DATING A PERFECT (OR JUST BUYING HER A DRINK)
What a lovely reel! It would be just smashing on a 5 weight. Steelhead? I've seen the knot on the aluminum spool of my Princess many times. A reel comparable in line capacity to the reel you have, I nevertheless always seemed to get those fish to the beach (even if I had to apply chase to get the job done).
As this was long before the advent of high-tech/low diameter backing I'd use a reel like this for steelhead or salmon in a heartbeat!
Dating the reel? It has a line guide. Hardy did not produce the 3 1/4" Perfect with a line guide until 1932, so at least you have the bottom side of the equation in place.
The curved logo did not give way to the straight line logo until 1950 so now you have the top-end of the equation in place.
This date is buttressed by the fact that your reel has a black-leaded finish. This finish lasted until the early 1950's upon which time Mr. Hardy, (in a fit of drunken stupor?) decided to apply that obscene grey spray- paint finish to his Perfects.
This decision should have been shot in the forehead at dawn (without being offered a farewell cigarette) but at least the change in paint jobs helps guys like us date Hardy reels in general (and yours in particular).
So, you can presume "early 30's to late 40's".
I suspect that Reducto ad Nauseum from there is dangerous. I think we'd agree that pinning a beauty down to her exact age might in the final end prove futile (and maybe dangerous)?
Just so you know, the value of your reel is probably arrived at by the extremely paltry production numbers associated with that size. Between 1932 and 1940 there were only 256 3 1/4" Perfects (with line guides) produced. That compares with over 2,000 3 3/8" Perfects and 1,100 3 5/8" Perfects produced during that same time period.
Somehow the "market" figures out the calculus for this relative scarcity and prices are reflected accordingly.
