Custom or Forgery?
The workers at A.B.Urfabriken over the years have proved themselves to be very creative and often produced for their own purposes, items that we not on the standard production line. They were encouraged by management, to be experimental, creative and think outside the box. Primarily this encompassed, reel designs or reel modifications and lures styles of colours, weights etc that were not standard production. Some of these made it into being full product lines. Others withered on the vine, so to speak, still others were made as an indulgence purely for personal use or interest. These were many in number and wide in nature over a long period of time. The strangest I have ever come across is a beautiful black patent crocodile skin (or fake) ladies evening bag emblazoned with the ABU 20/30 metal label, no doubt for a worker's wife or lady friend. A token of respect for which the name Ambassadeur stood I think. Images supplied by fellow Aussie Rod Cameron, noted collector and touched with the same ABU passion as myself.
This topic of customizing has always fascinated me as it is always been human nature for some to try to strive for improvement over the last known mark, be it in production or performance ...even when the the present results are good. Companies can do this and individuals also...and for vastly differing reasons!