hook Model | Match | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 8515T No. 5/0, 11/0, 14/0 — Sobey | 68% | Compare |
Entry last updated October 1, 2026. Entries are updated as new specimens, measurements, or documents come to light.
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