Friedrich vom Hofe and his son Julius made and sold fishing reels in New York City on Fulton Street in 1860. The first F. vom Hofe reels were marked on the head plate and did not have a gear bridge to support the main gear post. They also used small nuts to fasten the cross-bar pillars to the back of the head plate. Later ones contain the gear bridge patented by his son Julius on Nov. 26, 1867. The bridge provided stability to the gear post. These reels also had the cross-bar pillars threaded and screwed into the back of the head plate. The reels have been found in solid nickle silver and in brass. The scarcer versions are made of hard rubber like the one pictured below. All of his reels are considered highly collectable.