Hi guys
Just wondering what the long time pro's think is the Slickest freshwater guide ring out now ? Most of the new guides tend to say they are as slick as the SIC ?
What do you guys think ?

Thanks

Bill,

I think the SIC is about as good as it gets right now. The alonites are a very good value and I use them more often but if cost isn't a major concern and I'm looking for hardness and slick casting - I don't think you can beat the SIC's.

Sam Stoner

Hiya, B.B. - By "slickest", you mean has the lowest coefficient of friction, right? ... I wish I could say I knew which website has that information. That parameter is related to hardness, but not the same. I, like you, would expect the slickest to be the silicon carbide guides, SiC.

But let me say that the quality of the manufacturer's final polishing of the guide ring can have a big effect on the slickness of the guide ring. Most ceramics can adequately resist corrosion and grooving. But if the quality of the original polishing of the guide ring was poor, then the raw crystal structure of the ceramic may be exposed and act like a ~ 600 or ~ 2000 grit abrasive on your fishing line. I don't know if braid line can win that tug-of-war, but nylon monofilament certainly will not. Close examination of the surface of any factory rod will show that the surface of all guide rings are NOT created equally. Some look like they were hardly polished at all, just cast.

Fortunately, it looks like the sellers of custom fishing rod components do not seem to gloss over that critical step. My point is simply to say that the quality of the final polish is critical - it should be as close to glass-like as our naked eyes can see. ... Cliff Hall, Gainesville, FL-USA +++

Fiji "GOLD CERMET"

Thanks guys
I was tending to go with the Fuji one main thing was due to the concept hight of there guides. Being a spinning rod would need that height for the reel.

BTW - I think the difference in the quality of the surface of a factory rod's guide ring and the high polish available on even the humblest aluminum oxide ring from any reputable custom components supplier is well worth mentioning as a selling point to any reluctant customer. The guides that the custom rod builder uses are almost always better than the factory stock rings. -Cliff Hall +++

Gil

I am going to check those out. Thanks

At what point to you meet "diminishing returns" For example, take a 6' spinning rod used for casting/jigging for walleye and rig one with SIC, one with Cermet (outrageously expensive) one with Titans, one with Hardaloy, etc. and would there be ANY noticeable difference in the performance?? Will they cast any farther? I think very little, if any.

This is sort of like the thread debate. Is D stronger than A? Certainly, is it necessary, No!

I am not knocking any of the guide materials Just wondering about the cost/benefit ratio. We still see people saying that you need to use SIC with "superlines" to prevent grooving and that is completely false. I see cheapo charter trolling rods that get 8 hours a day up to 7 days a week for 4 months that have cheap aluminum oxide guides with Fireline and have NEVER seen a groove in them

Mike

Mike

I was also thinking about weight. So of course I am looking at the Fuji and Titans. Being a spin rod need that concept ring height.

Butt Aluminum Oxicide ??? Heck I would never thought they would last any time in that situation ??