The First "Sunspot" Spoon
I'm sure most long-time collectors are familiar with the South Bend Sunspot Spoon. It was only produced two years (1941-1942) but its distinctive look tends to make an impression on one that is not easily forgotten. What many collectors do not know is that South Bend was not the original maker of the Sunspot. The Sunspot was originally produced for a short time by the Edwood Company of Elkhart, Indiana.
Today's advertisement is from the July 1939 issue of Outdoor Life. It contains whatever one would want to know about colors and sizes that the Sunspot was produced in by the Edwood Company.
At the recent NFLCC Milwaukee Lure Show, I happen to look in my room mate David Budd's case and there was an original Edwood Sunspot, mint in the box. Dave was kind enough to let me photograph it and the pictures appear here. Two things of interest I notice. The spoon itself contains no markings unlike the South Bend products I've looked at recently. The box seems to have suffered a printer's error. When the paper covering was glued to the lid of the box, all print on the sides appears upside down. (I'm tempted to make a "Hoosier" joke here, but in deference to Dave I'll let it pass). I am betting there was some conversation about this when the boxes were first delivered from the printer.
-- Bill Sonnett
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ReplyDeleteGreat article... was pointed here from some friends asking questions about the Sun Spot
ReplyDeletePerhaps the printing on the lid was done intentionally - place the bottom in the top voilla - instant display.
Cool stuff - thank you
Have a south bend sun spot in box. Glad to know its a 41 or 42. Has a treble on it and doesn't look to have seen the water.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great info. I was aware of some of the lures made by my great uncle Ed Wood and dad has had one of the crab crawlers in his collection as far back as I can remember and recently got a few more with the original boxes. One of my uncles (un-related to the Wood line) was into collecting fish spears also came by some spears made by another great uncle (so if you ever come by a fish spear stamped with 'Wood' on it that was made in Northville, MI, it's related)
ReplyDeleteI have a picture of my gr-gr-grandfather standing in the spear shop with my gr-grandfather and the gr-uncle that made the spear, but there doesn't appear to be an upload on the comments here.
btw, the non-wood uncle was an expert on colonial era tools (which got him into the spears) and also later became an expert on fish traps and spring hooks. He was a co-author on the book "Spring-Loaded Fish Hooks, Traps & Lures, Identification & Value Guide"
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