More than a month ago, I got myself a new toy as a project reel. It was one of those rare occasions when I open eBay and on that lucky day, I chanced upon this nice reel that very few were bidding on. I had to stay really late to bid at the last second. It was pure luck, I won the auction and the price was an absolute steal. I got the reel this afternoon after a long agonizing wait.
The reel is an old 2005 model Daiwa Luvias 2004. Japan made.
Why an old 2005 Daiwa reel when there are plenty of new high tech reels out there?
I can't say that it's because it's cheap. As a matter of fact, these oldies remain pricey even after 10 years out in the market. I just got lucky at eBay. Some are costing more than their newer versions.
The truth is, this is one of my most admired spinning reels that Daiwa has released. You could say that this is collector's reel. It's well designed, well engineered, and sexy. The look is an absolute Daiwa classic. Megabass came out with their own version using the same platform/look. Goes to show that even the savvy Yuki Ito recognizes the nice design of this reel.
This reel is a pre-Real Four design and it has very few siblings that can be used to interchange parts with. Getting a 3rd-party custom part was also limited. The reel's magic is inside the schematic -- It's brilliantly designed. No skimping on engineering. One interesting feature is the double-bearing supported spool. One CRBB bearing under the drag washer and another on the shaft. Daiwa usually reserves this design for heavy duty spinners.
Another big-reel feature is the anti-reverse. If you look closely, the AR bearing contains two big bearings supporting the load bearing parts -- the AR stopper has a big flanged bearing while the pinion sits on a really big bearing. The flanged bearing, as far as I know can only be found inside a Saltiga or the Emeraldas Colossal. A Certate doesn't even feature this overbuilt anti-reverse assembly.
It also has a worm gear for that really nice line lay that ensures that the line won't dig in.
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| I meant 'Worm Gear'. |
The only problem is that the handle needs an update. You cannot upgrade the handle knob as it's rivetted in place. The only option is to get a ZPI RCS handle adaptor and get a machined RCS handle and perhaps a really cool wood knob. Or perhaps, I might get a Livre hex handle which costs more than the reel itself. That's if my wife will not find out. Otherwise, I might need to look for a new place to crash for a few months.
Anyway, I love this reel. It's smooth, very light, and has a lot of possible customizations. All I need to do is look for them and find the funds to get them. Too bad they don't make this kind of reel any more. The newer Luvias reels and even Certates fail to impress me.
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