the catala is not made with the precision/detail of the calcutta, i.e. dull finish on drag star as opposed to high polished. it's made in malaysia while the calcutta is from japan (higher quality). this is not to say it's a bad reel, it's a great reel. many of my friends fish it hard. I had some probs with mine so I went back to a calcutta. it is fine for regular light tackle salt use. as the shimano guy told me, "it's a pricepoint reel". what he meant was: it's a good reel for the money--better than a $60 reel but not as nice as a $160 one.