John James 3816 — Kirby Ringed

Kirby Ringed hook silhouette
John James 3816 — Kirby Ringed

John James & Son 3816

Kirby Ringed

Evidence reviewed October 28, 2026. Marks: P photographically · V verified · I inferred · E estimated · S speculative What they mean

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Summary

John James & Sons model 3816, Kirby Ringed, is a bronzed hook with a closed ring eye P. The page documents one size 11 specimen and its box.

No catalog listing, production dates or stated use are documented for the model. The page therefore describes the specimen and its packaging and does not date the model.

Photographic record

2 photographs

Blue box label printed JOHN JAMES & SONS', 100 KIRBY Ringed 3816 FISH HOOKS, BRONZED, Size with a handwritten 11, MADE IN ENGLAND, and a round trademark.
IMG-1John James — New entry — image 1 Box label for John James & Sons' Kirby Ringed fish hooks, model 3816, bronzed, with the size 11 written by hand.

How to identify it

Check the box label first. Model 3816 appears in the right column above the word Ringed, with KIRBY in the left column and a maker line reading JOHN JAMES & SONS’ above the rule P. A trademark roundel with a winged, dragon-like creature above a crown sits at the center P.

The photographed hook has a closed ring eye in line with a plain shank P. Only one size, 11, is recorded, so the dimensions on this page may not apply to other sizes of the model.

Technical profile and measurements

Features of the model, as recorded
FeatureRecordedEvidence
EyeBall Eye, Straight / Inline
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Closed ring in line with the shank P. A sea-angling guide calls this a ball or straight eye V. The ring's plane and bore are not visible here.

OBS-1SRC-4
WireHeavy (1X Heavy), Round
ShankExtra-Extra Long — Plain
BendCarlisle, Narrow gap, Offset / kirbed
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Evenly curved, deep round bend close to a semicircle, with no visible angles or flats P. The wire runs back toward the shank to form the point.

CMP-2LBL-2OBS-2CMP-2 compared with 44 catalogued hooks classified Carlisle
PointStandard / Spear
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Single cut barb on the inner side of the point, rising toward the shank a short distance behind the tip P.

OBS-4
FinishBronzed — stated on packaging
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BRONZED is printed on the box label P. The photographed hook has a dark brown-bronze surface with yellow-gold highlights and orange-red streaks along the shank, uneven in places P.

LBL-6OBS-6

Measurements on this page come from one size 11 hook read with calipers P. They describe that specimen and are not a range for the model.

The shank is straight and plain, with no ridging, baitholder cuts or kink P. It is about 87 percent of the hook’s length by the recorded figures I.

The side view cannot show whether the point is offset sideways, and no other photograph of the hook does.

Measurements

Per size, with how each dimension was taken
SizeOverall lengthShank lengthGap widthBend depthWire diameterWeightShank:gap
11Specimen S124.5 mm PcaliperMEA-121.3 mm PcaliperMEA-23.5 mm PcaliperMEA-3—0.5 mm PcaliperMEA-4—~6.1:1 I
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.

Blue box label printed JOHN JAMES & SONS', 100 KIRBY Ringed 3816 FISH HOOKS, BRONZED, Size with a handwritten 11, MADE IN ENGLAND, and a round trademark.
Open full size

S1 · Box of size 11

Size
11 (printed on the label)
Container
Box
Hook condition
The photographed hook is whole, with point, barb and eye intact and no visible bend or breakage. The finish is uneven, with orange-red patches and raised specks on the shank.
Packaging condition
Good — moderate wear, legible
Wear
top label, upper band, left end: Small brown spot in the blue paper. LBL-10
Wear
top label, scattered across the blue paper: Pale specks and faint scuffs, for example after 'FISH' and between 'BRONZED' and 'Size'. LBL-11
Wear
box board edges, left side, top-left corner and bottom edge: Yellowed, rough and uneven board edges; the lower edge looks crumpled. LBL-12
Wear
right edge of the label: Dark, creased and wrinkled edge where the label wraps over the side of the box. LBL-13
Measured
size 11
Photographs
IMG-1IMG-2

Packaging wear: board edges at left, top-left and bottom are yellowed and rough, the lower edge looks crumpled, and the right edge of the label is creased. The label has a small brown spot at the left end of the upper band and scattered pale specks and faint scuffs. The printing is sharp and complete.
The photographs do not show that the hook came from this box.

What the label says

LBL-1 printed · top label, upper band above the horizontal rule from IMG-1
JOHN JAMES & SONS'
LBL-2 printed · top label, left column from IMG-1
100
KIRBY
LBL-3 trademark · top label, centre roundel, lettering along the lower arc from IMG-1
TRADE MARK
LBL-4 printed · top label, right column from IMG-1
3816
Ringed
LBL-5 printed · top label, centre, below the roundel from IMG-1
FISH HOOKS
LBL-6 printed · top label, lower left from IMG-1
BRONZED
LBL-7 printed · top label, lower right, before the handwritten size from IMG-1
Size
LBL-8 printed · top label, bottom line from IMG-1
MADE IN ENGLAND
LBL-9 handwritten · top label, right of printed 'Size', blue handwriting from IMG-1
11
Trademark
Circular roundel in a single-line border holding a winged, dragon-like creature above a crown, with a rounded form under the crown and a tail curling up at the right. Small lettering reading TRADE MARK runs along the lower arc and is partly merged with the tail.
As entered on the specimen record
JOHN JAMES & SONS'
100
KIRBY
TRADE MARK
3816
Ringed
FISH HOOKS
BRONZED
Size
MADE IN ENGLAND
Layout
Blue printed label across the top of the box, bordered by a dark rule. The maker line sits in an upper band above a horizontal rule. Below it, 100 and KIRBY form a left column and 3816 and Ringed a right column, with the trademark roundel between them. FISH HOOKS is centered under the roundel. BRONZED is at lower left, Size at lower right, and MADE IN ENGLAND on the bottom line.
Later marks
Size 11, written by hand in blue to the right of the printed word Size. The writer and date are unknown.

Pattern history and manufacturer context

Design lineage

Britannica credits Charles Kirby with the Kirby bend, a hook shape with an offset point V. Merriam-Webster defines a kirby as a fishhook of evenly curved pattern V. The two sources stress different features.

How John James & Sons applied the name to model 3816 is not documented.

John James & Son 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
3192 No. 8 — Carlisle Hook silhouette3192 No. 8 — Carlisle Hook83%Matches: Bend, Shank, Wire, Eye, Eye Orient. +3 moreDiffers: Gap: Narrow vs Standard; Point: Standard / Spear vs Superior; Finish: Bronzed vs Blued +1 moreCompare
3193 No. 6 — Carlisle Hooks silhouette3193 No. 6 — Carlisle Hooks81%Matches: Bend, Shank, Gap, Eye, Eye Orient. +4 moreDiffers: Wire: Heavy (1X Heavy) vs Standard; Point: Standard / Spear vs Superior; Finish: Bronzed vs Tinned +1 moreCompare
31885 No. 6 — Carlisle Hooks silhouette31885 No. 6 — Carlisle Hooks81%Matches: Bend, Shank, Wire, Gap, Eye +6 moreDiffers: Point: Standard / Spear vs Superior; Barb: Barbed vs Barbless; Gap ratio: 14.3% vs 18.1% +1 moreCompare
93400 No. 3 — Mustad 9340078%Matches: Bend, Shank, Eye, Eye Orient., Finish +3 moreDiffers: Wire: Heavy (1X Heavy) vs Standard; Gap: Narrow vs Standard; Point: Standard / Spear vs Hollow Point +3 moreCompare
3188 A No. 8/0 — Mustad-Squid Carlisle Hooks silhouette3188 A No. 8/0 — Mustad-Squid Carlisle Hooks77%Matches: Bend, Shank, Eye, Eye Orient., Forging +2 moreDiffers: Point: Standard / Spear vs Superior; Finish: Bronzed vs Tinned; Offset: Offset / Kirbed vs Straight +1 moreCompare

ExploratoryRelated by Shape (SVG)

Ranked purely by silhouette geometry — attribute labels are ignored.

SilhouetteHook ModelMatchCompare
3320-G No. 2 — Carlisle Pelican silhouette3320-G No. 2 — Carlisle Pelican75%Compare
3705 No. 8 — Carlisle silhouette3705 No. 8 — Carlisle72%Compare
3193 No. 6 — Carlisle Hooks silhouette3193 No. 6 — Carlisle Hooks71%Compare
31885 No. 6 — Carlisle Hooks silhouette31885 No. 6 — Carlisle Hooks69%Compare
3188 A No. 8/0 — Mustad-Squid Carlisle Hooks silhouette3188 A No. 8/0 — Mustad-Squid Carlisle Hooks68%Compare

Sources, open questions, and record notes

Sources & Documentation

This specimen and its packaging — photographed, 2 images
Supports: country of originquantity per packagesize documentedbendeyebarbfinishmeasurements availablemeasurement notesshank gap ratiopackagingmeta titlemeta descriptionprimary search termssummaryidentificationtechnical notes

Entry last updated October 28, 2026. Entries are updated as new specimens, measurements, or documents come to light.