does anybody know who makes cabelas sli blanks ? before i found all these other suppliers here i purchesed a sli 9' 5# from cabelas for my first rod. I'm putting spinning eyes on it and will be using a spinning reel. we call these noodle rods here and we use them for steelheading. the reason i ask is i read some stuff about crooked loomis blanks and this cabelas blank is extreamly curved. I didn't know any better so it's to late to return it. I allready have grip, reel seat, and eyes tyed. ready to finish.

If it is curved on the spline, I'd go with the flow and orient the tip so it is
up (belly down) in the unloaded position. Odds are that the curve is not on the spline. St.Croix was once said to have built rods for Cabela's but this has been a while since I heard that. I have tracked rods back to the mgf using tip and butt dimensions, length along with modulus, warrenty, and retail pricing. If you have all the mfg's rod blank spec, the unknown rod and the entire series for that matter will fit into some mfg's current line up. Checking the entire series specs confirms your assumption.
I have sent completed rods back for a new tip section, which is usually the offender. They should take it back and fit you a new tip section onto your existing butt section. It would be easy enough to strip the unepoxied tip section prior to shipment. I build alot of Fly/Spin/Noodle rods myself and certain mgf's (Pac Bay) will void their warrenty if a Fly rod blank is tied up as a Spinning rod. They should take it back and give you a straight tip section, just strip the tip section guides and top, and mail away. Call them first, an R.A. number helps expidite matters considerably.

Rarely will the blank's natural bend or curve be oriented along the spine. Most times it will be perfectly in line with the blank's stiffest axis (neither the spine nor the opposite of the spine). This will not affect performance unless we are talking about a very severe bend, or particularly a bad crook or offshoot at the ferrule or near the tip.

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THANKS FOR THE ADVICE CHRIS AND TOM. THE CURVE IS MOSTLY IN THE BUTT SECTION AND IS 90 DEGREES FROM THE SPINE. IN MY STATIC TESTS IT HAD NO EFFECT ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ROD AS FAR AS TWISTING SO I PUT THE EYES ON UNDER THE SPLINE AS NORMAL. IT JUST LOOKS FUNNY WHEN YOU LOOK DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE ROD. IT'S MY OWN PERSONAL ROD AND I MY BE ALITTLE PREJUSTICE BUT IT IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ROD I'VE EVER SEEN! (HA HA) I REALLY ENJOY THIS SITE AND YOUR ADVICE. I HAVE THIS ADVICE STORED FOR FUTURE REFERANCE. EVERY ONE HERE HAS A FIRST ROD I'M SURE AND I CAN'T WAIT TO GET MINE FINISHED SO I CAN TAKE IT TO THE WATER AND BE PROUD OF WHAT I'M HOLDING ON TO BECAUSE IT'S A ONE OF A KIND.

P.S. I THINK I'M HOOKED CAN'T WAIT TO DO ANOTHER. NOW I KNOW WHY YOU GUYS KEEP THIS A SECRET. (HA HA!)

I recently purchased four of their IM7 blanks for about $15 each to make some rods for some of relatives and they are great blanks. I am used to the IM6 so the IM7's may be too fast for me. Other than that, the quality looks very good.

Most OEM blanks are made to the specifications of the purchaser....Cabela's would supply or provide specifications for their mandrels to be used for their blanks. These would be proprietary and not used to manufacture any other blanks for any other purchaser including the manufacturer's own blanks. Generally the mandrels are owned by the purchaser, in this case Cablela's.
Loomis has a long standing relationship with Cabela's and does make some of Cabela's premium blanks but you would not be able to take measurements and determine that indeed Loomis had manufactured the blank - they would not conform to any blank with a Loomis decal on it.

Most OEM blanks are made to the specifications of the purchaser....Cabela's would supply or provide specifications for their mandrels to be used for their blanks. These would be proprietary and not used to manufacture any other blanks for any other purchaser including the manufacturer's own blanks. Generally the mandrels are owned by the purchaser, in this case Cablela's.
Loomis has a long standing relationship with Cabela's and does make some of Cabela's premium blanks but you would not be able to take measurements and determine that indeed Loomis had manufactured the blank - they would not conform to any blank with a Loomis decal on it.

There shouldn't be any difference in action between the IM6 and IM7 models if they are listed as the same. The material itself won't make one faster action than the other.

Jeff,

I was in a Cabela's store in Owatonna MN and asked the same question. I was told that Cabela's uses several suppliers for their blanks. The guy helping me would say or didn't know which company the blank I was looking at came from, but it was a lower priced blank and he said it came from overseas.

Maybe if you wrote Cabela's on their web site, they have been real good about answering me on many questions.

For what it's worth.
Clint Doak