Al Foss & True Temper Fishing Lures

Al Foss
Cleveland, Ohio

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Al Foss & True Temper Paperwork

Shown here are some of the paper items from our collection of Al Foss and True Temper.

Click on the thumbnail pictures below to see a larger image

Al Foss Letterhead Al Foss wrote in this 1919 letter: We do not claim to be the inventors of the "pig", but we do claim to be the only ones to make the pig skin really wiggle, and we will defend our rights against the army of pirates, who lack the gray matter necessary to originate anything themselves, and must be content to steal the ideas of others or fall by the wayside. He goes on to rightly say these lures will be made long after you and I are through with earthly cares...

Al Foss & True Temper Envelopes 1919 Al Foss envelope and 1941 American Fork & Hoe Company envelope

Al Foss Factory Correspondence This document is a 1938 letter from American Fork & Hoe to South Bend Bait Company which accompanied a check for royalty payments for AlFoss Supper Lures. Though it is misspelled in the letter, the credit was really for Al Foss Super Lures.

Dealer Promotional Material Though it is beyond the scope of this web page, True Temper manufactured a broad line of fishing tackle, including rods and reels, as well as fishing lures. This colorful piece was part of a letter from the Sales Manager of American Fork & Hoe to their tackle dealers. Hundreds of your lady customers are wondering what they can give their BOY for Christmas. They want something new, something that will be different and will welcome suggestions....Suggest to Mother, Wife or Sweetheart that she give him a True Temper Fishing Rod.

Al Foss Box Box Catalogs Most of the Al Foss and True Temper boxes included a pocket catalog which illustrated the company line of fishing lures. Some of the many catalog variations are shown in this collage. A few of the ones with the more interesting graphics are shown separately.

The first Al Foss box catalog paper The first Al Foss box catalog displayed the same images of the Skidder and Little Egypt that appeared on the intro lure boxes. It also illustrated the fist jar of Foss' PORK RIND BAIT.

Al himself, bring'ing' home the bacon This 1918 box catalog features a picture of Al Foss and the caption Al himself, bring'ing' home the bacon

You need pigs to make pork rind You've got to have a lot of pigs to make a lot of pork rinds and there are a lot of pigs on the cover of this 1919 box catalog.

Al Foss box catalog paper for Frog Wiggler This colorful image was used for the cover of the pocket catalog that introduced the Frog Wiggler in 1926.

How To Catch Fish With The Sunny Bucktail This colorful little box catalog is not so easy to find, as the lure that goes with it has never been seen. It dates to approximately 1928.

Al Foss box catalog paper for The Shiek The 1936 Al Foss box catalog paper introduced The Shiek and had a picture of its designer Merlin Mitchell of Orlando, Florida. "The Shiek is the daddy of them all," says Merlin Mitchell of Orlando, Florida. "Have found it will catch two fish for every one taken on anything else."

Company product catalogs American Fork & Hoe Company produced annual product catalogs that illustrated their complete of fishing tackle. These catalogs are an invaluable research resource for Al Foss collectors.