Thanks for the excellent comments. What do you recommend for a line dryer?
I use a line winder/dryer because I think they are cool, I like to have my reel secured to something when I strip off line (I'm a klutz) and in the universe I live in whenever I am involved, loose coils of line lying on a back seat or anywhere else positively means a tangle I will have to sort out later.
Just about every line winder currently in production today is for at home line management (new line or backing on & off), not drying a silk line after a day's fishing. That's because they are not really portable, but designed to be clamped to something or used on a workbench and they typically DON'T secure the reel.
99% of the purpose made line winders for winding, drying and re-spooling a dry & dressed silk line hold the reel as well. These winder/dryers are either vintage table top "cricket bat" style line dryers made by Hardy or Farlow, the Hardy "Hotspur" that is a take-apart winder that doesn't secure the reel and clamps to a table or collapsible winders or "compacts" as Hardy referred to them.
The "compact" style are the most practical for hassle free winding of your wet line at the car after a days fishing although there is nothing wrong with the "cricket bat" styles except they don't fold up as small for compact storage.
There were two more recent (and discontinued) knock-offs of the "Hardy Compact," the "Struble Line Winder" and the "Tibor LineMaster." Both of these knock-offs did the Hardy Compact one or two better by incorporating a clamp (additional $$$ with the Struble) that allows you to clamp your winder with the wet line AND your reel to a table when you get home so it is secure when the line is completely dry and you want to redress it.
The Struble also has an attachment to allow you to use it to spool backing or a new line on a reel, if you wish while the Tibor went the Struble several times better with a much more robust table clamp, a better reel seat, a leg saddle (yes, you heard me right, you can clamp the winder to your leg) and a superior attachment for putting on a new line or backing. All of this and a neoprene pouch to carry everything was included with the LineMaster, albeit at a much higher cost than the Struble.
I own or have owned all of the above. When I get home after winding a line at the car, I like to have the winder safely secured for drying & redressing so I prefer something with a clamp. I tried the Struble, but didn't like it so I sold it and went with a Hardy Compact for a few years before buying a Tibor LineMaster which I use now.
You can find Hardy Compacts on eBay, especially eBay UK. Expect to pay $100+ for one. While the wooden handled versions are the prettiest, the plastic handled versions are cheaper and have four adjustable arms (versus one) which is a benefit if you want to use it for line management.
Thomas Turner, a highly reputable and well known antique tackle dealer in the UK is another source. You can buy direct from Thomas Tuner or through eBay UK.
Cricket bat-style winders can be pricey ($150 - $250) because some of them are desirable, however I've snagged a few at compact prices by being patient. They do work great in the field despite not folding up as small, they have a handle to hold on to while you wind and you can just as easily sit it safely on a table when you get home and clamp it down with your own clamp if you desire. They just can't be used for line management like the compacts.
Struble Line Winders are hard to come by, but they do pop up on eBay with and without the clamp. Expect to pay the same amount for a Struble as a Hardy Compact while Tibor LineMasters are as scarce as hen's teeth and when they do appear they can go for double or triple the price of either.
Make you want to stick with plastic lines, doesn't it.
😉
Good luck!!
