K2 buys Penn
 

It's official K2 parent company of Shakespeare just purchased Penn.
So how soon do you think they will move all Mfg overseas.

The flow of cheap goods from China is the only thing that is keeping the masses from revolting....

Shouldn't be long..

Time to buy another International or three and put them on the shelf . . .

The International baitcasters are crap to begin with. They can make them on Mars for all I care--I'm never buying another one. Plastic bridge plate, jack-in-the-box free spool, and level wind pawls that wear out in a month. No thanks :hs:

The only good surf useable reel Penn's come out with in the last 20 years is the 525 Mag. And they stopped making most of their old workhorses.

MIKE :claps: :claps: :claps: I agree. I am waiting to see if the changes to ABU are as good as many have been telling me. Please bring back the ABU 6500 mag elite .......:o

K2
 

Is that the ski equipment company?

I have a few of the intern'l baitcasters and have given them the duty of fluke fishing from a boat. They do a good job there. I don't like the button either and the paws do wear but make it thru a season of fluking.

IMO penn has got too much heat from Asia, there is no way they can compete unless they follow the leaders.

same thing I was wondering

Yes so I have been told

here is the corporate website.

http://www.k2inc.net/about/default.asp

i just lobbed a call over to k2's investor relations guy, i'll see if i can dig up a few more details.

The Mag-Elite was re-released last year under a similar but slightly different name. They are exact copies made in Sweden.

Back on topic. I had the privilidge to see a prototype of a Penn Mag 515. Same housing as the Mag 525 but with a smaller spool and a few other tweaks. I know Penn has been falling behind but the Mag 525 & when/if released the Mag 515 seem to be good products for those that can throw non-levelwind reels.

K2 made a really durrable ski, maybe they can bring this to reels

Whatever happened to the updated 706 or 704 they were supposed to come out with in the Fall? Think this will nix it?

I'll believe it when I see it.

A Penn rep recently chimed in on this over on SOL and said they were probably still a year or so away.

It's not like they're designing the replacement for the space shuttle--you're talking about one of the simplest pieces of machinery on the market :hs: