Hey folks,
Recently I have been wrapping a lot of rods (for a change!), and have been experiminting with different blank/thread combos. Just out of curiosity, I would like to know what types of finishes and which color you guys prefer on your blanks. Also if you have any ideas for thread/blank color combos that look good, I'd be interested to hear those as well.

So, what is your preference for finish on your blank? Matte or Gloss Finish?

What color? Clear? Green? Plum? Blue?

Thanks!

Andy Dear
Lamar Reel Seats

Hey Andy-

Since you asked I'll give you my opinion. I have some blanks that have over time become my favorites for specific applications. I tend to order these blanks in advance and keep a few of them on hand. Since I started doing this, I have found myself preferring a matte graphite finish more and more because of it's versatility. The matte graphite tends to keep your options open in terms of thread colors and tends to be compatible with just about any color guides, reel seats, reel seat inserts, and handles (EVA as well as cork). The matte finishes - in my experience at least - also tend to really hold up well over time in terms of durability.

When I do go with a color (usually on fly rods), I prefer green and blue. Not sure why but that's what makes me happy. I hope this is what you are looking for.

Tight lines,
Bill

Andy,
I like gloss black blanks. Just about any thread or handle makes these finish up nicely. Recently I used a gloss black composite blank using the holographic guides and for the winding was metallic red stranded side by side with rainbow for a 'stand out' effect.

I'm also partial to the satin black finish that St. Croix has on their SCII blanks and now the S-Glass. I like charcoal or black thread on these with metallic trim band to complement the guide ring or frame color. Garnet wrap and gold trim also are a classic look. Purple and TiCh/silver was a nice combination on a spin rod.
The matte blue blanks I've liked using different thread combinations such as the classic twist thread and the blue ring guides. A technique on a current musky rod project has classic twist with royal metallic blue thread together that complement nicely the blue ring guides for the blue blank.
The matte green SCV blanks which are among my favorite to finish with silk thread and various guides, esepcially the tigold or tich ring guides on spin and casting blanks. Dark Green gloss blanks are also nice in fly blanks that I like to use a simple metallic titanium or pewter trim bands with dark green thread.

Rich Garbowski

Purple gloss blanks would be great.
Lance

i think the rainshadow gloss green blanks look very nice done in candy apple red without color preserver. the clear red over green
creates the look of liquid amethyst. i use silver metalic two or three thread inlays in the "amethyst" wrap. i also like the tiger eye blanks done in medium brown with no cp. i use silver inlays and this looks very rich..i am currently wrapping a tiger eye for a friend with garnet wraps with copper metalic inlays. looks very nice.

I like royal blue with small yellow trim bands on matt graphite blanks.

Matte grey or black. I love the St. Croix SCV blanks for their performance, but the green/teal color really limits my thread choices.

First place, black. Second place, white. Third place, grey.

I know, I am a pretty weird fly fisher, but I love color in my rods.

I really like a gloss black blank, but I would love to see some purple blanks. I know that if I could get a really nice blank in purple, and wrap it up with lavender thread, it would be sold in a heartbeat to a female co-worker that fly fishes.

I am also currrently (that is, when I can get to it) some Lami yellow fiberglass blanks. Yellow does limit the colors, but well done, it could be a nice rod!.

My favorite wraps are a purple/red nylon wrap with CP. I also like red on the Rainshadow green without CP. And I like metallics. I have a fly rod just wrapped with metallic light blue that I adore, and I get more comments on how bright it is, mostly jesting, I suspect, but I like my colors hot!

I also like nylon with a metallic trim band of the same color. I have seen this in green and red. I have a rod that is going to get it in red when I can get to it.

Rob

I do not like MAtte one bit. I am not a fan of Black, although most of my rods are this color.

GUSA has some fantastic colors, Purple, Cobalt Blue, Emerald GReen, and some I have not seen but I hear are beautiful - Ox Blood REd, and CHerry red.

I also love Lamiglas CErtified Pro, as well as their old IM700 blanks, which were chestnut brown, and root beer brown. I would guess similar to teh TIger Eye blanks from the descriptions I've heard.

Plum All Star IGSP's were also sweet.

I do not like, at all , Honey or Caramel Lami blanks (E & S glass)

Natural graphite with a clear gloss finish. Just about all thread combinations look. I used to like the old Orvis and Scott blanks that were unsanded.

Andy,

I like matte grey with dark blue, red, green or black thread wraps. I haven't really come across too many colors that don't look nice on the matte blank.

John

Gloss black

i like matte black with rust and gold or garnet and gold wraps.

I also like green with either candy apple red, or green wraps that kinda disappear into the finish of the blank (like a rainshadow or a rainforest color green blank, as the SCIVs kinda have a weird green that does somewhat limit thread choice).

steve

Gee, guys & gals, what happened to good old white? When a mate claims he cleaned your rod, and it shows guts or scales, you know he is lying! I would pay $5.00 more for a white blank than for a black blank. We all know that any color, other than natural, is paint, so, is white more expensive than black? If one of the blank mfger's would paint his blanks white, I would find a way to use his blank instead of a black one! Bill T.

I don't like matte at all, even though I love SCII blanks. I like black because of the versatility in thread, but I'm also addicted to the tiger eye style of colors. Cobalt blue, emerald green and cherry red are my favorites. Nothing prettier in the sun. A colorless transparent rod would be really neat.

I don't really have a favorite for wrap color. If left on my own I like to use at least two colors in overwraps with metallic inlays and/or prizm bands. With a colored blank, I usually like to use that color as the primary thread but sometimes going with a weird color comes out pretty cool.

I prefer the matte finishes - blue (IM10) and dark gray/black. The drawbacks I see are that you have to use pencil vs china marker and the matte tends to show up finish errors - not exactly straight edges, the stray pinhead sized drip, and I've had some problems with wheel tracks from the dryer stand...Colors I've tried and liked include (wrap/trim band) black/gold (Purdue colors), burgundy/gunmetal or silver, teal/yellow, royal blue/opal, gray/burgundy, and candy apple red/gold.
==dave==

Matte graphite - less scratches in heavy use on charters. Thread color compatability with nearly everything - takes a toll on yellow and orange and light green thread - easier finish to get a sharp edge on finish at guides - builds a "stealth" rod for the bassers - easiest to get to water break condition for good joints. Allstar - Rainshadow - "Falcon" most sturdy finish -

Gon Fishn

Love the mix of art & science in rod building...

I like gloss as I like to keep a good coat of wax on my rods.

In my opinion, dark green (IM700 fly) and dark burgundy (XMG50 fly) colors look classy. And, the subtle sparkle flake of the Lamiglas Perigee and Sage SLT look fantastic in the sun - wish more rods came with this feature, as they can still be quite stealthy with toned down hardware.

I often hit the wine and beer aisles to get inspiration on thread colors as the bottles are glossy and the labels show many, many color combinations.

1st Matte graphite, 2nd gloss graphite. I don't like colored blanks.

Putter