In Dale Clemen's book "Advanced Custom Rod Building" he has an section containing specifications for all the guides available at the time the book was published: weights, heights, ring diameters, footprints. Unfortunately, the book was published in 1987 and to my knowledge no more recent compilation exists! With all the new guides introduced since 1987, all the attention to saving weight (which I totally buy into), and all the claims by manufacturers like Fuji that some of their components are "30-40% lighter" etc. I'm really shocked that someone hasn't compiled and published an up-to-date table of guide specifications.

For example: a Fuji TSVSG30 guide with Ti frame costs about $46; the same with a stainless-steel frame is about $14. Is the weight difference worth $32? How the heck can I tell unless I have the specifications?

As a former golf club assembler, from components, I'm amazed at how little technical information is available on the components that are used in making fishing rods. It can't be that hard--let me lose in a component warehouse with a ruler and scale and I could probably do it in an afternoon.

So . . . why isn't this information available? Is anyone planning on doing it? (Why doesn't FUJI provide it on their web site?)

tom do a search here it was covered about a month or so ago your not really paying for the weight difference more like the materal difference would be like a clone ping iron to a real ping there in no way anywere near each other hope it helps ...John T Burford aka Tightline Rod's

Still it would be nice if the manufacturers would as a matter of course just list all the weights for each item. Surely they have them or could weigh them. The blank catalogs include weights for each blank. Why not weights for the seats and guides we use just for those who might be interested? Granted that stuff doesn't weigh much but they could still include it for those of us who are interested.

Tom guides are like computers . T heir materials, sizes and shaps are constantly changing. For example the new fuji concept guides has revalutionized guide placement. For Fuji guides go to their web
Bob

I don't mean to be disagreeable (because I LOVE this board, and have learned so much from it) but:

John, I have done a search of threads; and

Robert, I have gone to Fuji's site.

Give me some credit. I've looked, and the information is simply not there. As for the statement that you're paying for the "material difference" not weight difference then I guess I'm completely confused about rod building. I thought reducing WEIGHT was the objective for developing Ti-frames, thin rings without shock rings, strong single-foot versus double-foot guides, reducing ring size (New Concep system), etc. So I stand by my claim that knowing what these weight differences are, even though all guides are pretty light, is absolutely critical to deciding wether it's worth it to plunk down an extra $30 or so for a single supposedly lighter guide!

I can't believe I'm the only person on this board frustrated by this.