Pennell.

The subject of Pennell, especially Pennell reels, comes up often enough that it is worth a page to explain this often found tackle brand. First of all, Pennell is not a company. Regardless of the reels that are stamped "Pennell Reel Company", it was not a company, or a manufacturer of fishing tackle. Pennell is a trademark. 

The trademark was one of many owned by Edw. K. Tryon Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Thanks to the research done by Craig Barber, we have dates to put with the usage of these trademarks. The Pennell trademark was originally applied for by Edw. K. Tryon Company in 1905, and at that time they claimed use since November 24, 1889. This trademark was claimed for usage on almost every type of tackle imaginable, from reels to "fish mouth openers". 

Many of the reels with the famous Pennell trademark were manufactured by the Montague Rod & Reel Company, in their Brooklyn, NY factory. However, not all reels were made by Montague. Montague didn't even make reels in 1889. Quite a few reels were contracted to Julius vom Hofe in the 1800s. Edw. K. Tryon contracted with whomever had what they wanted, and the Pennell label was stamped on the finished product. Some of the earliest Meisselbach casting reels have the Pennell trademark on the head plate.