Thank you for pointing me to Danielsson Andrew. I looked back at some recent postings on here about them and it would seem that they are well respected.
The design and engineering appeals to my precision engineering background. I'll buy one and hope that I escape being clobbered with import duty
Re your query about 'resistance on the forward wind'? The reel will be used on my d/h wafting rod where the line is often on the reel during the cast. I only retrieve a couple of yards at most, if any at all. The reels I have been using for the past 4 years are cheapo Chinese which run forwards freely and momentum during casting tends to pick up slack line. This slack can form lose loops on the spool. I bought the 4 cheap reels with spare spools to hold the lines being tested (about a dozen with lots of cutting and splicing) for wafting. The reels will be given to the junior section of our club to get them started and some of the lines will be used in the garden
My s/h reels are Lamson Liquids and they are a sorry sight with most of the coating worn off. They are also prone to getting leader trapped behind the spool - hence going back to full frame design.