available from any of the manufacturer's for their rod blanks?

This may sound silly.....but it seems to me that most of the makers should INCLUDE rod logo's with their blanks....I can dream can't I? :-)

DR

All first quality rod blanks do come with decals or labels. Seconds, blems, etc., do not.

I would think that this is one good reason the manufacturers do not easily pass out their decals and labels. They don't want people sticking them on blanks that are not first quality.

my dan craft sig V blank and pac bay rainforest blanks have all come with labels. the only other blank i've tried so far have beeen batson forecast (rx6) which did not have a label.

eric
fresno, ca.

I used to order some AllStar Elite blanks, and there were no decals supplied, too

Pavel,
Moscow, RU

Duane,

The inclusion of a decal with rod blanks is a business decision that all manufacturers make. Some choose to include them and some don't and it's not necessarily a decision based on the quality of the blank - it's a matter of business philospophy. I can tell you that if it were my business I would choose NOT to include a decal with my blanks no matter the quality. I personally would not want my good name on a blank where the builder or hobbyist did second or third rate work. I would want my name ONLY on completed rods where I maintain control over the appearance and quality. Some manufacturers of top quality rods (Eric mentions 2 of them) include decals. It's not that they're wrong, they just choose a different approach to business.

I make a series of rods which I sell through a few local outlets that have a distinct appearance. All of them have my company name on them. These rods are custom only within the range of available blanks that I can get from the same manufacturer, the reel seats are the same and the colors and other markings are the same. In that respect some would not consider them a true "custom" rod. I will gladly make a "custom" rod using any blank, reel seat, thread color, etc. the customer may want but I do not place my company name on them; only my name and/or the clients name if they want it. I don't want my "custom" work to be confused with my "factory" work. I'll never be anywhere near the size of Sage, Scott, Loomis, etc. but it still a business concern and this how I choose to adress it. Someone else who may have a similar operation could choose to do just the opposite and be just as right . It's just a matter of choice and those choices evolve over time. I've always found it interesting that Fenwick, when it was a real top of the line blank, always included a decal. Now that they no longer command the same status among builders as they once did, you can't get a decal - go figure.

I guess I've taken a long, round abaout way to tell you that I wouldn't let the inclusion or absence of a decal influence my decision to purchase or not purchase particular brand. There are excellent quality (and poor quality) blanks both with and without a decal. There are a lot of excellent builders that frequent this board who can tell you about almost any blanks you can name. The CC Data site is also very helpful

Sam

I don't buy as many blanks as I once did, but in all my years purchasing blanks, I never saw a first quality blank that did not have either a decal, label, sticker, etc. included with it or on it.

........

Sam,

The easiest solution to your concerns (if you were a manufacturer) is to locate the sticker/label down on the butt where the handle will cover over it. But at least it will be there to identify it as a first quality product at the time of sale. The Batson and All Stars I have received were done that way. St. Croix also puts their factory label right at the very butt end, but also includes a separate decal in the shipping bag.

.........

Tom

I agree with your point about the markings on the butt end of a blank. Most reputable blank manufacturers will mark their blanks in some manner as a means of addressing future warranty claims and things of that nature. In support of you point, I just received 2 blanks - a PacBay with a conspicuios decal intended for placement above the handle and an Allstar that included no decal and was marked more subtlely at a spot that will be covered by the reel seat (fly rod). The remarks in my post were aimed more at the inclusion of decals that contained registered trademarks and other copy-righted materials that are intended to be highly visable on the finished rod. Anywhere that I've ever worked, we have always been extremely cautious and particular over what items we allowed our company logos and slogans to appear on. I've chosen to take the same approach with my own personal items and I am sympathetic to blank manufacturers who share that sentiment. Manufacturers in both camps have been successful. I just wanted to point out that the absence of a decal like the ones that appear on the finsihed rod is not necessarily a guage as to the quality of the blank.

Sam