Bent Or Curved Handles On Baitcasters

[bassinbrian]

The main reason I don't like the hawg handles.. They need to make a swept handle. There's no design to the current one, it just looks like they cut a piece of carbon and drilled some holes in it for the knobs.

I agree!

[BrettD]

I dont notice a difference between the two. 

[The Rooster]

Nevermind hitting your knuckles, how do you keep the other knob from hitting your hand when you turn the handle?  LOL

It never does on straight crank reels. I went to BPS today and held the PQ in my hand and cranked it. The handle nut cap, and sometimes even the metal handle bar itself, was banging my knuckle. I can modify my grip on the paddles and have it clear so it's doable, but I got starry eyed at all the baits around me and passed on the reel. I spent $170 on a $20 tackle bag, $30 on 4 rolls of line, and the rest in baits. I still want a reel but I think I'll put a little more use on the ones I have. Later in the year or maybe next spring I'll get two of them.

[J Francho]

Most reels with swept handles have a clicking drag star.  In all but Shimano's clicker, that mechanism adds significant length to the crank shaft, and puts the bobs out further.  The solution is a swept handle.  You can easily test this by putting a Sol and a Zillion on the same center axis, and compare.  The Zillion's knobs are no closer to the centerline than the Sol's.  Compare a Revo STX with a E series Shimano, and you'll see that the Shimano handles are actually closer to the centerline than the Revo.  I believe this is the reason Shimano is so late to the game with respects to swept handles - there was no issue to solve. One thing I do notice is relative weight of the handle assembly.  I notice that more than bearings, sweep, or length.

[Capt.Bob]

Most reels with swept handles have a clicking drag star.  In all but Shimano's clicker, that mechanism adds significant length to the crank shaft, and puts the bobs out further.  The solution is a swept handle.  You can easily test this by putting a Sol and a Zillion on the same center axis, and compare.  The Zillion's knobs are no closer to the centerline than the Sol's.  Compare a Revo STX with a E series Shimano, and you'll see that the Shimano handles are actually closer to the centerline than the Revo.  I believe this is the reason Shimano is so late to the game with respects to swept handles - there was no issue to solve. One thing I do notice is relative weight of the handle assembly.  I notice that more than bearings, sweep, or length.

That is correct, and why all handles are kept close to the reel, it is not about looks, like I said, the farther you get away from the rod HAND! the more awkward it is to hold while cranking under a load!

[FLcentral]

I bought a BPS Extreme Low profile 7:1 with a swept handle to use on a heavy action flipping rod. Love the reel but not the swept handle. Peeled the skin off my knuckle twice hauling bass out of heavy cover. The edge of the handle is a very sharp 90 degree corner, very effective for peeling knuckles. If I were useing the reel for more moderate techniques like crankbaits I probably wouldn't have a problem. 

The handle also has long cut outs in the center which weakens it. I bent the handle on mine cranking about a 3ft gator out of heavy pads so I will be replaceing it soon. I do love the soft rigded grips though.

[Hooligan]

Yeah, I think it's just about looks. There is no advantage at all to a bent handle. I don't buy into the manufacturers saying it helps balance the reel by moving the weight inward towards the center. That's total BS. But I think curved handles are here to stay so sooner or later I'll have to get used to them. As of now, none of my reels have them. I'm about to get a Pro Qualifier though and I was wondering about banging my knuckle on the nut cover cap, and then I read a review where this is happening to one guy.

It isn't about moving weight inward, it's about moving the centerline more towards the gears and it makes a large difference in torque transferred to the gears, as well as making it easier to crank the handle under load.  It's not BS at all.

[BrettD]

If you measure a reel with a bent handle front the back of the knob to the centerline of the rod and you do the same with a reel with a straight handle. I willing to bet you will be suprised there isnt any difference or a very minor difference. I know on my shimano curados/citica 200e's its the same distance as a lews tp with a bent handle. I measured myself the lews has a bent handle but the mounting surface is further from the center of the rod which negates the benefit of a bent handle. You can only get so close most reels are limited by the spool tension cap getting in the way of the drag star and handle.

[baluga]

What Hooligan said. 

Shimano's answer to swept handle is by positioning the handle closer to the body by placing the start drag positioned after the handle instead of before the handle.   Sample application is the new Calcutta D.

[The Rooster]

 

If you measure a reel with a bent handle front the back of the knob to the centerline of the rod and you do the same with a reel with a straight handle. I willing to bet you will be suprised there isnt any difference or a very minor difference. I know on my shimano curados/citica 200e's its the same distance as a lews tp with a bent handle. I measured myself the lews has a bent handle but the mounting surface is further from the center of the rod which negates the benefit of a bent handle. You can only get so close most reels are limited by the spool tension cap getting in the way of the drag star and handle.

This is one of those replies I was waiting on. Can't argue with facts.

[J Francho]

I measured myself the lews has a bent handle but the mounting surface is

further from the center of the rod which negates the benefit of a bent

handle

 

Another way to think this: it solves the issue of having the knobs too far off center, when a taller clicking drag stack is used.  The swept handle keeps the knobs in the usual place.

[thehooligan]

I think the swept handles look cooler but my problem is i have huge hands. The hawgtech handle has been a big help for me, im not banging my knuckles anymore...

[The Rooster]

Another way to think this: it solves the issue of having the knobs too far off center, when a taller clicking drag stack is used.  The swept handle keeps the knobs in the usual place.

This could be true too. What I don't get is if some companies have made a solid reel with straight handles and still have clicking drag stars, like the straight handled Shimanos, then why would others still have that problem to overcome? Bent handles don't get much closer, if any, and adding something that moves the handle out seems unnecessary also, since there are ways to do it without causing that issue.

[BrettD]

I honestly think its just a marketing gimmick. Just like the amount of bearings in a reel is a marketing gimmick. Its all to catch the fisherman not the fish.

[J Francho]

This could be true too. What I don't get is if some companies have made a solid reel with straight handles and still have clicking drag stars, like the straight handled Shimanos, then why would others still have that problem to overcome? Bent handles don't get much closer, if any, and adding something that moves the handle out seems unnecessary also, since there are ways to do it without causing that issue.

I explained that above.  Shimano's clicking solution is already VERY low profile.  It's actually recessed in the TOP of the drag star, and add very little weight and no extra height.  It does predicate using a spring, and it can be tricky to replace the star and handle after service.

[J Francho]

I honestly think its just a marketing gimmick. Just like the amount of bearings in a reel is a marketing gimmick. Its all to catch the fisherman not the fish.

Definitely not a marketing gimmick in the case of Daiwa's introduction of this feature. The marketing itself is gimmicky lacking an explanation of why engineers developed such a thing, but if you sit, and compare two reels, and put a straight shaft on a OE swept reel, there is about 1/2" difference. Now, whether that makes an actual difference probably has more to do with what you're used to, how you hold the reel, etc. I don't really feel much difference, as I stated initially. the weight of the handle and star, along with the length is something I notice first.

[BrettD]

Definitely not a marketing gimmick in the case of Daiwa's introduction of this feature. The marketing itself is gimmicky lacking an explanation of why engineers developed such a thing, but if you sit, and compare two reels, and put a straight shaft on a OE swept reel, there is about 1/2" difference. Now, whether that makes an actual difference probably has more to do with what you're used to, how you hold the reel, etc. I don't really feel much difference, as I stated initially. the weight of the handle and star, along with the length is something I notice first.

Read my post above post #33 I have actually measured the distance of the knob to the centerline of the rod there is no difference. Of course if you put a straight handle on a reel that is intended for a bent handle its going to stick out a 1/2" further because the mounting surface is further away from the center of the rod then a reel designed for a straight handle. Now if you put a bent handle on a reel designed for a straight handle you might see a difference. Every reel I own with a bent handle the handle mounting surface is further away from the rod then my reels with straight handles. I have lews,abus,shimanos,quantums,and diawas I measured them all. And the difference is no where near a 1/2" maybe a 1/8" difference at most.

 

What manufactures do I feel is move the center out for whatever reason and put a bent handle so it looks cooler and sells.

[J Francho]

What manufactures do I feel is move the center out for whatever reason and put a bent handle so it looks cooler and sells.

 

Did you read all my posts?  The clicking drag feature on both Daiwa and Abu reels predicates a longer shaft.  The mechanism adds about a 1/2" or so to the length.  So, it's actually a design solution, not a gimmick. The marketing behind it may be gimmicky, but it's a compromise in design.  Add one thing, and there's a result.  From there a new solution arises: swept handles.

 

At any rate, it all boils down to personal preference.  I ave aftermarket straight handles on reels that originally had swept, and I don't really notice it.