Vintage Hardy Bros England The Princess 3-1/2" Fly Reel Gun Metal Finish 1950's

Description

Up for sale is a vintage Hardy Bros fly reel.  This model is called "The Princess" and it is a 3-1/2" model.  I do not know much about Hardy Bros fly reels other than they are highly collectible and are very good fly reels.  The company is still in business to this day and still sell high end fly reels.  From what I gathered from limited internet research is that this particular reel was a limited run in the 1950's. (You will have to confirm if this is accurate.  I only believe this from limited information I found from a couple other eBay listings from the past, and a fly fishing reel forum, like I said I'm not a Hardy Fly Reel Expert).  The Princess reel was manufactured from 1953-2003 according to flyfishing-reels.com/hardy-reels/.
This has a grayish gun metal finish.  It has a brass wash reel seat/saddle, I don't believe its solid brass.  The reel seat has one end that has some tarnish/finish damage.  Overall the reel is in good working condition with some scratches and wear to the finish.  There is no slop in the spool from wearing, everything is still nice and tight.  I took the spool off and cleaned the pawls and springs of gunk/grease.  You can change the position of the pawls to change how you want to retrieve the line either right hand or left hand.  Its currently set to left hand retrieve.  The tension/drag adjustment screw works as it should to adjust the drag.  The springs are still strong and you get nice strong clicking.  I included a video so you can hear it.  I am a fly fisherman myself and would have no problem using this on my 3 weight up to 9 weight rods.  But that is probably a personal preference of mine.  This may be a little large for some 3-4wt rods.
The reel has a plastic or Bakelite handle.  This has a mix of brass and steel internal components.  I believe the brass components is how this reel can be identified as to when this line of reel was manufactured.
This reel has patent numbers BRIT PAT. NO. 658472 & NO. 687539
This reel frame is a 3-1/2" outside diameter.  The spool diameter is 3-1/8" The frame width is 1-1/8" and the spool width is a smidge under 13/16".  The reel from bottom of seat to top of reel is 3-5/8" tall.  The reel with no line weighs 6.1 ounces.
This reel does NOT include line or a case.  You get what you see in the photos, which is a quality vintage used fly reel.  This reel has a lot of life left in it!
For Best Description see the photos as they represent the most accurate description of this item.  The item in the photo is the exact item you will receive so use the zoom feature.
Thanks for Looking!
Feel free to check my listings for other quality antiques and collectibles over the coming days and weeks. I'm a new business owner and for these first sales, until I figure out all the ins and outs of EBAY, I am ONLY shipping to the United States.  Feel free to message me if you have any questions about this item or other items.  If you would like another photograph of item I can accommodate that as well.
I use the United States Postal Service (USPS) for all my shipments.  I do not charge any handling fees so these shipping fees are the USPS rates.  The items I sell are already packaged and that is how the shipping fees are calculated based on size and weight.  I generally try to get the package shipped the same day if payment is received early enough (before 2 PM EST) on weekdays.  If payment is received on a weekend or a holiday, I will get the item in the mail the next business day.  Oftentimes I will send items on Saturdays when I'm available to do so. (Local Post Office Closes at Noon on Saturdays).  If there is a potential longer delay to shipping
(Like if I'm away from the office for a few days)
, I will message the buyer accordingly.  I also take great care in the packaging to protect your item.  I use miscellaneous packing materials that are available to me, often this is bubble wrap and newspapers, but sometimes broken
Styrofoam
pieces, packing peanuts and plastic shopping bags will be used.  I do not have the resources like a big business has, I will use what is available to keep the shipping costs as low as possible.
I do not offer returns unless there was a mistake made in the description, but I try not to make any mistakes or be misleading.  There is photo evidence and a detailed description, so the item is bought as is, unless there was a blatant mistake made by me in the description.  I am human and a mistake could be made, so if you are unhappy with your purchase please contact me immediately and we can discuss the issue.  I strive for a smooth transaction and a happy customer.