The Mustad 3906B is a Sproat-bend fly hook made in Norway by O. Mustad & S\u00f6n. Its shank is one step longer than that of the standard-length 3906 (V).<\/p>
The Key Brand box describes the hook as having an extra-long shank (P). Later descriptions class the 3906B as 1X long (V).<\/p>","spec_bar_items":"Turned-Down Tapered Eye\r\nSproat Bend\r\nExtra-Long Shank\r\nStandard Wire\r\nHollow Point\r\nBronzed Finish","flyhooks_url":"","svg_filename":"Mustad_3906B_Hook_Size_4.svg","filebird_folder_id":289,"flies_tied_on_folder_id":"","eye_type":"tapered","eye_orientation":"turned_down","eye_notes":"Turned-down eye, closed with the wire end against the shank (P). The Key Brand label reads T. d. tap. eye; the taper cannot be seen in side view.","wire_gauge":"fine","wire_profile":"round","wire_diameter_est":"~0.4 mm (size 18) to ~1.0 mm (size 1), grid estimates (E)","shank_length_category":"long_1x","shank_features":["plain"],"bend_family":"sproat","bend_notes":"Smooth bend with a nearly upright back, its tightest curve at the bottom, and the point returning roughly parallel to the shank (P). The label names it Mustad-Sproat.","point_style":"hollow","finish":"bronzed","finish_confidence":"confirmed","finish_notes":"Bronzed, as the Key Brand label states. Color in the photographs ranges from dark brown-bronze to bright gold-bronze, partly because lighting differs between shots (P).","forged":false,"offset_kirbed":false,"gap_category":"standard","barb_notes":"Small cut barb raised from the inner face of the point, leaving an open slot; its tip points back toward the bend (P).","condition_notes":"No visible rust or pitting on any hook photographed (P).","spec_line_text":"TDE | Sproat | 1X long | Fine Wire | Hollow Point | Bronzed","tech_specs_notes":"
The Key Brand box names the point a hollow point (P). In the size 4 close-up, the inner edge runs nearly straight from barb root to tip, and a facet line on the side of the point meets the barb root in a V (P). The concave inner face the term describes is not pronounced on that hook.<\/p>
A forum source lists the 3906B in 1X heavy wire (V), but measured proportions place the photographed hooks with fine-wire hooks (E). The size 18 hook has a narrower gap relative to its length than sizes 1 and 4 (P).<\/p>","hook_ply":"single","barbless":false,"measurements_available":true,"measurement_method":"physical_caliper","size_measured":"1","overall_length":"1.62 in (41.15 mm)","shank_length":"~1.45\"-1.52\" (~36.8-38.6 mm)","gap_width":"0.45 in (11.43 mm)","bend_depth":"~0.35\"-0.40\" (~8.9-10.2 mm)","wire_diameter_measured":"","shank_gap_ratio":"~3.1-3.4 : 1","weight":"","measurement_notes":"Size 1: total length 1.62 in (41.15 mm) and gap 0.45 in (11.43 mm), recorded as caliper readings; the reference points for the gap are not recorded (E). A grid estimate of the same hook gives 40.9 mm total length and 12.3 mm from point tip to the inner edge of the shank (E).\nSizes 4 and 18: estimated from the photographs on grid paper, assuming 0.1 in squares (E). The grid pitch is not confirmed.","cumulative_records_note":"","manufacturer_history":"O. Mustad & S\u00f8n was founded in 1832 in Gj\u00f8vik, Norway, initially as a metalworks factory producing nails, wire, and cast-iron goods under the name Brusveen Spiger- og Staltradfabrikk.<\/cite> The company was taken over by Ole Hovelsen Mustad and his son Hans Mustad, who rebranded it as O. Mustad & S\u00f8n.<\/cite> In 1877, Mathias Topp invented the first fully automated hook-making machine, which allowed continuous production of cut, bent, barbed, and pointed hooks at unprecedented speed.<\/cite> Rather than filing for patents, Mustad relied on corporate secrecy and restricted factory access to protect their proprietary manufacturing methods.<\/cite> By the 1950s, Mustad had secured 50% of the global hook production market, establishing sales offices and manufacturing facilities across multiple continents.<\/cite>","series_history":" Mustad printed the number as Qual. 3906 B on the Key Brand box and as 3906B on two plastic boxes of later design (I). On the plastic boxes the number sits under a QUAL. or REF heading, beside the size and quantity (P).<\/p>","named_collaborator_bio":"","era_dating_reasoning":"The Key Brand box prints OSLO - NORWAY. The city took the name Oslo on 1 January 1925 (V), so that box dates from 1925 or later.\nThe plastic box with the M device and the box with the Mustad\u00ae swoosh sleeve carry no date. A stylized M MUSTAD mark for fish hooks was registered in the US in 1973 (V), but its design is not shown, so it does not date the M device label.\nNo source gives an end date for the 3906B number.","fun_fact":"Mustad's own company history credits the growth of its fish hook production to new machinery built with engineers hired from English hook makers (V). The history gives no date for it.","fun_fact_title":"Machinery from English Hookmakers","manufactured_size_range":"","hook_sizes":[{"size_label":"1","size_sort_key":1,"size_documented":true,"size_confidence":"P","overall_length_mm":41.15,"overall_length":"1.62 in (41.15 mm)","shank_length":"~1.45\"-1.52\" (~36.8-38.6 mm)","gap_width":"0.45 in (11.43 mm)","bend_depth":"~0.35\"-0.40\" (~8.9-10.2 mm)","wire_diameter":"~1.0 mm (~0.04 in)","weight":"","shank_gap_ratio":"~3.1-3.4 : 1","measurement_method":"physical_caliper","svg_override":"","specimen_key":"S1","overall_length_method":"physical_caliper","overall_length_confidence":"E","shank_length_method":"","shank_length_confidence":"","gap_width_method":"physical_caliper","gap_width_confidence":"E","bend_depth_method":"","bend_depth_confidence":"","wire_diameter_method":"grid_derived","wire_diameter_confidence":"E","weight_method":"","weight_confidence":""},{"size_label":"12","size_sort_key":12,"size_documented":false,"size_confidence":"V","overall_length_mm":14.51,"overall_length":"~0.57\" (~14.5 mm) (V)","shank_length":"~0.38\" (~9.5 mm) (V)","gap_width":"","bend_depth":"~0.22\" (~5.7 mm) (V)","wire_diameter":"~0.02\" (~0.6 mm) (V)","weight":"","shank_gap_ratio":"","measurement_method":"","svg_override":"","specimen_key":"","overall_length_method":"","overall_length_confidence":"","shank_length_method":"","shank_length_confidence":"","gap_width_method":"","gap_width_confidence":"","bend_depth_method":"","bend_depth_confidence":"","wire_diameter_method":"","wire_diameter_confidence":"","weight_method":"","weight_confidence":""},{"size_label":"14","size_sort_key":14,"size_documented":false,"size_confidence":"V","overall_length_mm":12.62,"overall_length":"~0.50\" (~12.6 mm) (V)","shank_length":"~0.32\" (~8.1 mm) (V)","gap_width":"","bend_depth":"~0.20\" (~5.0 mm) (V)","wire_diameter":"~0.02\" (~0.6 mm) (V)","weight":"","shank_gap_ratio":"","measurement_method":"","svg_override":"","specimen_key":"","overall_length_method":"","overall_length_confidence":"","shank_length_method":"","shank_length_confidence":"","gap_width_method":"","gap_width_confidence":"","bend_depth_method":"","bend_depth_confidence":"","wire_diameter_method":"","wire_diameter_confidence":"","weight_method":"","weight_confidence":""}],"spec_bar_short":"","design_lineage":" A fly-tying dealer sells a Mustad Signature hook under the name S82-3906B (V). Mustad lists the S82NP as a 2X long Sproat hook in forged 3X strong wire, with a needle point, in sizes 4 to 18 (V).<\/p> Those specifications differ from the 3906B's, so the S82 name probably marks a successor rather than the same hook (I). No source dates the change.<\/p>","related_models":[{"model_code_related":"Qual. 3906B","description":"This model \u2014 Mustad 3906B, Sproat bend, extra-long shank, tapered eye, hollow point, bronzed finish.","relationship":"this_model","related_model_url":""},{"model_code_related":"Qual. 3906","description":"Standard-length model of the same number.","relationship":"variant","related_model_url":""},{"model_code_related":"Qual. 3371","description":"Blind-eye Sproat hook representing the pre-tapered-eye generation of this design lineage.","relationship":"earlier","related_model_url":""},{"model_code_related":"Qual. 79580","description":"Mustad Viking Streamer Hook \u2014 another extra-long Sproat variant, also with tapered eye.","relationship":"companion","related_model_url":""},{"model_code_related":"S82-3906B (Mustad Signature S82NP)","description":"Mustad Signature nymph and wet fly hook sold under the name S82-3906B; 2X long, forged 3X strong (V).","relationship":"later","related_model_url":""}],"primary_application":" Mustad labeled the 3906B a wet nymph fly hook (P). In sizes 1 and 4 it takes large wet flies and nymphs; in size 18 it takes small nymphs (I). A sold listing shows the model also made in size 20 (V).<\/p>","secondary_applications":"","fly_patterns":"","modern_equivalents":[{"hook_model":"Tiemco 5263","match_quality":"good","equiv_notes":"Round-bend, standard-weight, 3X-long tapered-eye streamer hook. Similar niche and functional profile, though lighter wire than 3906B.","modern_equivalent_url":""},{"hook_model":"Partridge SUD (Single-Strand Upstream Daddy)","match_quality":"good","equiv_notes":"Classic UK alternative with Sproat-like bend, tapered eye, long shank. Represents the living Redditch tradition parallel to Mustad production.","modern_equivalent_url":""},{"hook_model":"Daiichi 2720","match_quality":"moderate","equiv_notes":"Modern Japanese Sproat-style bend, extra-long shank, tapered eye. Good functional equivalent but with contemporary manufacturing standards.","modern_equivalent_url":""},{"hook_model":"Mustad S82NP Signature Nymph\/Wet, 2X Long","match_quality":"moderate","equiv_notes":"Sold by a fly-tying dealer under the name S82-3906B. Sproat bend and turned-down tapered ring eye, but 2X long, forged 3X strong wire and a needle point (V).","modern_equivalent_url":""}],"hook_type_application":["wet_fly","nymph"],"collectability_rating":2.5,"collectability_summary":"Rated 2.5\/10. Boxed 3906B hooks survive in quantity and the number continues in dealer stock under the S82-3906B name, which keeps the rating low; the Key Brand box adds some period appeal.","collectability_detail":" Interest rests mainly on the packaging. The Key Brand box with its Oslo address is the oldest form recorded here, and the two plastic boxes are of later design (I).<\/p> No source records how often any of these packagings appears for sale, so the rating does not separate them.<\/p>","rarity":"common","market_value_low":12,"market_value_high":28,"market_value_notes":"One sold result is recorded: a box of 100 size 20 hooks sold as old stock at US $11.49, with 25 units sold; the sale year is not shown (V). One result is not enough to set a value range.","where_to_find":"Boxed 3906B hooks appear in online listings of old stock (V).","collector_id_tips":" The Key Brand box shows an upright skeleton key with Key above and Brand below, inside a border of asterisk ornaments (P). Its label reads Qual. 3906 B, Mustad-Sproat Hooks, and T. d. tap. eye Bronzed, Ex. long shank (P). T. d. tap. eye stands for a turned-down tapered eye.<\/p> Plastic boxes carry either a white M device over MUSTAD on a blue band or a white Mustad\u00ae wordmark over two yellow swoosh lines (P).<\/p>","packaging_format_code":"vintage-box-oslo-1925-post","packaging_description":"Three packagings are recorded.\nKey Brand box: cardboard box with a pasted paper label (size 1).\nMustad plastic box: hinged transparent plastic box with a paper label band (size 4).\nMustad sleeved box: transparent plastic box with a paper sleeve (size 18).","packaging_condition":"good","ebay_sold_listings":null,"ebay_history":{"ebay_date_range":"","ebay_avg_price":"","ebay_price_range":"","ebay_avg_shipping":"","ebay_total_sellers":"","ebay_data_notes":""},"meta_title":"Mustad 3906B \u2014 Mustad Hook Reference | garrenwood.com","meta_description":"Mustad 3906B wet nymph fly hook: Sproat bend, turned-down tapered eye, hollow point, bronzed. Recorded in a Key Brand box from Oslo and two later Mustad plastic boxes.","page_intro_paragraph":"The Mustad 3906B is a classic mid-century wet fly and streamer hook embodying Norwegian industrial precision and English bend tradition. Produced from approximately 1925 through the early 2000s by O. Mustad & S\u00f8n in Oslo, Norway, this hook combines a parabolic Sproat bend with an extra-long shank and tapered eye\u2014specifications optimized for elongated streamer patterns and light-tackle wet fly fishing. The hollow-point construction achieves rapid initial penetration with minimal applied pressure, making it a reliable choice for soft-mouthed trout, pike, and sea trout. The original packaging features Mustad's distinctive eight-line label format, a standardized typographic system that encoded technical specifications for global distribution. Specimens in original 100-count sales cards represent valuable historical artifacts documenting the industrial ascendancy of Mustad as the world's largest hook manufacturer. This reference entry provides detailed specifications, measurement data, and preservation guidance for collectors and fly tyers seeking to understand and maintain these vintage examples.","primary_search_terms":"Mustad 3906B, Mustad 3906 B, Mustad-Sproat Hooks, Key Brand Mustad, wet nymph fly hook, Sproat bend, tapered eye, hollow point, bronzed, S82-3906B","image_1_alt":"Mustad 3906B size No. 1 \u2014 vintage box label and packaging \u2014 showing eight-line label format with Key Brand logo, Oslo designation, quality code, and hook specifications \u2014 bronzed finish on grid background","image_2_alt":"Mustad 3906B size No. 1 \u2014 hook point detail \u2014 showing concave hollow-point geometry and barb angle \u2014 side profile on measurement grid","image_3_alt":"Mustad 3906B size No. 1 \u2014 full hook profile \u2014 showing extended shank length and tapered eye \u2014 top-down view on grid","image_4_alt":"Mustad 3906B size No. 1 \u2014 pair of hooks from original card \u2014 side-by-side comparison \u2014 showing consistency and symmetry \u2014 on measurement grid","additional_sections":[{"acf_fc_layout":"preservation_tips","title":"Storage and Preservation","content":" Keep each box closed, dry and out of direct sunlight. Handle boxes and paper sleeves by their edges, since the paper labels wear and tear at the edges.<\/p> Store hooks taken out of a box in a dry, closed container, apart from loose metal.<\/p>"}],"specimens_recorded":[{"specimen_key":"S1","display_label":"Key Brand box, size 1","size_label":"1","size_basis":"label","packaging_variant":"V1","container":"box","hook_condition":"Small pale patch where the eye wire meets the shank; a few debris specks on the bend (P).","packaging_condition":"good","label_transcription":"Key\nBrand\nO. MUSTAD & S\u00d6N\nManufacturers\nOSLO - NORWAY\nQual. 3906 B\nHollow Point\nMustad-Sproat Hooks\nT. d. tap. eye Bronzed\nEx. long shank\nMade in Norway\n100\nNo.","label_layout_notes":"Pasted paper label on the box lid. Key and Brand sit above and below a key device in the upper left column; the nine-line main block runs center and right; 100 and No. sit at lower left. An ornamental border surrounds the label.","typeface_notes":"","trademark_description":"Upright skeleton key, bow at top and bit at lower right, with Key above and Brand below. Printed in gold-colored ink inside a border of eight-spoked asterisk ornaments around the whole label.","printed_marks":"","handwritten_marks":"Size 1 written by hand in violet after the printed No., with uneven fibrous strokes spanning both printed lines. Medium uncertain: indelible pencil, crayon or ink.","specimen_notes":"Tide-line staining along the top of the lid and label; pale tan spots right of S\u00d6N and 3906 B; a small green fibrous mark inside the key bow with a black dot beside it; paper covering worn through to tan board along both side edges. Contents not shown. The loose hook photographed is assigned to this box by file name and size.","preservation_notes":"","image_attachment_ids":[10284,10286]},{"specimen_key":"S2","display_label":"Mustad plastic box, size 4","size_label":"4","size_basis":"label","packaging_variant":"V2","container":"box","hook_condition":"No visible rust on the three hooks photographed; loose hooks in the box show no corrosion through the plastic. The count was not checked (P).","packaging_condition":"fair","label_transcription":"MUSTAD\nQUAL. SIZE QTY.\n3906B 4 10[?]","label_layout_notes":"Paper label band around a hinged transparent plastic box. A white M device and MUSTAD sit on the upper blue panel; blue headings QUAL., SIZE and QTY. sit on the white panel with values machine-printed in black below. The third QTY character is lost at a tear and may read 0 (100).","typeface_notes":"","trademark_description":"Two white peaked shapes forming a stylized M above white block capitals MUSTAD, reversed out of a blue band.","printed_marks":"","handwritten_marks":"None recorded.","specimen_notes":"Label torn away at the right edge, removing part of the QTY value; frayed at the left edge and top right corner. Small orange-brown specks and a tiny blue speck on the white panel. Plastic yellowed. The loose hooks photographed are assigned to this box by file name and size.","preservation_notes":"","image_attachment_ids":[10517,10518,10519,10520]},{"specimen_key":"S3","display_label":"Mustad sleeved box, size 18","size_label":"18","size_basis":"label","packaging_variant":"V3","container":"box","hook_condition":"A thin white fiber lies across the shank just behind the eye bend (P).","packaging_condition":"very_good","label_transcription":"Mustad\u00ae\nREF SIZE QTY\n3906B 18 50\nWET NYMPH FLY HOOK","label_layout_notes":"Paper sleeve around a transparent plastic box. The Mustad\u00ae wordmark and two yellow swoosh lines sit on the upper blue panel; the reference, size, quantity and description sit on the lower white panel.","typeface_notes":"","trademark_description":"White Mustad wordmark with registered sign on a dark blue band, underlined by two yellow swoosh lines outlined in black.","printed_marks":"","handwritten_marks":"None recorded.","specimen_notes":"Fine scratches across the blue panel and white lettering; faint blue specks near the top of the white panel; light soiling; lower left corner lightly worn. Contents only faintly visible. The loose hook photographed is assigned to this box by file name and size.","preservation_notes":"","image_attachment_ids":[24856,24857]}],"manufacturer_period_context":"Mustad began in Gj\u00f8vik, Norway, in 1832 (V).","rarity_basis":"A single listing sold 25 boxes of old stock (V). A fly-tying dealer sells hooks under the S82-3906B name (V). No source records scarcity for any size or packaging.","market_value_basis":"One sold result (eBay.de listing, size 20, 100 per box, US $11.49, 25 units, sale year not shown). A value range needs at least two sold results.","market_value_as_of":null,"market_sold_observations":1,"open_questions":null,"record_change_notes":null,"entry_type":"full","reference_layout_v2":true},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/garrenwood.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/garrenwood.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/garrenwood.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/garrenwood.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/garrenwood.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10239"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/garrenwood.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10239\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16781,"href":"https:\/\/garrenwood.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10239\/revisions\/16781"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/garrenwood.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7980"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/garrenwood.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/garrenwood.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"gw_hook_concept","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/garrenwood.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/gw_hook_concept?post=10239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}