4" PERFECT: CARBON DATING?
hey Sinktip--
Perhaps you know that Hardy did not introduce the MKll check in their line of Perfects until 1921. Although there is no conclusive evidence about the date in which Hardy went from smooth brass feet to smooth alloy feet to ridged brass and ridged alloy feet, it appears that the shorter ridged brass and ridged alloy feet did not show up on the early Perfect models until the mid to late 1920's (and in some models, 1930's).
Taking the above into consideration, I concur that your 4" Perfect with the long smooth brass foot seems to be an "early" 1920's model. To tighten it up from there you might have to consider sending it in to a lab for carbon dating....
But no doubt, it's a beauty and per Mr. Willie Gunn's wise words, do not touch that foot with a file! Electrical tape works just fine on either an up-locking or down-locking "modern" seat (but make sure you wrap off the retaining rings with tape so they don't scratch the bottom of the foot)
The down-side, of course, is you'll soon grow tired of the tape routine (and there's always that nagging feeling that the reel will fall off when you're fighting a fish...). Taping the reel will also eventually distend or balloon out the retaining cup of your existing seat because of the stress the retaining rings cause sitting beneath the reel's foot instead of securing it in place
I gave up not only on tape routine but also on trying to get Sage to put special reel seats on their double fisters to accommodate the growing use of these antique reels.
With all due resepct to the Sage guy who "wakes up every morning trying to figure out how to make a better rod", their attitude seemed to be "we already know it all and don't need in-put from the people out there who use our rods".
It was that supercilious somewhat arrogant attitude that drove me to Struble Manufacturing (yes, it's true-- necessity is indeed the mother of invention).
Struble was more then willing to try out some new ideas and with their help I was able to fashion several reel seats that accommodated my entire collection of old Perfects, Longstones and Super Silexes.
Let me know if you need contact information for this or help on how to go about the modification process. I not only built my own rods with these modified Struble seats but also retro-fitted all my older "off-the-rack" rods with them --- it ain't heart surgery and can be accomplished with modest costs.
And keep that reel properly exercised!
