I haven't seen anything posted on these yet so I figured I would ask and see if anyone out there has built on(or at least had one in the hand) one of these new H&H IM7 dark green blanks?

Does anyone know how they compare to the Rainshadow RX7(not RX7+) in weight,action,and performance?

What about the green color of them comapared to the gorgeous gloss green Rainshadows?Are they as nice?

We've built up quite a few of the green IM6 H&H blanks, which were same as PacBay, nice rods. Haven't tried the new IM7 but suspect they are built in same plant as Rain Shadow, possibly on slightly different tapers for H&H. Give Bob a call at H&H and ask him about similarity, he's a great guy to deal with and while some information is proprietary he can answer your questions about appearance and performance.

Hi Tony:
I looked at the H&H web-site and discovered these are now listed as an import, while the previous IM6 was built in USA. The finish and action will probably be slightly different but for the difference in price they sound like a blank worth trying. Too bad distributors are forced to outsource more and more products, we may or may not agree with this, but we get the benefit of low prices and they're able to survive and be competitive. If you're hesitant to try one give H&H a call and ask Bob about comparison, looks like an unbeatable price for a good blank.

Tony,
Can't compare the to the Rainshadow but I can compare the to H&H IM6 blanks. I have built several of the IM6 rods. The color is almost the same but the action is a little faster to me. I just finished a 10 foot 9 WT. for a steelhead customer in Ohio. He called me after the first day on the stream and was delighted with the rod. I have no hesitancy in buying any of the H&H blanks , the performance and the price have always been in line with the product.

The H&H IM6 are still made in the USA as are there XT51and Rainshadow RX7 and RX8 but the IM7 are imported as are the Forecast. Neither have the limited lifetime waranty. The IM7 is a limited 2 year.

I have two H&H IM6 rods and love them.

Joe