Does anyone have a small scale such that they could tell me what the differences in weight are for the single foot ceramic fly guides from Fuji, say a size #6 alconite or sic titanium frame and the newer Forecast and American Tackle zirconium ring FL guides? The various colored zirconium rings look really neat but was wondering if that material along with the stainless steel frame would weigh in at a lot more than the Fuji's and soften my 4 and 5 weight rods. Thanks for any info and input.

I can't give exact weight differences because I don't have a scale that will weigh amounts that small either, but I can tell you that any Forecast TiGold or TiChrome guide I have tried is heavier than the comparable Fuji Hardloy guide. I have tried guide sizes down to #8 high v frame singlefoot and this was still the case. I determined this using a simple lever device made out of a piece of clothes hanger wire. On each end is a loop to hold a guide. In the exact middle I tie a piece of string and make sure the wire is sitting level before adding the guides. SiC or Alconite are supposed to be lighter than Hardloy, so I suspect they would have an even greater difference. After saying this I'll also say that I still use the Forecast TiGold or TiCh on most of my rods that they apply to. I just like the way they work and the way they look. The main difference in weight appears to be in the frame to me. The frame on the Forecast looks slightly thicker than the frame on the Fuji.

Nathan

Rob, I can give you a partial answer, for what it's worth. I caution that these weights are based on only one guide of each type. I am preparing to build a couple of rods and had some of the Fuji's on hand, so I measured them. The Forecasts are the ziconia rings finished in silver that I had left over from a saltwater 12 weight I made this summer. I do not know if they are the same guide except for the deposition coating. Measurements in grains.

Fuji Fuji Forecast
TSG LSG
6mm 2.4
7mm 3.1
8mm 4.2 5.7 7.2
10mm 6.2 8.7
TNSG
10mm 10.2
12mm 14.5 21.2
16mm 25.3

Rob, the measurements didn't post the way I wrote them. I had them in a chart format. I'll email them to you.

Dan, unfortunately the document didn't come thru. Thank you for your efforts.

Here's another try. All weights in grains. Fuji single foot TSG guides. 6mm:2.4; 7mm:3.1; 8mm:4.2; 10mm:6.2. Fuji TNSG double foot guides: 10mm:10.2; 12mm: 14.5; 16mm:25.3. Forecast 8mm single foot:7.2 grains (only size I had.) Forecast 12mm double foot: 21.2. Fuji LSG single foot: 8mm:5.7; 10mm:8.7.
These are the only SIC guides I had on had.