Abu Garcia
Encyclopedia
ABU Garcia, originally A B Urfabriken, then ABU Svängsta, is a fishing reel
and fishing equipment company from Svängsta
, Sweden
, and is best known the manufacturer of the famous Ambassadeur bait casting (overhead) reel.
Still one of the most recognizable names in fishing technology, A B Urfabriken began at a factory located near the Mörrum River, in Blekinge
, Sweden. The company, founded in 1921, originally manufactured watch
es, telephone timers and taximeter
s. However, the founder's son, Göte Borgström, a fishing enthusiast, soon redirected its focus towards fishing reels during World War II
, when demand for those products grew scarce. The reigning outdoor sports participant distributing and manufacturing firm THE GARCIA CORPORATION USA 1947-1978 was the largest fishing tackle company of its time, formerly known under the earlier name Charles Garcia & Company New York
. The Garcia Corporation started importing and marketing ABU's many reels in the 1950s, including the famous Ambassadeur reels. Garcia was already the leader in fishing tackle importing, marketing and distributing the famous Mitchell 300 spinning reel from France since 1947. Garcia Tackle Company 1979-1980 was a short-lived partnership between ABU and MITCHELL S.A. of France and in 1980, ABU AB acquired New Jersey
based Garcia Tackle Company and changed their name to Abu Garcia. Mitchell S.A. would go their own way, but the two brands would join together again under the Pure Fishing banner only again to be sold to the Jarden Corporation in 2007.
ABU Garcia introduced a series of fishing reels and related products in the early 1950s. The Swedish-built ABU 444, the company's first spinning reel, was introduced in 1955, followed in 1965 by the first model of the Cardinal series of spinning reels.
Beginning in 1957, the company also became known for its advanced spin cast reels (Abumatic) featuring several engineering innovations such as level-wind mechanisms (oscillating spools), under-rod spin cast reel designs (the Abu 500 series) and improved drags for fighting larger gamefish. The famous Ambassadeur series of bait casting reels, which utilized advanced metal alloys, ball-bearing friction interfaces, and precisely-cut gears, was introduced at the New York World's Fair in 1964, and subsequent Ambassadeur models are still produced by the company.
The professional angler Paul Gustafson worked for seven years as chief angling consultant for ABU Garcia.
Today they still make ambassadeur's along with a new model called a revo which is another version of the ambassadeur.
ABU Garcia Collectors from all around the world choose to buy, sell and exchange rare items on popular auction sites such as eBay.com and Tradera.com (Swedish). Rare items can fetch thousands of dollars. Specialist sites exist to aid finding these items such as Auction Angler.
Publications that aid the collector of ABU Garcia merchandise include 'The Ambassadeur and I' and its sequel 'The Ambassadeur and I Final Chapter' both by Simon Shimomura. There is also a book titled 'Vintage Fishing Reels of Sweden' by Daniel Skupien that contains a large amount of valuable information on ABU Garcia fishing tackle.
Fishing reel
A fishing reel is a "cylindrical device attached to a fishing rod used in winding the line". Modern fishing reels usually have fittings which make it easier to retrieve the line and deploy it for better accuracy or distance. Fishing reels are traditionally used in the recreational sport of angling...
and fishing equipment company from Svängsta
Svängsta
Svängsta is a locality situated in Karlshamn Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 1,742 inhabitants in 2005....
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and is best known the manufacturer of the famous Ambassadeur bait casting (overhead) reel.
Early history
Blekinge
' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , situated in the south of the country. It borders Småland, Scania and the Baltic Sea.The name "Blekinge" comes from the adjective bleke, which corresponds to the nautical term for "dead calm"....
, Sweden. The company, founded in 1921, originally manufactured watch
Watch
A watch is a small timepiece, typically worn either on the wrist or attached on a chain and carried in a pocket, with wristwatches being the most common type of watch used today. They evolved in the 17th century from spring powered clocks, which appeared in the 15th century. The first watches were...
es, telephone timers and taximeter
Taximeter
A taximeter is a mechanical or electronic device installed in taxicabs and auto rickshaws that calculates passenger fares based on a combination of distance travelled and waiting time...
s. However, the founder's son, Göte Borgström, a fishing enthusiast, soon redirected its focus towards fishing reels during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when demand for those products grew scarce. The reigning outdoor sports participant distributing and manufacturing firm THE GARCIA CORPORATION USA 1947-1978 was the largest fishing tackle company of its time, formerly known under the earlier name Charles Garcia & Company New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The Garcia Corporation started importing and marketing ABU's many reels in the 1950s, including the famous Ambassadeur reels. Garcia was already the leader in fishing tackle importing, marketing and distributing the famous Mitchell 300 spinning reel from France since 1947. Garcia Tackle Company 1979-1980 was a short-lived partnership between ABU and MITCHELL S.A. of France and in 1980, ABU AB acquired New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
based Garcia Tackle Company and changed their name to Abu Garcia. Mitchell S.A. would go their own way, but the two brands would join together again under the Pure Fishing banner only again to be sold to the Jarden Corporation in 2007.
Modern developments
Beginning in 1957, the company also became known for its advanced spin cast reels (Abumatic) featuring several engineering innovations such as level-wind mechanisms (oscillating spools), under-rod spin cast reel designs (the Abu 500 series) and improved drags for fighting larger gamefish. The famous Ambassadeur series of bait casting reels, which utilized advanced metal alloys, ball-bearing friction interfaces, and precisely-cut gears, was introduced at the New York World's Fair in 1964, and subsequent Ambassadeur models are still produced by the company.
The professional angler Paul Gustafson worked for seven years as chief angling consultant for ABU Garcia.
Today they still make ambassadeur's along with a new model called a revo which is another version of the ambassadeur.
Collections
There are collectors of ABU equipment.ABU Garcia Collectors from all around the world choose to buy, sell and exchange rare items on popular auction sites such as eBay.com and Tradera.com (Swedish). Rare items can fetch thousands of dollars. Specialist sites exist to aid finding these items such as Auction Angler.
Publications that aid the collector of ABU Garcia merchandise include 'The Ambassadeur and I' and its sequel 'The Ambassadeur and I Final Chapter' both by Simon Shimomura. There is also a book titled 'Vintage Fishing Reels of Sweden' by Daniel Skupien that contains a large amount of valuable information on ABU Garcia fishing tackle.