Catch of the Week: Fishing Show Report ~History of Abu Garcia~

This week's feature is Abu Garcia!

Abu Garcia is a long-established fishing brand that originated in Sweden, developed in the United States, and will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2021. Their reels, rods, and other fishing gear are very popular around the world!
The brand is also developing a full-fledged apparel line, and is continuously producing sophisticated items that incorporate fishing elements into fashion!

At the Japan Fishing Show held in January and February, the Abu Garcia booth introduced the history of the company since its establishment!
It was a must-see corner for all Abu Garcia fans. Here is a part of the history of Abu Garcia.

🌍 History of Abu Garcia

1921
Founding of AB Urfabriken

The bankruptcy of HALDA, a watch manufacturer, led Carl August Borgstrom, the founder of the ABU, to found "AB Urfabriken". Initially, the factory developed and manufactured clocks and cab meters.

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1941
Launch of the Record 1000 series of casting reels.

During the Second World War, when Swedish imports of reels were halted, Jäthe designed and manufactured his own casting reels.
In 1941, he launched four casting reel models under the name "Record," which was the trade name of the cab meter he used to sell.
The four models were the Record 1500, 1600, 1700, and 1800, each of which was manufactured in 25 units, for a total of 100 completely handmade reels. During this year, the company also began producing OEM products, including Pevco.

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1945
Launch of the ABU Record Sport 2100 - equipped with a centrifugal brake mechanism

At the end of World War II, ABU introduced a baitcasting reel equipped with a new mechanism. The "Record Sport 2100" was equipped with a centrifugal brake mechanism that would have a major impact on later models. This model set many records in the sport casting competitions that were popular at the time, in which anglers competed for the longest casting distance. Around the same time, ABU began to use the name "ABU" for many of its products, such as lures, and ABU began to gain recognition as a fishing tackle manufacturer.

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1948
Publication of "Napp och Nytt" begins

The ABU product catalog "Napp och Nytt," which continues to be published to this day, begins publication. The catalog, which includes many articles on how to start fishing, knowledge of fish species, and fishing experiences, has become a popular reading material.

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1951
ABU receives Swedish Royal Warrant

ABU was honored with the Swedish Royal Warrant. This was the moment when ABU's quality was recognized by the country. This emblem, called the Crest Mark, is still worn as the symbol of Abu Garcia on Ambassador reels and other products.

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1952
The timeless Record Ambassadeur 5000 is now available.

This baitcasting reel, named the Ambassador, was equipped with the latest mechanisms of the time, such as centrifugal brake, Starwheel drag system, free spool, level wind, bronze bearings, etc. The deep red aluminum side plate was an iconic design that has remained an ABU icon ever since. The deep red aluminum side plates are an iconic design that has remained an ABU icon for many years since.

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1965
The first Cardinals

Cardinal66 and Cardinal77 were introduced. Although they were large spinning reels with a deadweight of over 400g, their basic structure and design had been perfected, and they became the basis for the Cardinal series, which was to be downsized in subsequent years.

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1975
The CARDINAL 33 is here.

When talking about ABU spinning reels, many people probably mention this model. It was in 1975, 20 years after the launch of the ABU444, that the famous "CARDINAL 33," which is still loved to this day, was introduced. It was the birth of an epoch-making model that realized delicate fishing with a high-performance stern drag on the inspool and ease of feathering. It is still highly supported in the Japanese mountain stream scene.

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1984
Brand name changed to AbuGarcia

The company name was changed from ABU to AbuGarcia.

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2006
Birth of the Revo Series

The "Revo" series of low-profile reels, developed with the latest technology from AbuGarcia, is launched. The Revo STX, Revo SX, and Revo S were launched in the same year.

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2016
Introducing the Revo MGX, an Innovative Spinning Reel

The Revo MGX, a spinning reel with a lightweight real finesse design, is now available. The Revo MGX features a COG gear design, C6 carbon rotor, One piece X-Mag™ gearbox, and Rocket line management system, all of which have never before been seen in a spinning reel. The Revo MGX is the cornerstone of the new AbuGarcia spinning reel lineup.

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2021
Abu Garcia's 100th anniversary

Abu Garcia celebrates its 100th anniversary
Abu Garcia will continue to take on challenges for the next 100 years.

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